As an all around ocean enthusiast, Adam has dedicated 10+ years to educating the public about the ecological importance of the Monterey Bay and its resources. His love of the ocean has shown throughout his work and life over the years. All through college he spent any hrs outside of school surfing and spending time near the water. He started in the SCUBA diving industry working as a Divemaster and Instructor. He taught spearfishing and introduced many to the underwater world.
He started his own diving business but soon fell in love with kayaking and became the General Manager of Monterey Bay Kayaks, where he practices environmental interpretation through eco tourism year round. He is a Kayak guide, Kayak Fishing guide, and Kayak Instructor and ensures that people can safely experience kayaking. Adam received his B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Environmental Sciences Technology and Policy at California State University Monterey Bay.
Since childhood, Adam has appreciated and enjoyed recreational fishing. From the coasts of California to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, he has had the pleasure of fishing in all types of water. Through his passion, he has helped introduce more people to the sport. Adam’s enthusiasm for educating fishermen on the importance of safety and conservation helps promote a healthier fishing environment for all to enjoy.
Rich has been focused on saltwater sports and fishing for nearly his entire life. As a child he spent as much time as possible fishing backwater, nearshore and offshore along the coast of New Jersey. Over time he developed a love and passion for saltwater fishing and has turned that passion into Fat Dad Fishing LLC, a company focused on educating saltwater anglers on not only techniques for catching more fish, but safety and environmental responsibility. He has been kayak fishing saltwater for over 20 years.
Rich attended Bloomsburg University and is currently employed by Salt Strong as their Inshore Fishing Coach covering the mid-Atlantic and northeast United States.
Dani is passionate about the environment and spending time in nature with her family. She attended California State University Monterey Bay where she graduated with Bachelor"s of Arts in Environmental Studies with a concentration on Science for Sustainable Communities, and a minor in Environmental Health Policy. Dani worked with an environmental nonprofit that focused on waste diversion, and later returned to California State University Monterey Bay to obtain a teaching credential. She currently teaches 4th grade and enjoys sharing her love for science and nature with her students
Zachariah grew up on the beautiful central coast of California, and was lucky enough to be born into a family who loved and lived to be on the water. His love of the ocean was instilled at a young age, and he learned to surf and read the water very early on. Aside from surfing, he was also a PADI-Certified Scuba Diver at 16 years old. As a competitive swimmer and water polo player in school, it was a natural progression to become a certified lifeguard and swimming instructor. His first job was at the local YMCA. You could say that he was born for this lifestyle. In fact, his middle name is Waterman.
Sometime in the early 1990s his family decided to buy a fleet of kayaks and from then on they spent every weekend paddling on the great Pacific Ocean. Towards the end of the 90’s he decided, “Hey I can fish from these kayaks”. And spent his early 20’s hunting the kelp forests up and down our coastline.
After a hiatus from kayak fishing that lasted far too long, he was reintroduced to the now much bigger sport by my good buddy Andy. From that moment 3-4 years ago I have been back at it with a vengeance to make up for the lost time. He enjoys not only the fishing aspect but also being the best ambassador of the sport that he can be. Spreading the love of this sport/lifestyle means a great deal to him, and take any chance he get to introduce people to his passion. Luckily he has a wife and children who understand his passion, and they even hit the water with him occasionally.
He is honored to be the Coordinator for the Central California Chapter of Heroes on the Water, a Veterans/First Responders support organization, that helps our nation’s heroes by getting them out kayak fishing to help them heal. This is a position that he regards with much pride and is something he will look back on with a smile knowing that they were able to help our warriors.
I look forward to what the future holds for this great sport, and I am excited to see where the next 10 years takes us.
As an avid outdoorsman, his various careers have taken him around the world to enjoy his outdoor hobbies and interests. Sky worked as a diver before joining the Navy were he learned the computer skills to continue his career in the DoD Navy. He is a Navy veteran and worked for the Department of Defense for many years. He considers himself fortunate to call the Monterey Bay Area his home. Sky began fishing in Kansas over 60 years ago, and diving/deep sea angling in northern California’s waterways in the 1970s. He has always prioritized conservation, preservation, and ongoing education in the best practices to preserve our natural resources and ensure access to the outdoors for generations to come. Blessed with a large family, Sky can often be found taking his grandkids outdoors, sharing his love and respect of nature with them. Sky has served the local Gem and Mineral Society since as an officer, director and active member leading numerous field trips around the country in search of minerals while fishing wherever possible.