Articles by Thaddeus Foote
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Using Old Techniques to Build a New Stand-Up Paddle Board
Fuel the spirit, exercise the core, save money and create something beautiful. If all projects offered such promises, we would be busy people. In the spirit of 4,000 years of Arctic boat-building tradition, I'd like you to meet my newest friend and project - ... -
Camping with Kids
I was six years old and the rain fell hard. The river flooded and our tent held more water in than out. Some non-essential gear floated away but all the kids, luckily, remained. This was not the family trip my parents planned but it was certainly one we’d ... -
Kayaking Florida's Waterways
Long before car keys ever jingled in my pocket, small boats gave me the freedom to roam and explore Florida's waterways. There, along the mangrove-covered channels, I found peace and purpose as I discovered yet another part of ... -
Tree Climbing - It's Not Just for Kids Anymore
To climb a tree is primal and natural. Kids do it because it’s freeing and fun. They follow their hearts and find adventure in the closest tree, gaining new perspective on the world below them. Adults have taken note, and, thanks to recreational tree ... -
10 Ways to Get Out in 2010
2010 is the Year of the Tiger. According to Chinese mythology, those born during the next twelve months will embrace adventure and thrive on life's unexpected challenges. Members of this, yet unborn, group will find particular courage and fulfillment ... -
Fill'er Up...with Algae
What is green and slimy, smaller than a grain of sand and might hold the keys to solving the world's fuel crisis? Algae. Dependence on foreign oil, high prices at the pump, eight years of war and a warming planet have made us all start to consider ... -
Think Outside the Bag
Picture a mini-mobile power generator strapped to your back. Now, remove the bulk and the fuel, add some style and room to store a day's worth of necessities and you have the Voltaic™ Converter. The Converter is a sweet little bag made ... -
Hanging Ten in SoFla
South Florida surfers are a tenacious and thankful bunch. Both attributes stem from the inconsistent surf that visits the peninsula. “Epic” might not be an adjective to describe the ancient sport in the southern-most state, but when the stars align and ... -
10 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
What do house lights, bottled water, newspaper, automobiles and fried chicken have in common? They all increase your "carbon footprint" – an environmental impact measurement that specifically shows how much carbon dioxide each person, family, organization, ... -
The Answer, My Friend...
Five thousand years ago, our Egyptian forefathers and mothers harnessed the wind and invented sailing. One hundred and thirty years ago, wind powered pumps allowed for the irrigation and cultivation of the western states. Today, according to the U.S. ... -
Slip Into an Ocean Kayak
4,000 years ago, someone had a great idea. Tie some driftwood together, wrap a seal skin around it and call it a "qajaq." The "hunter's boat" offered a bridge from the desolate, resource-poor and frozen land into the bountiful bays and sea. The long, skinny ... -
The Free, and Freeing, Way to Catch Dinner
In 1913, a Greek fisherman shocked the medical world. After losing it’s anchor off the island of Sparthokos, the Italian Navy recruited Gheorgios Haggi Statti to help. The local fisherman spent the next week diving, with nothing more than a bathing suit ... -
You Are What You Eat: 10 Ways to Eat Sustainably
Bycatch, overfishing, habitat damage, saturated fat and antibiotics. These infamous terms, typically associated with beef and fish industries, might be enough to turn away even the heartiest carnivore. But you can have your meat and eat it too. ... -
Here Comes the Sun
Since the beginning of celestial observance, humans have worshipped the sun and tried to harness his free and renewable gift, solar power. In fact, enough sunlight hits earth every hour to power the entire planet for a year. Although ... -
How to Buy a Stand-Up Paddle Board
So, you want to buy a Stand-up Paddle Board (SUP.) The nation's fastest growing water sport has roped you into its healthy and adventurous grips and you're ready to take the plunge. The gym is boring and you're itching for some outdoor fun. Once you've made ... -
The Spirit of Tying a Fly
"To catch a fish is primal. To catch a fish on fly is art. To catch a fish on a self-tied fly is spiritual."
Fishing dates back thousands of years to our earliest cousins. Spears and traps sufficed when the pangs of hunger knocked and fish swam ... -
A Disabled Fisherman Finds Freedom on the Water
Graham loves to catch fish... big ones. "A 300lb fish swimming 40mph away from you is a hell of a lot more exciting than catching a redfish on the flats" explains Miami native and fishing captain, Graham Hooper. "Everyone cussing, slipping on chum; it's ... -
Gettin’ It On Off-Road
By definition, South Florida "mountain bikers" should not exist. With a highest altitude of 345' above sea level, on a calm day, Florida ranks as the nation's flattest state. Mountains are nowhere near the great peninsula, but if mountain biking is in the ... -
Racing the Carlin to the Finish
Three spotted eagle rays, two bonnet head sharks and a first place trophy. That's what I saw at the latest Hobie Standup Paddleboard Series race, sponsored by Liquid Sail and Surf in Coconut Grove. Twenty racers from Pompano Beach to South Miami gathered to ... -
Knee Deep in Adventure
Not long ago and not far away, a unique and magical corner of our globe thrived, untouched. Life-giving water flowed slowly through the grass, hosting countless species of plants and animals. Locals called it "grassy waters" and we call it the Everglades. ...
