August 4, 2011 - On average, Cape Cod beaches lose about one to two feet each year to natural erosion processes. Chapin Beach in Dennis is eroding five times faster, losing up to 10 feet annually. Incremental sea level rise may be a factor. What seems to be doing much more harm are rock jetties. From Sandwich to Truro beachfront property owners on Cape Cod Bay have been armoring their shorelines with rocks to prevent their properties from shrinking. This is having the perverse effect of causing more erosion since sand that would normally travel and replenish beaches is stopped and scouring action is exacerbated. The loss of sandy public beaches is beginning to hit Dennis merchants in their pocketbooks - tourists don't enjoy walking barefoot on rocks.

Here's more from Monica Bracy-Myerov at WBUR.com

Latest designation covers 30 miles of coastline making 67 percent of the Massachusetts coastline a no boat sewage dumping zone

BOSTON – August 1, 2011 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the Commonwealth's designation of the Outer Cape Cod No Discharge Area (NDA). This latest NDA designation prohibits the discharge of any treated or untreated boat sewage along the entire Atlantic side of Cape Cod. There are now 15 NDAs along the Massachusetts coast – covering 67 percent of state waters. This latest NDA covers the coastal waters off Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. A designated no-dumping zone for boat sewage means cleaner water for recreational pursuits from boating to swimming and fishing.

“EPA is very proud to help these Outer Cape communities take an important step in protecting the health of their coastal areas,” said Curt Spalding, Regional Administrator of EPA's New England Office. “Especially in summer, we see how a clean and pristine environment is a critical foundation of the Cape’s vibrant tourism economy. Summer visitors expect to find clean coastal water, and this designation will help ensure that Cape citizens are protecting their environment and their economy.”

"Designation of the Outer Cape Cod NDA was a team effort, with local, state and federal partners working together to protect these coastal waters," said Bruce Carlisle, CZM Director. "I'd especially like to thank these six Cape Cod communities for their commitment to protecting coastal water quality and habitat and give a special nod to Goose Hummock Marine for their partnership and support in this endeavor."

In particular, the town of Orleans and Goose Hummock Marine were instrumental in providing the necessary coverage for Nauset Harbor by respectively purchasing and agreeing to operate and maintain a new shoreside pumpout facility. The town of Orleans will be reimbursed for 75 percent of the cost of purchasing and operating the pumpout facility via the Commonwealth’s Clean Vessel Act Program administered by the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries.

The Outer Cape Cod NDA extends from the previously designated Cape Cod Bay NDA in Provincetown to the tip of Chatham, covering the waters within the National Seashore and including Nauset Harbor. Pleasant Bay was separately designated as an NDA in 2010. The 30 miles of coastline included in the NDA are extremely important for recreation and tourism. The area’s 24 beaches include the Cape Cod National Seashore, which is enjoyed by millions of visitors each year. It is also a popular area for boaters – with Nauset Harbor home to more than 500 vessels. Swimming, sailing and shellfishing are other important local recreational activities.

“The EPA’s decision to approve the Outer Cape Cod No Discharge Area designation could not have better timing,” said State Rep. Bill Keating. “Despite incessant attacks on the EPA’s regulatory authority and essential conservation efforts, the EPA has again demonstrated its unrelenting commitment to upholding the standards of the Clean Water Act. Perhaps no one in Massachusetts understands the economic importance of clean water more than the Tenth Congressional District. Our community is dependent on the tourism attracted to the scenic coastlines and pure waters of the Outer Cape. So for us, more visitors directly translate into more jobs and greater revenues. Without vital measures such as the designation of No Discharge Areas, our local economy would be severely impacted. This vision held by both the Commonwealth and EPA only adds to my pride as a resident of the Bay State, and I speak on behalf of the residents of Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown as I commend this announcement.”

NDAs protect water quality and aquatic life from pathogens, nutrients and chemical products contained in discharged sewage and also reduce the risk of human illness, making it safer to swim, boat, fish and eat shellfish from protected waters. NDAs can also help reduce the growth of harmful algae that occurs due to high nutrient levels in sewage discharge and protect commercial clam fishing flats.

The outer Cape Cod NDA joins a growing list of protected state waters that include these 14 previously designated NDAs.

• Upper North Shore - the coastal waters of Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury, including the Merrimack River in Amesbury, West Newbury, Merrimac, Groveland, North Andover, Haverhill, Methuen, and Lawrence
• Pleasant Bay (Brewster, Orleans, Harwich, and Chatham) and Chatham Harbor
• The coastal waters of Revere, Saugus, Lynn, Nahant, and Swampscott, including the Pines and Saugus Rivers
• All of Cape Cod Bay
• Boston Harbor - the coastal waters of Winthrop, Chelsea, Everett, Boston, Quincy, Milton, Weymouth, Braintree, Hingham, and Hull, including the Charles River in Watertown, Newton, and Cambridge
• Salem Sound - the coastal waters of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Danvers, Salem, and Marblehead
• The coastal waters of Cohasset, Scituate, and Marshfield
• The coastal waters of Plymouth, Kingston, and Duxbury
• All of Buzzards Bay
• Waquoit Bay in Falmouth
• The coastal waters of Harwich
• Three Bays/Centerville Harbor in Barnstable
• Stage Harbor in Chatham
• The coastal waters of Nantucket from Muskeget Island to Great Point, including Nantucket Harbor

Federal, state and local officials continue their work to designate the two areas which remain undesignated in Massachusetts coastal waters: Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds and Mt. Hope Bay, with the goal to protect the entire Massachusetts coastline as an NDA.

For more information on No Discharge Areas in New England, please visit: www.mass.gov/czm/nda and www.epa.gov/region01/eco/nodiscrg. For more on boat sewage pumpout locations throughout Massachusetts coastal waters, see: www.mass.gov/czm/nda/pumpouts

BOSTON – April 20, 2011 – The Patrick-Murray Administration yesterday announced the nomination of the eastern shore of Cape Cod from Provincetown to Chatham as a No Discharge Area (NDA), a federal designation that prohibits the discharge of any treated or untreated boat sewage.

The proposed designation, which the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval, would cover 179 square miles. After intensive efforts by the Patrick-Murray Administration, there are now 14 NDAs along the Massachusetts coast, covering 60 percent of state waters. Designation of the outer Cape NDA would bring the total coverage to 67 percent, with only two areas remaining undesignated---Nantucket and Vineyard Sounds and Mt. Hope Bay, where work leading to NDA designation is also underway.

"Designating these waters as a No Discharge Zone is extremely important to the residents and visitors who prize the Cape for its priceless natural resources and recreational opportunities," said EEA Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr. "By keeping bacteria and pathogens from boat sewage out of these coastal waters, we are ensuring that everyone can enjoy clean water along this landmark stretch of shoreline."

The proposed new NDA would extend from the previously- designated Cape Cod Bay NDA in Provincetown to the tip of Chatham, covering the waters within the National Seashore, and including Nauset Harbor. Pleasant Bay was separately designated as an NDA in 2010.

NDAs protect water quality and aquatic life from pathogens, nutrients and chemical products contained in discharged sewage and also reduce the risk of human illness, making it safer to swim, boat, fish and eat shellfish from protected waters. NDAs can also help reduce the growth of harmful algae that occurs due to high nutrient levels in sewage discharge and protect commercial clam fishing flats

Under the Clean Water Act, a body of water can be designated an NDA if local, state and federal authorities determine that the area is ecologically and recreationally important enough to merit protection above and beyond that provided by existing state and federal laws. In Massachusetts, EEA’s Office of Coastal Zone Management works closely with communities and the EPA to establish NDAs as part of a comprehensive regional water quality approach.

"There is no better way to mark this year's 50th anniversary of the National Seashore this year than by protecting its waters," said Rep. Bill Keating. "The Cape's unique ecosystem should be celebrated and protected. I applaud the Patrick-Murray Administration for making this common-sense nomination."

The 30 miles of coastline included in the proposed outer Cape NDA are extremely important for recreation and tourism. The area’s 24 beaches include the Cape Cod National Seashore, which is enjoyed by millions of visitors each year. It is also a popular area for boaters, with Nauset Harbor home to 519 vessels, most of which are small skiffs used by local residents in and outside of the harbor. Shellfishing is also another important local recreational activity. A designated no-dumping zone for boat sewage means cleaner water for all recreational pursuits.

Secretary Sullivan submitted the outer Cape Cod NDA application this month, capping a year of extensive work by CZM and six communities (Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown) to ensure that there are adequate waste pumpout facilities for boaters to use.

"Like all NDA designations, this was a team effort. Local, state and federal partners worked together to both protect these coastal waters and make it easy for boaters to properly dispose of sewage through convenient pumpout options," said Bruce Carlisle, CZM Acting Director. "I'd like to thank these six Cape Cod communities for their commitment to protecting coastal water quality and habitat"

In particular, the town of Orleans and Goose Hummock Marine were instrumental in providing the necessary coverage for Nauset Harbor by respectively purchasing and agreeing to operate and maintain a new shoreside pumpout facility. The town of Orleans will be reimbursed for 75 percent of the cost of purchasing and operating the pumpout facility via the Commonwealth’s Clean Vessel Act Program administered by the Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries.

The outer Cape Cod NDA would join a growing list of protected state waters that include these 14 previously designated NDAs:

* Upper North Shore - the coastal waters of Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury, including the Merrimack River in Amesbury, West Newbury, Merrimac, Groveland, North Andover, Haverhill, Methuen, and Lawrence
* Pleasant Bay (Brewster, Orleans, Harwich, and Chatham) and Chatham Harbor
* The coastal waters of Revere, Saugus, Lynn, Nahant, and Swampscott, including the Pines and Saugus Rivers
* All of Cape Cod Bay
* Boston Harbor - the coastal waters of Winthrop, Chelsea, Everett, Boston, Quincy, Milton, Weymouth, Braintree, Hingham, and Hull, including the Charles River in Watertown, Newton, and Cambridge
* Salem Sound - the coastal waters of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Danvers, Salem, and Marblehead
* The coastal waters of Cohasset, Scituate, and Marshfield
* The coastal waters of Plymouth, Kingston, and Duxbury
* All of Buzzards Bay
* Waquoit Bay in Falmouth
* The coastal waters of Harwich
* Three Bays/Centerville Harbor in Barnstable
* Stage Harbor in Chatham
* The coastal waters of Nantucket from Muskeget Island to Great Point, including Nantucket Harbor

For more information on No Discharge Areas in New England, please visit: www.mass.gov/czm/nda and www.epa.gov/region01/eco/nodiscrg. For more on boat sewage pumpout locations throughout Massachusetts coastal waters, see: www.mass.gov/czm/nda/pumpouts.

Reviewed by K. Swanson

First things first. The Wave was fun to read because Casey is a very solid writer. She knows how to put a sentence, paragraph, and tale together. Technically, her writing is near impeccable; it's a pleasure to read a galley proof and see almost no errors, compared to so many authors who apparently can't write ten words without needing spellcheck and an editor. So from that standpoint, this was one of the best advance copies I've seen of anything over the past few years.

I haven't read Casey's other book, about sharks, nor have I read her as editor of Oprah's O Magazine (I have trouble picking up a publication that has its owner on the cover every issue, who also named it after herself). After reading The Wave, I might just check out Casey's other writing, as she understands what good scribbling is all about. She always keeps things moving, rarely bogging down in arcane detail even when discussing the science of climatology, waves, etc, and has a fine eye for the telling fact. Perhaps too fine, but we'll get to that in a minute. What's best about The Wave is the overall scope; Casey links how the earth's weather is changing to how waves are growing, and there's no denying the stats: there is a clear correlation. She visits various scientists and marine salvage folks and shares their stories; they all agree that we're seeing the oceans get nuttier, and it's only just beginning.

Enter our hero! Laird "Larry" Hamilton, big wave rider extraordinaire. In this book he comes off as very humble, very brave, and very wise. You root for him at every turn on every wave and it's clear that Casey has quite a rapport with the guy. She always seems to be at his house, near the infamous Jaws/Pe'ahi, a Maui big wave break, chatting with Larry and Curly and Moe. Just kidding. These guys are no stooges; they've almost perfected the art of tow-in surfing, which is the only way to catch a 50 footer or above---paddling in is too slow. But towing is still very controversial to many, and Casey pretty much skips that argument altogether, a telling omission.

We're taken to some of the world's best big breaks, like Todos and Cortes and even Jaws' big sister Egypt, which never breaks unless it's almost 100 feet high and provides the highlight of the book, a wild day where Laird and his tow partner almost get killed, and when they realize maybe it's not worth dying to catch the biggest waves. (The fact that Laird went out again at 80-foot Egypt that same session certainly dispels any doubts; this guy definitely does live for the really hairy waves.) That chapter, and the scene where Laird takes Casey on a jet ski down the face of Jaws, offer some visceral thrills for the reader, and are part of why this book is fun. Even if its title should really be The Wave: Kingdom Of Laird.

Which brings me to some thoughts we're unlikely to hear much about when this book hits the stands. [If you're not a surfer or are just curious if The Wave is good, no need to go further. Enjoy the book, it's a fine read.]

As a surfer, though sadly landlocked, I've followed Hamilton's exploits on occasion since I first read about him in the '90s. When his infamous Teahupoo monster wave was on the cover of Surfer mag in 2000, I remember standing at my mailbox in true awe at the insanely malevolent lip above his head. That thing could easily vaporize anybody. From that point on Laird became the Ultimate Big Wave Surfer, TM, and suddenly he was everywhere. But here's what's most interesting about LH: he disdains surf contests, for many good reasons, and is seen as the Pure Surfer. Seeking the biggest, baddest, bestest waves on the planet, he has jettisoned the crass commercialism of the surf world to live on his own ethereal plane of Ultimate Waveness.

Except for those American Express commercials. And that Oxbow stuff. And his own brand of products. And...well, you know, a guy's got to make a living, right? Fair enough. But here's the problem: so do other guys. There's a scene in The Wave where Laird, with his faithful reporter tagging along, gives some grief to Sean Collins, who started the website Surfline, whereby anybody can see where the best waves will be on the planet. Laird feels that's cheating, and not everybody should get that knowledge. Just like many feel that tow-in surfing---which Laird, Buzzy Kerbox and Darrick Doerner pioneered in the '90s---is completely wrong, with its gas fumes and noise and pollution of Mother Ocean, and its disrespect towards paddle-in surfers.

But you see, when Laird does it, it's pure. Sorry, Pure TM. Just as Surfline isn't pure. And contests aren't. And maybe they're not, fair enough. But you know what? It's time Hamilton realized that while he may be a better surfer than the rest, and thus deserving of more respect out there, he's not the only surfer, and other riders want and maybe even deserve the big waves too. And the magazine covers. And the videos. And the movies. And the American Express commercials.

And the book written by Oprah's go-to writer gal, which when you really look at it is a long, very well-done puff piece on Laird Hamilton, posing as a scientific inquiry into the world of waves. Which it also is...but it always seems to come back to Laird. So why not call this book Laird: The Super Mega Master (And His Big Waves, Etc)? Well, that would be so crass. And maybe a little too transparent.

Hey, it fooled me. One of the reasons I picked this up was Laird, but I also wanted to hear what the real wave experts think. And they confirm what many of us were talking about 20 years ago: the waves are getting bigger due to climate change, and there'll be some awesome tubes the size of houses out there, ever bigger. So it's only logical that guys like Laird and Doerner should be stoked, and studied. Wait a minute...who?

Another weird thing about this book is Darrick Doerner's very peripheral status. He's barely mentioned, even though he was Laird's original long-time tow-in partner. Even though he was catching monsters when Larry was a kid (including a 1988 Waimea wave still considered one of the all-time great paddle-in (ie real surfing, non-TM) waves). Even though true waterman Doerner is seen by many in Hawaii as Laird's predecessor and teacher, in many ways. So why is Darrick barely mentioned? Good question. Just like Buzzy; he and Laird had a falling out and now it's all about Kalama and Lickle here. But if this book is really about big waves, Doerner merits far more time and respect.

And where is Eddie Aikau?! Come on. He deserves at least a paragraph, if not a chapter. Same with Jeff Clark, who surfed the insanely hairy Maverick's alone for 15 years, probably the greatest big wave feat that ever will be. You'd think that Casey, whose comfort in and respect for the water adds much credence to her writing here, would give those guys the space they very definitely earned.

Finishing The Wave, I decided to check out Laird's website, which I've never done. And guess what? It was only there and in linked articles that I found many fascinating facts skipped over in The Wave. Like, Casey lived with the Hamiltons on Maui for five years (never once mentioned in the book...why? Seems germane. Maybe too much so?). Like, Laird's site sells a bumpersticker, Blame Laird, a weirdly ironic theft of a sticker popular on many cars at many breaks now. He's being blamed for costing plenty of surfers endless waves by popularizing the stand-up paddleboard, wherein you stand on the board way outside the break and get ALL the best waves. It used to be the old longboarders way outside who peeved folks inside...now they too are mad at the stand-ups. So it goes.

So Blame Laird. But also make sure to check out Laird's new line of....you guessed it, stand up paddleboards! Yes, the ads are all over his website, but Casey never mentions in the book that LH has this product on sale, but she does talk about him stand-up surfing and plugs it as a genuine Hawaiian thang, and ain't it cool, etc. Hmmm. Perhaps Casey is head of O due to a very skillful way with product placement along with her literary skills?

And Laird's website's front page now has various articles about...this book! It wasn't until I read those articles that I saw very clearly that The Wave was practically commissioned by Laird, or perhaps his wife Gabby. Her own line of products is on his site as well, and she just wrote a gushing piece on she and Laird hobnobbing with the rich in the Hamptons while promoting...The Wave! Wait, are we still talking about Laird Hamilton, hater of surf contests and all that is phony in the surf world? Can't be.

But it gets better, or worse, or something. Laird is also now sponsored by, try not to laugh...Chanel! Yes, the perfume folks, now hawking watches. Clearly from Gabby's starstruck article ("Laird sat next to super famous artist/New York scenester Julian Schabel at dinner!"), she is all about leveraging the Hamilton brand, and Laird is being dragged along.

Or rather, towed, into the modern world's Greatest Wave of all: Selling Yourself.

The pictures of Laird at that party for this book show him almost cringing , and who can blame him? This whole PR exercise can't be his doing (one hopes, but one wonders...). One also hopes that he soon pulls out of this ever-bigger monster wave, with a thousand logos across its face and all sorts of bumpy shelves on the way down to the trough of Eternal Product Placement, where there is naught but a crashing, crushing lip; that's one wave you can't bail on once you're in its brutally gnarly closeout barrel, bruddah.

Sure, LH has to make cash for his family (always the ultimate excuse for selling anything), but he can't simultaneously hate on Sean Collins, other tow-in surfers, and the surf world in general for following his lead. Especially when he's making all this money selling himself as Mr. Ultimate Big Wave Surfer in TV commercials and books and movies. Pick one or the other, Laird. You're the purist, or you're the sell-out like everyone else. You can't be both...and you ain't. The Wave and its glitzy parties and no doubt upcoming Oprah tie-ins are no better than any surf contest or gaggle of tow-in noobs at Jaws on that rare huge day every three years...they're just somewhat more subtle. Judge not lest thee be judged. You may have started it, but you can't have it all to yourself while cashing in as well. (Just like you can't preach about the purity of Mother Ocean and then jet ski into waves while spewing gas all over your mother).

So now, along with his t-shirts, movies, bumperstickers, hats, paddleboards, vitamins, watches, credit cards, etc etc etc etc, Laird has a book, The Wave. It's a very well-disguised, well-written, intelligent product placement, and it tricked me up until I went to Laird's website. Kudos to all concerned for the subtlety. But in the end this book The Wave is yet another all too crisp meta-ironic piece of modern culture, a warning of the dangers that modern human life has unleashed on the planet, while also being the kind of well-crafted consumer-culture advertisement that has lead to the selfish earth-trashing behavior that may have caused all these freaks of nature in the first place.

Oh well. It fooled me and I had fun while it lasted. And that's what matters.

Isn't it?

*Originally posted at Amazon.com - re-posted with permission from the author