When Big Wave Dave Heard His Name from the Beach

Something pretty special happened in the water recently.

Big Wave Dave was out surfing at Indian River Inlet in Delaware when he kept hearing someone on the beach calling:

“Big Wave Dave! Big Wave Dave!”

When he finally surfed in, a woman came running over and explained that it was her young daughter, Nora, who had been calling him. Nora had recognized Big Wave Dave from the Big Wave Dave Adventures books she had seen at K-Coast Surf Shop in Ocean City.

Her mom also shared something that made the encounter even better: Nora is just beginning to get interested in surfing.

Unfortunately, Nora was farther down the beach, so she and Big Wave Dave didn't get a chance to meet. But he was able to spot her, wave and call out, “Hi, Nora!” before heading back into the waves.

More Than Just a Familiar Face

What made the moment so meaningful wasn't simply that a child recognized Big Wave Dave.

Through the books, Big Wave Dave had already become someone Nora knew.

That's one of the reasons Big Wave Dave Adventures was created. The stories are meant to be fun adventures that get kids reading, but woven into those adventures are lessons about the ocean, surfing and staying safe around the water.

A child may first meet Big Wave Dave on the pages of a book. Along the way, though, they're also learning about things like ocean awareness, surf safety, rip currents, the buddy system and respecting the power of the ocean.

And sometimes you get an unexpected reminder that those stories really are reaching kids.

You Can't Always Measure the Impact in Sales

When you're creating books and educational resources, it's easy to look at numbers—books sold, website visits, downloads or social media engagement—to determine whether what you're doing is making a difference.

But not everything that matters shows up in those numbers.

Sometimes it's a young child standing on a beach yelling “Big Wave Dave!” to the surfer she recognizes from a book.

For us, that was a pretty wonderful measure of success.

And the fact that Nora is now becoming interested in surfing made it even more meaningful. We hope that as she explores the sport, some of the things she's learned through Big Wave Dave Adventures will go right along with her.

Maybe You'll Spot Big Wave Dave, Too

Indian River Inlet is one of Big Wave Dave's favorite places to surf, so if you're there, keep an eye on the waves. You just might spot him out there.

And if you do, don't be afraid to yell “Big Wave Dave!”

We now know he'll hear you.

Shout out to Nora. You made Big Wave Dave's day. ❤️🌊

The Big Wave Dave Adventures series is also available at K-Coast Surf Shop in Ocean City, Maryland.

Ride Safe, Surf Smart.