Surfer app under development in West Palm Beach

When Internet entrepreneur Nick Mohnacky was talking with his surfing buddies about prior sessions, they had a hard time remembering the surfing details. They debated the height of swells, the date, the location and even who was there.

He reasoned it was 2013, and there should be an iPhone app for this. He wanted to record that surfing info in data and photos, but he also wanted alerts when the waves were kicking up at his favorite surfing locations.

As a member of the Pixil Agency in West Palm Beach, Mohnacky was able to call on app designer Noe Ruiz. He created a wireframe, tech talk for a visual representation, of what Mohnacky wanted in the surfing app, including wave height, swell direction, wind speed and direction, and air and water temperature.

The Surfr app uses social media to check surf reports, allow
check-ins, share photos and update a Facebook status.

They reviewed the app and its details with their surfing buddies to see whether there was a market for it.

Older surfers, who have day jobs and are Web-savvy, already search various websites to get that info, which the app will have in one place.

$50K sought

Next Mohnacky and his mates needed money, about $50,000, to develop the app. They turned to Kickstarter, a crowd-funding website, to help launch this dream surfer application, called Surfr.

To get on Kickstarter, they had create to a separate company with the state and create an Amazon business account. If the app is successful in raising the $50,000 in 30 days, Kickstarter will get 5 percent and Amazon 2-3 percent, Mohnacky said at a recent Webmonday, a monthly meetup of local people interested in Web tech.

Video needed

He also gave tips on how to set up the Kickstarter page: Let photos tell your story and be sure to have a video. Here's the surfing video on the Surfr page:

That video shows the fun they had when making it, key to attracting investors, Mohnacky said. As of Sunday, Jan. 20, Surfr had 54 backers who promised to provide $4,924 -- credit cards won't be touched until Feb. 9 and at least $50,000 is raised. The Kickstarter page launched on Thursday, Jan. 10, so that gives the team another 20 days to raise the money.

Shaka ornaments for a key ring

They provide incentives to investors, from a shaka key chain ornament for a $10 investment to a stand-up paddleboard for a $2,500 investment. (Shaka is a gesture in the surfing world that means "hang loose.")

My role: I invested $10 because I like what the Surfr team is trying to do -- marry surfing with science and provide a social media aspect, allowing posts to Facebook and photo sharing with Instagram.

Classes canceled

The Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach has canceled fitness classes this week (Jan. 22-26) because FotoFusion, sponsored by the Palm Beach Photographic Centre, will take over the auditorium. Classes, including yoga, will return next week (Jan. 29).

And now, for my numbers

I had my best walking day last week on Monday, Jan. 14, 2013, when I walked:

Steps: 10,578
Miles: 5.3