StandUP Paddle Planet

Not only is November a good month for surfing on the Treasure Coast, apparently it's a good time to catch a 90-foot wave in Portugal, too.

The first wave of jumpers in the 2011 PolaRotary Plunge reacts to immersing themselves in the 44.6-degree water. Forty-five people participated this year, raising more than $10,000 for the Rotary Foundation and a number of other charities.

Laird Hamilton is one of those rare living legends, larger than life, although he often appears as a mere spec on some of the waves he rides in his backyard at Jaws off Maui. He pioneered the sport of tow-surfing, utilizing jet skis to streak aboard mountainous peaks. More recently, he modernized stand-up paddle-surfing and not long ago paddled the length of the Hawaiian island chain — standing up, in daylight, darkness and on rough seas. Now Hamilton has written a book, his first, appropri