Swimsuit 2019: Behind the Scenes

Fort Lauderdale’s expansive waterway lends perfectly to leisurely cruising for locals and serves as a dream destination for visitors. More than 300 miles of waterway weaves through Broward County, where anchorages, full-service marinas, hotels, restaurants, and extravagant waterfront homes line its banks.

Southern Boating has indulged in this water wonderland since 1972, it’s our lifestyle, and we felt it was high time to highlight Fort Lauderdale’s waterway landscape in our annual swimsuit issue. When the opportunity to showcase the glamourous Bontona Peninsula property arose, there wasn’t a doubt that this was the perfect backdrop for our 32^ndannual swimsuit photo shoot. How could we say no to a newly redesigned home in the Las Olas Isles with 700 feet of dockage along the New River just off the famed Las Olas Boulevard and a short boat ride to the Atlantic Ocean? We didn’t.

The home highlights Fort Lauderdale’s best assets: sweeping waterway views, ample sunshine, and lavish accommodations. Around every highly stylized corner was another opportunity to photograph stunning swimwear and ravishing resort wear, and no Southern Boating photoshoot could go without a dock, a yacht, and water—luxury at its finest.

But we had some fun too. Check out these behind the scenes photos and videos.

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We’d like to give a special shoutout to all who helped produce this shoot.

Sponsors

Bontona Peninsula: Tom & Katia Bates

Sunny courtesy of Michael Joyce & Hargrave Custom Yachts

Production Team

Photographer: Joey Wright

Assistant to Photographer: Angelo Lumas

Production: Erin Brennan & Ashley Grace

Hair & Makeup: Michele Winters

Models

Alexandra @alexandrabaron

Reagan @reagan_wray

Raquel @raqqmilla

Swimwear

Jypsea Local jypsealocal.com

Z-Supply zsupplyclothing.com

Lulus lulus.com

Kulani Kini kulanikinis.com

Mott50 mott50.com

Resortwear & Accessories

Koy Resort koyresort.com

Malvados malvados.com

Abaco Sunglasses abacopolarized.com

Chuchka chuchka.com

Cobia Boats

In the 26 to 34 foot range, Cobia Boats are the top-selling center consoles in the county.

Surprised? Spend any time on a new Cobia and you’ll see and feel why it’s the top-selling brand. Each model is crafted with an explicit goal in mind. Whether you’re looking for a center console for fishing, a family day cruiser, a bay boat or a dual console, Cobia Boats has a perfect model that will suit your needs without compromising space or speed.

With smart designs, build quality second to none, and tournament-grade performance, there’s no better lineup of center consoles that mesh family comfort and fishing smarts. Do yourself a favor this boat show season and take the opportunity to step aboard a new Cobia. You’ll quickly see why Cobia is changing the game in center consoles.

Find Your Next Cobia

Comfort & Stability

Cobia hulls are designed for peak running performance, comfort and efficiency. Forward bow entries extend running surfaces to utilize nearly the full length of the boat, meaning a more stable and comfortable rude,

Intuitive Layouts

Deck layouts depend on the model, but all are designed as ‘smart layouts’, which means spacious decks, items within reach, and intuitive layouts. This all lends nicely to watersports or fishing, as does the ample freeboard. Helm and dash vary from by model, but all electronics and inputs are clearly labeled as such, making upkeep and maintenance a breeze.

Take the Cobia 320CC, for example. 320 CC is a spacious fishing platform with a range that can still be easily trailered to fishing tournament locations or inland lakes. Twin 35-gallon pressurized livewells, more than enough tackle storage, and holders for more than 20 rods mean you’ll be ready when you reach the long-distance fishing grounds where the big ones are biting.

See how Cobias set themselves apart in construction, quality assurance, and performance, in their expansive video gallery with videos on everything from exactly how we laminate our boats (No Wood!), to the proper layout for a family friendly center console to detailed model walkthroughs. You’ll be impressed!

Check out Cobia’s video lineup and see for yourself.

cobiaboats.com

Erin Brennan, Southern Boating March 2019

Simple Shrimp Vindaloo Recipe

Spices for Shrimp Vindaloo from Southern Boating

Shrimp Vindaloo Recipe

It may sound complicated, but this simple shrimp vindaloo comes together very quickly, even if you are cruising. Most of the ingredients can be stored for a long time in your pantry or onboard storage. Rice, for example, would make an excellent substitute for naan.

No shrimp? No problem. Shrimp vindaloo can quickly become chicken vindaloo in a pinch. But this meal can be addicting, fair warning, and fairly spicy.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. oil
2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined (or substitute with beef, pork, chicken, or fish)
4 Tbsp. jarred vindaloo curry paste (or see recipe below)
2 -14 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. hot sauce or 1 tsp. crushed red pepper or 1 whole jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)
½ tsp. salt and pepper
4 whole naan, pita or flatbread, warmed
Bottled chutney (optional)
Bottled hot Indian pickle (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in large skillet. Stir fry shrimp, moving it constantly around the pan until just cooked. Remove from skillet and place in a serving bowl. In the same skillet, add vindaloo paste and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, crushing to break them up. Add the hot sauce or pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper. Return shrimp to the sauce and allow to heat through. Place in serving bowl and eat with warm naan or flatbread, kachumber salad, and raita.

Jarred chutney and hot Indian pickle add a lovely piquancy to this meal.

Vindaloo Paste Recipe

Ingredients:

1 tsp. garlic, peeled and chopped (substitute jarred)
1 Tbsp. ginger, peeled and minced (substitute jarred) or 1 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup cilantro, washed and chopped
2 Tbsp. curry powder
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
3 Tbsp. oil

Directions:

Mix in food processor or blender or by hand in a mortar and pestle for coarser paste.

By Lori Ross, Southern Boating February 2019

More Indian food-inspo:

Kachumber Salad

Mango Bellini

Kachumber Salad

This kachumber salad, a fresh chopped salad made from cucumbers and tomatoes, is an easy option for cruisers looking to add a healthy side dish to their lunch or dinner.

It also creates a cooling aspect to spicier Indian-inspired dishes you may like to try out, particularly if served with raita on the side.

Kachumber Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup diced cucumber
½ cup chopped onions
½ cup chopped cilantro or parsley leaves
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. chopped mint leaves or pinch of dried mint
¼ tsp. each of salt and pepper

Directions:

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Let salad sit for 15-20 minutes before serving. Seve with raitia (recipe below).

Raita Recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup diced tomato
¼ cup diced onion
½ cup diced cucumber
1 cup chopped cilantro
½ tsp. cumin
2 cups plain yogurt
¼ tsp. each salt and pepper

Directions:

Stir together the tomato, onion, cucumber, cilantro, cumin. Add yogurt, salt, and pepper and combine.

By Lori Ross, Southern Boating February 2019

More Indian food-inspo:

Mango Bellini

Shrimp Vindaloo

Top 5 Dive Sites

It goes without saying that the ocean has endless spots to explore and dive. From Central America to Indonesia, SCUBA nuts will all have their take on the best dive sites. Why do we love diving in Belize, Mexico, and beyond? Whale sharks, coral atolls, spotted eagle rays, Blue Holes, macro delights and reef sharks, for starters. Take a look at these top 5 dive sites.

5. The Great Blue Hole, Belize

The Great Blue Hole is a world-class destination for recreational scuba divers attracted by the opportunity to dive in crystal-clear waters and see myriad species of marine life including tropical fish and spectacular coral formations. The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll about 60 from the mainland of Belize City.

4. Manta Ray Night Dive, Hawaii

Hawaii isn’t the only place where you can swim with manta rays, but it might be the coolest. The Kona Coast is home to over 240 resident Manta Rays. These gentle giants can grow up to 16 feet in length and weigh up to 1600 pounds, but they have nothing that bites or stings, making this dive one of the safest large animal encounters out there.

Groups of Manta Rays converge nightly off of Makako Bay (Garden Eel Cove), to feed on the Phytoplankton & Zooplankton that appear to soak up the glow given off by underwater dive lights.

3. Gran Cenote, Mexico

Gran Cenote is one of the most famous cenotes (sinkhole or natural crater) in Mexico. Located just a few kilometers from Tulum on the way to Coba, this is one of the top diving spots in Riviera Maya.

Although its name suggests it’s a singular large cenote, in reality, the chasm consists of several meandering cenotes. The clear water ensures that even those opposed to getting wet are sure to see fish. Additionally, Gran Cenote is one of the most popular spots to snorkel in the region.

4. Raja Ampat, Indonesia

Get up close and personal with huge manta rays and giant clams, gape at schools of barracuda, fusiliers or parrotfish, peer at tiny pygmy seahorses or multicolored nudibranchs, and, with luck, encounter wobbegong and epaulette (walking) sharks in Raja Ampat. The reefs have hundreds of brilliantly colored soft and hard corals, and the marine topography varies from vertical walls and pinnacles to reef flats and underwater ridges.

5. Roatan, Honduras

Roatan’s dazzling array of marine life can be found on both shallow reefs and plummeting walls. It is well-known as a destination for hunting macro critters but equally famous for encountering the largest fish in the sea: majestic whale sharks. Roatan is perfectly suited for new and veteran divers.

Here’s a look at the Top 5 Dive Sites, according to Salt Life.