November Monthly Meeting-Nanci Polk Weckhorst

Date/Time
Date(s) - November 11, 2025
1:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Location
Plantation House

Nanci Polk Weckhorst, Hilton Head’s original turtle lady and former championship surfer will share how her life of surfing, sewing, and marine biology background grew into an incredible interesting life of volunteering, educating and an amazing business on and around the water.

She was born in Decatur’s Ga in 1951 and grew up in Charleston , SC. In 1969 she graduated from St. Andrews HS and in 1974 graduated from College of Charleston with a BS degree in Biology with emphasis on Marine Biology. She started surfing at 15 yrs old at Folly Beach SC.

She climbed the competition Surfing Ranks to become professional in 1972 and was the first pro in SC.
She fell in LOVE with Hilton Head Island in 1972 (along with her surfing boyfriend- Jerre Weckhorst) and they never left. They lived on a 36’ sail boat for 11 years and she taught Biology, Marine Biology, Geology,& Historical Geology at USC Beaufort part time for a number of years.

In 1976 she started her own business on HH called Nan-Seas Custom Canvas making custom yacht canvas where she worked for 40 years. In the mid 1980’s she added a division called Nan-Seas Surf Shop when she and Jerre started windsurfing along with their love of surfing. In 1979 she started the SC Southern Marine Mammal Stranding Network that was permitted through the NMFS and later through NOAA.

1981 she started the first Sea Turtle Stranding and Nesting Network on HHI called (Project Turtle Watch) that was permitted through SCDNR which she ran that with the help of Ed Drane and later Sally Krebs for over 10 years before it gradually was turned over to the Coastal Museum.

In the late 70’s through the early 80’s, she had the opportunity to work with Jean Micheal Cousteau as a local environmental ecology instructor for a summer program called Project Ocean Search where all ages were immersed in the Lowcountry ecosystem and learned how it was connected. She also got to do some canvas work on the Calypso and for Captain Cousteau.

From 1990 through 2015 she and Jerre vacationed to Costa Rica Pacific coast for 3 – 4 trips a year to enjoy the larger excellent uncrowded waves where they were considered like family. She surfed until she was 68 and is still riding her horse at her farm above Ridgeland.

In 2017-2018 she got back on the newly organized Sea Turtle Patrol HHI board and Beach Patrol managed by Amber Kuehn and considers it the best volunteer job ever.
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The program begins at 2:00pm but socializing with friends begins at 1:30pm. Please remember to bring your nametag.

The November Charity Spotlight is Safe Harbour which provides transportation and services to island residents to enable them to safely remain in their homes.

Deep Well Pantry food items, as well as checks or cash donations will be accepted at the time of our event. Food items in need include staples and non-perishable food (such as peanut butter, soup, cereal, canned goods, bottled juice, etc.).