A born Beach Bum - Eric Kapp is the son of a charter boat captain conceived in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then went back to the Virgin Islands. Growing up the "beach life" also in Fort Lauderdale and Northern California, he ended up in the Golden Isles of Georgia.

Eric graduated from Glynn Academy and Flagler College in Saint Augustine. He then began catching and selling sharks, fish, shark jaws and making jewelry and candles. A businessman first referred to him as the "Beach Bum". That of course was perfect as his mom Lois agreed, and they decided to name his ventures the same.

He opened his first St. Simons shop at Federica North in 1982. There he sold shells, gifts and lots of gold jewelry. The famous Beach Bum location in the pier village opened in 1985. Soon the Bum started diving off of Stuart, FL and quickly became the largest whelk shell and sand dollar wholesaler in the East Coast.

In 1996 he visited the Philippines for more shells and pearls from Hong Kong he eventually launched out in his own 90 foot outrigger to gather more treasures. While in the Islands he met his love and future wife Dionaper (Jin Jin).

She started making and mailing him macramé bracelets to sell. "Road Jockey" distributors sold all to shops up and down the East Coast. The wholesale business grew and now they employ 10+ full-time and about 200 "job out" workers who process shells, coconuts, etc. for making jewelry, wind chimes, and gifts. Now, with three warehouses (50,000 sq. ft.), they ship about nine 40 ft. containers a year.

The Beach Bum and Jin Jin continue to sell all these sea treasures from their two retail shops and warehouses on Saint Simons Island and in Brunswick Georgia. Not too bad for a Beach Bum!