From the time Cliff Hirsch used his paper route earnings to put himself through dive school, two things were certain: Hirsch would own his own business and he’d always be near the ocean.

Today, Hirsch owns Island Tile and Marble Inc. in Melbourne and spends his free time boating with his family.

Hirsch knew he’d be an entrepreneur “from day one,” he said. Before graduating to the paper route in middle school, he collected soda bottles and milk jugs to return for the deposit money.

Growing up on images of Lloyd Bridges in “Sea Hunt” and the explorations of Jacques Cousteau, Hirsch developed a fascination with the ocean.

He saved his earnings to pay for diving lessons. It was an exotic pursuit for a sixth-grader in Lakeland, where the ocean seemed far away to other children. At 17, he took up surfing.

Hirsch left for the University of North Carolina Wilmington, with a plan to become a marine biologist, but he couldn’t stay away from Florida that long.

He returned to the state and took a position in sales with Lanier Business Products.

“I enjoyed sales, but not the trappings,” said Hirsch, who describes himself at the time as a young surfer guy.

A three-piece suit didn’t feel right on a surfer and diver, and he didn’t care for the high-pressure atmosphere.

Hirsch had gotten an up-close look at the construction industry through his father, a builder, and liked what he saw. So he decided to combine the rewarding work of sales with the relaxed environment of construction, and he started a tile contracting business.

For a location, he chose Brevard County for its rivers and miles of beaches. “I figured I’d be working most of the rest of my life, so I wanted to be close to the things I loved to do,” he said.

He and his family enjoy boating and fishing, and he’s getting to do some surfing as his children are starting to show more interest in the water. Hirsch and his wife, Lesa, have three children: Anastasia, 12; Walker, 8; and Chase, 7.

While getting the business started, Hirsch worked out of his garage for almost two years, then leased 850 square feet of space in Palm Bay. The business slowly grew, moving to a small showroom and warehouse with an 8-foot-square office that housed three people’s desks.

“Our chairs were butting into each other,” Hirsch remembered, noting that the arrangement worked only because one of the three was usually out on a sales call.

Island Tile and Marble landed at its current location on U.S. 1, south of SR 192, in 1988, when Hirsch bought the site of a former surfboard manufacturing plant. The business has expanded four times over the years, and now covers 20,000 square feet.

“Some of these floors have 10 levels of floor tile on them,” Hirsch said of the showroom.

The business distinguishes itself by keeping an extensive inventory, featuring high-quality product mostly imported from Europe and holding distribution rights for several exclusive brands.

“We have brands and styles that sometimes you only see in New York,” Hirsch said.

He’s currently expanding into a new niche with pool tile, a specialty that only a few players focus on.

Hirsch expects Brevard’s housing slowdown to show little change over the next year. “I don’t expect it to get any worse, but I don’t expect it to get better,” he said. He’s looking for the start of a turnaround in late 2009.

In addition to his years in business, he draws on insight gleaned through his work on the board of directors for Sunrise Bank, based in Cocoa Beach.

He has served on various boards and committees over the years, including the Home Builders & Contractors Association of Brevard and the Florida Home Builders Association.

Next year, Hirsch will celebrate his 50th birthday and 25th anniversary in business, within two weeks of each other. He’ll reach the milestones at the helm of a company that does $4 million to $5 million in annual sales.

Not bad for a surfer guy.