"I just spend as much time on the water as I can," said Lindstam.
All that time in the sun caused an unusual spot on his ear -- a spot he ignored.
"If you wait as long as I did, and don't know what it is, then you could be losing a body part," said Lindstam.
Scott lost his ear to skin cancer 10 years ago. Now, he's losing his life.
"When I went in, my cancer had spread to my back, and now it's growing through my bones and all through my vertebrae and my ribs," said Lindstam.
Caucasians are most at risk. One in three white people will have skin cancer in their lifetime. The best way to detect it: use the ABC's.
"A is for asymmetry, meaning it's not perfectly round. B is border irregularity, meaning if you look at the borders, they're jagged or not smooth. C is color variations. They tend to have multiple colors. D is diameter, 6 millimeters or larger, we get concerned about a mole, and E is expansion. Any mole that gets bigger is at risk," said Dr. Dennis Rousseau, Florida Hospital Cancer Institute.
Because of skin cancer, Scott is forced inside and he knows one day even this will be too difficult for him.
"When you wake up, people take a lot of things for granted, and I just take mine day to day," said Lindstam.
Now, everyday he beats the odds, and warns everyone he can. If they see a problem, get it checked. It could save your life.
One bad burn when you're a kid doubles your risk for melanoma later in life. Babies six months of age or younger should be kept completely out of direct sun at all times. Do not apply sunscreen to infants this age. After six months, apply it every time you go outside.
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