Pushing the Envelope
Once upon a time many years ago, I was a jet engine mechanic in the United States Navy. I volunteered when I was seventeen. It was the Vietnam era, and I came from a military family. I never even got a draft card. I said I would go wherever I was needed. The Navy assigned me to duty at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii. So, in addition to tearing down Allison T-56 turboshaft engines, demonstrating my lock-wiring skills, taking apart and rebuilding Hamilton Standard propellor controls, and handing out technical publications, I learned to body surf. My favorite break was at Makapu'u Beach on the South-Eastern Shore, and I spent countless hours learning the rhythm of the ocean, how an offshore wind held up the waves, the timing of dropping into a wave, the frequency of sets, and all that jazz.
As Thomas Wolfe famously said, "You can't go home again." He was speaking metaphorically, of course, but there's no fun in that, so I bought a wetsuit on Amazon, snagged a GoPro 12 on eBay, found a great fare on Hawaiian Airlines, and booked a flight to Sydney, Australia. I'm staying somewhere in Chinatown. I also decided to take one of my drones.
My purpose is to prove that Thomas Wolfe was wrong. I've been to Steamer Lane at Santa Cruz and managed to get this:
And this:
And this:
