The Ocean Will Always Feel Like Home to Me

A father teaches his son the finer points of paddling. Maui, Hawaii. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Sam Cadwallader logging through a San Diego summer sunset. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Aaron Casey, Rincon, winter 2010 Photo: Sheldon Magner
Full moon peaking out from behind palm trees. Southern California. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Big punts in little surf. Jason Naude, Ventura, CA Photo: Sheldon Magner
Alyssa Newman checks the surf near her house in Santa Barbara. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Ryan Martz hard at work in the lam room at The Watermans Guild. Santa Ana, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Robin Kegel putting the final touches on one of his boards. Santa Ana, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Sam Cadwallader logging a little time on the nose. San Diego, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Unknown surfer getting ready for a sunset surf. Rincon, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Unknown surfer, Rincon, Fall 2009. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Matthew Likach taking in a waterfall. Middle, TN. Photo: Sheldon Magner
A Dewey Weber surfboard in the polishing room at the Watermans Guild, Santa Ana, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
The paddle back. Sam Cadwallader, San Diego, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
One last look. Unknown, Undisclosed, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Ali Maui Outrigger. Not only do they help make paddling assessable to scores of people, they also are true ambassadors of Hawaiian culture and history. Some truly amazing people. Maui, HI. Photo: Sheldon Magner
JR Watson finding some shade at a fickle spot outside Los Angeles, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Matt Shutte riding a new model for Sunova surfboards. Outside of Los Angeles, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Open ocean energy on the Ke'anae Peninsula. Maui, HI. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Larkin and Deming Magner, explore a lava tube at Waianapanapa State Park, Maui, HI. Photo: Sheldon Magner
A father teaches his son the finer points of paddling. Maui, Hawaii. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Sam Cadwallader logging through a San Diego summer sunset. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Aaron Casey, Rincon, winter 2010 Photo: Sheldon Magner
Full moon peaking out from behind palm trees. Southern California. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Big punts in little surf. Jason Naude, Ventura, CA Photo: Sheldon Magner
Alyssa Newman checks the surf near her house in Santa Barbara. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Ryan Martz hard at work in the lam room at The Watermans Guild. Santa Ana, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Sam Cadwallader logging a little time on the nose. San Diego, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Unknown surfer getting ready for a sunset surf. Rincon, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Unknown surfer, Rincon, Fall 2009. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Matthew Likach taking in a waterfall. Middle, TN. Photo: Sheldon Magner
A Dewey Weber surfboard in the polishing room at the Watermans Guild, Santa Ana, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
The paddle back. Sam Cadwallader, San Diego, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
One last look. Unknown, Undisclosed, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Ali Maui Outrigger. Not only do they help make paddling assessable to scores of people, they also are true ambassadors of Hawaiian culture and history. Some truly amazing people. Maui, HI. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Matt Shutte riding a new model for Sunova surfboards. Outside of Los Angeles, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Open ocean energy on the Ke'anae Peninsula. Maui, HI. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Larkin and Deming Magner, explore a lava tube at Waianapanapa State Park, Maui, HI. Photo: Sheldon Magner
Aaron Casey navigating a section at Topanga, CA. Photo: Sheldon Magner

Whenever I leave the house to go for a surf my wife says, “Have fun at church.” I’ve always felt as though I was at home in the ocean, growing up surfing, bodysurfing, free diving, spearfishing and just swimming – anything to be in the water. I’ve even devoted a part of my career to being in the ocean as a lifeguard.

There is definitely something special about being in an environment humans aren’t built for. The meditative state the ocean can put you into forces attention to the moment, pushing any other stress or outside worries away. I find myself making the most of that meditative quality with my surf and water photography.

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