Necessity!

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Knife for sashimi.
Mask and fins for fish and shells.

IMPORTANT for Boat Trip: What to bring?

i’ve been on so many boat trips around the world that i stopped counting. mentawai has to be my favorite because of the great waves and great diving. on our upcoming trip, there are a few first timers so i made a list of some things to bring.
3 magic surfboards to get your barrels of your life.
rash guard to keep your skin from peeling off.
a hat to protect you face.
sunscreen to prevent skin cancer.
wax and leash because there are no surf shops in the middle of the ocean.
2 surf trunks, one for surfing, one for after. nothing else.
2 tshirts, one for day, one for night.
no underpants because no need.
a good camera to capture your lifetime memories.
a lot of snacks but hide it because toda-san will find it and eat it all.
no money because no need money in the middle of the ocean.
travel insurance because if you get hurt, the only way out is helicopter that cost $50,000.
wasabi and shoyu if you want to eat sashimi every night.
shell bag for collecting the best shells of your life.
mask and snorkel for seeing some amazing wildlife.
kinkan to stop the itching so you can sleep.
1 long sleeve tshirt, long pants, and socks to prevent malaria if you go to the land.
vomit medicine if you get seasick.
jacksan if you want to drink with me. haha.
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magic boards are important. bring surfboards that work good so you don’t have to go home with any excuses. if you have a good board, you will have good barrels. simple.
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ever seen somebody spear a huge fish before. bring a mask and snorkel to see how the sashimi ends up on the table later that evening.
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and i tell this to everybody. bring a tube of wasabi and a bottle of shoyu. you will eat sashimi until you throw up. haha.
just a few days more and the experienced boat trip travelers will mark one more trip under their belt. and the first timers will experience something i encourage every surfer in the world to do. IF YOU DON’T GO, YOU DON’T KNOW!

Good Deja Vu, ESPN Published Photo!

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my grandpa osaki built my house about 60 years ago. it’s strong, well built, and has a lot of heart. my pipe just broke yesterday and as i was under the sink fixing it, i had deja vu. about 30 years ago, i came to this very same house to help my grandpa fix the sink. i remember him going under the sink as i was passing him the tools. i felt like he was right there passing me the tools. i learned a lot by just watching him and that’s the only reason i can fix anything these days. he taught me by doing things, i learned by watching. my grandpa was a great teacher and a great grandfather. just that deja vu moment yesterday gave me one of the best feelings in the world. gosh, i miss my grandpa osaki.
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being a photographer, diver, surfer, and traveler isn’t as easy as you think. from charging batteries, to cleaning, to adjusting things takes time. it’s a relaxing time for me and i love it! but guarantee, i will forget something. haha.
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as a photographer, i’ve had about 10 cover shots published, 4 books, and hundreds of other photos that were published in editorial magazines and books around the world. but the biggest accomplishment of my photographer career just happened. ESPN is the biggest sports company in the world and their site gets millions of hits each day. now, millions of people from around the world will see a photo i took. it’s on “The Best photos in Action Sports” for the month of may. to send photos to them and get selected is one thing. that, i didn’t do. they found one of my photos and wanted to feature it. that is another. if i quit being a photographer today, i am totally satisfied. but no, that’s not me, i want more, more, and more!
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the photo they used is a photo i took of legend snowboarder Taro Tamai on a tiny deserted island in North Sumatra, Indonesia. Taro-san passed by me, i dove down and took a photo of what it looks like from underwater. everything turned out perfect!
**CLICK HERE TO SEE THE ESPN BEST PHOTOS OF MAY. THANK YOU ESPN!