And though I've lived to be an old man with my very own share of happiness for all the mess I made, I still judge every joyous moment, every victory and revelation against those few seconds of living.

It is hard for me to speak of themes. I like the reader to do that. Otherwise it feels like writing a 3rd grade essay on someone else's work.

Surfers travelled and opened up and changed. It became more mainstream, less of a cult. And it diversified. On any given day in the water now I'll meet three generations of surfers, male and female, everyone sporting a different craft. I started surfing in the 60s and I can tell you it's infinitely more diverse. It might be more crowded but it's also more interesting.

Surviving is the strongest memory I have; the sense of having walked on water.

And you can't help but worry for them, love them, want for them - those who go on down the close, foetid galleries of time and space without you.

The ocean is a supreme metaphor for change. I expect the unexpected but am never fully prepared.

The health of our seas determines the future of humanity.