Swimming With A Smart Phone

The author and daughter Haven | Tai-John Mizutani photo

Seriously, it’s no joke, just ask my children. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that it took me several years to learn that LOL was an acronym for “laughing out loud.” I would often nod my head in agreement when people said LOL not knowing what I was agreeing with.

OMG (Oh my god) Dad, GWTP! (Get with the program) – these days I find myself SMH (shaking my head) at the ever-growing list of Internet slangs and abbreviations, and I know I’m not alone.

So you can imagine my absolute shock when my daughter, Haven, recently pulled out her smart phone at Kailua Beach and sprinted for the ocean with her cousins! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“Young lady, have you lost your mind? What in the world are you doing?”

With a puzzled look on her face she said, “Dad, what are you yelling about?”

By then I had shifted into another gear and was speaking in syllables.”Your-phone-is-soaked! I-am-NOT-buying-you-another-one!”

I know deep down inside she was saying, “Relax, old man,” but thankfully she was much more patient and kind. “Dad, it’s OK, my phone is safe. I have a waterproof case.”

A what?

Technology had done it to me again … left me in the dust. I was so far behind that I thought I was the first to see this new (old) product.

“It’s called a LifeProof case, and it allows me to take pictures and videos underwater and still use my phone,” Haven explained.

Being the skeptic I am, I demanded that she take her phone back to the beach where it belongs.

When I got home, I did some research. Turns out the product actually works, and a majority of the people who purchase it love it.

Of course, like anything else, there are those who have had horrendous experiences with waterproof cases, but for the most part, reviews have been positive. All of the buttons are protected, and the case protects your phone up to a depth of 6.6 feet.

By no means am I here to endorse a product – wouldn’t think of it.

But I am here to tell you that technology is a beautiful thing. This product has changed the world of underwater photography forever!

Surfers, paddlers and fishermen now can make a phone call, send a text message or even take a photo or video in the ocean – with the same device. Millions of people across the world are now doing what was once best left to the professionals. What an amazing gift!

Over the next few days, we took dozens of underwater photographs and videos, and the quality was mind-blowing.

My youngest son laughed at my newfound enthusiasm. “Dad, you’re such a noob!”

“A what?” I asked.

“A noob,” he said. “Like you always tell us, go look it up!”

So I did, and I had to laugh. A noob is someone who doesn’t have even the basic knowledge when it comes to pop culture, tech terms or anything that’s “in.”

Yep, I’m a noob and proud of it. Now hand me that phone, hold your breath and smile!