For centuries writers have been waxing poetic about the irrefutable thrill of the ocean. Prophetic and profound, the skillful prose of these genius wordsmiths wasn’t actually 
inspired by the very waters lining Newport Beach … but if you squint a little and get creative, we can make it work:
- For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it’s always our self we find in the sea. – E.E. Cummings
Newport Connection: This verse from Cummings’ poem, “maggie and milly and molly and may” can be taken figuratively, as a statement about discovering our true essence within the vast mystery of the ocean or it can be taken literally because who hasn’t spent a day at the beach and lost their keys or bracelet or that beautiful ring Great Aunt Edna gave us on our 21st birthday with a stern warning to never wear it while we swim? Same. At the very least, we can’t lose our physical selves in the ocean. Even it hat not what E.E. meant by this famous phrase, the sentiment still applies.
- “The ocean makes me feel really small and it makes me put my whole life into perspective …” – Beyoncé Knowles
Newport Connection: When Queen B speaks, the world listens. And sure, the ocean is big and bad and makes us feel small sometimes but we hear you Bey, because you know what else makes us feel small? A stretched-out bathing suit. Cleaning experts warn against wringing out a suit after wearing it in the ocean because something about the particular way this can stretch the spandex, causing it to expand, means the next time you wear that suit to the beach, it’ll be way too big and you’ll feel way too small. (Aha! As always, Yoncé is right.) Also here’s a fact: You can’t dance on the sand to “Single Ladies” in a bathing suit that doesn’t fit. It simply doesn’t work.
- “And it is an interesting biological fact that all of us have, in our veins the exact same percentage of salt in our blood that exists in the ocean, and, therefore, we have salt in our blood, in our sweat, in our tears. We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came.” –John F. Kennedy
Newport Connection: Have you ever tried renting a Duffy Boat or paddle board and one the ride was over thought, “Wow, I’m never doing that again.” No, you haven’t because taking a ride on the water isn’t just about sport or having a little fun on the bay; it’s about a feeling that you’re somehow returning to a place you can call home. Maybe Kennedy was right that there’s a scientific reason we keep coming back for more—another boat ride, another surf session, another dip in the ocean—but whether biological, psychological or mystical and unexampled, there’s no denying the water has a pull on us that’s impossible to resist.
- “I still love things that you don’t even need to pay for. Going to the beach and being around five of your friends and having a good time means so much more than going out and spending hundreds of dollars.” – Maria Sharapova
Newport Connection: It’s true. The last time we checked, sunshine and ocean air are still completely free. Though a tiny fee is involved to enjoy a boat or kayak trip along our shores, it’s a small price to pay when a day of nautical adventure is on the line and that my friends, as the MasterCard version of this blog post might say, is priceless.
- “There’s nothing wrong with enjoying looking at the surface of the ocean itself, except that when you finally see what goes on underwater, you realize that you’ve been missing the whole point of the ocean. Staying on the surface all the time is like going to the circus and staring at the outside of the tent.” – Dave Barry
Newport Connection: Enough said… Visit Newport Beach Harbor and you will understand all that attracts lifelong boaters from around the world. You will not regret your time on the water! OC Boat Rentals can provide unlimited boat rental memberships or daily boat rentals, if you either do not want to get your own or simply understand how much money boats take to maintain.
- “Even castles made from sand fall to the ocean.” – Jimi Hendrix
Newport Connection: Obviously 
Mr. Hendrix was referencing a love affair gone awry in his 1976 classic rock hit but have you ever worked for hours on a four-story sandcastle, complete with ocean-water-filled moat, twig windows and seashell roof, only to have a humongous wave come and sweep it all away? There’s a larger lesson to be learned here about chaos and the impermanence of life but ugh, losing a sandcastle to the sea is such a bummer!
Contributor: Melissa Marni