This whole thing started because I'm a fair weather diver. I grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, and would go on dive trips with my dad in the Gulf of Mexico, the Keys, and the Bahamas. The warm, clear water lured me in and I loved experiencing the underwater world, especially on a single breath and without any excessive gear.
As we dove I saw first hand how the fish were getting smaller, fewer, and further between. Because I was experiencing this first hand it meant a lot to me and I wanted to do something about it.
My love for the water led me to the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, all I knew is that I loved the water and if I was going to make it through college I would need extra supervision. I got that and much more.
I went through 3 different majors in a year. On a trip home for Christmas I got to go out on our little Boston Whaler for a few days with my childhood friends. I have a terrible memory, but I can vividly re-live the moment where I was on that boat, on the water, and realized that this is what I wanted for the rest of my life. I had no idea what that would look like, but the first step was changing my major for the last time to Oceanography. My first class was with Commander Hager and we all watched a surf movie. It's a small thing, but I knew I was in the right place.
Once I graduated I opted to be a Surface Warfare Officer because again...I love boats, and being on the water. If I stayed in the Navy the goal would have been to become the Captain of a ship. While I didn't stay in long enough to put my name in that hat, I got an incredible amount of leadership and seamanship experience that I wouldn't trade for the world.
I got stationed in San Diego, CA. I didn't know a thing about west coast diving, but I managed to get myself a freediving wetsuit (won it at a raffle, thank you San Diego Freedivers!) and got myself in the water. This only happened 3 times, because each time I went through the process of packing my gear, driving to a dive site, getting dressed out, and getting into the water...once I entered the ocean I could barely see my hand in front of my face. It was awful. Even for someone who was raised in and on the water, I felt so uncomfortable and didn't enjoy the experience one bit. So...I won't lie...I stopped diving, and picked up surfing.
Not the worst thing in the world. I still got to be in the water, and it was a huge challenge for me to learn this new sport as a 22 year old (I still wouldn't call myself an adult). As I immersed myself in this world I realized 2 things.
1) Even though I was in the water, the fact that I wasn't interacting with the underwater life made me think and care about it less. Because I wasn't seeing what was happening down there, it wasn't in my face, it made me care less.
2) Surfers had a similar problem, where people would drive 2 hours to the coast with all their boards and beach gear...only to find the ocean flat as a lake. Mobile apps like Surfline and MagicSeaweed addressed this problem and helped surfers make the most of their time.
As these realizations and thoughts emerged over time I had to wonder...could I make the Surfline for diving? Could I figure out how to predict water clarity?
So I tried. For two months, I took a composition notebook and logged oceanographic data such as swell height, period, and direction, along with wind speed, precipitation, etc. Then I would make a guess of what the water clarity would be. After that I would walk down to the Ocean Beach pier and drop a secchi disk into the water. Essentially it's a frisbee that gets lowered into the water with a line, and as soon as you can't see the frisbee from the surface you mark the depth that it's at...and that's your secchi depth, or your surface visibility! I did this every day for 3 months, and then would scrape online forums such as the DiveBums email list, the San Diego County Dive Reports Facebook page, and any reports I could get from friends who were in the water. After a while I started to see some trends, and thought that maybe, someday, I could predict visibility.
I built my first website and started posting dive reports, but when the Navy deployed me the ships internet didn't work with the site, and when I returned I was immediately sent to dive school in Panama City and then to a shipyard in Virginia Beach. While I did a lot of hard hat diving there, I wasn't as motivated to dive recreationally. I told you I'm a fair weather diver. But the idea of predicting water clarity wouldn't leave me alone.
I decided to get out of the Navy after 7 years, and get my MBA at UCSD. I'm so glad I took some time to slow down and figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, it was a rare opportunity that few get. What I realized is that again, I couldn't leave this idea alone. Every project and presentation was built around this idea. I was manic about it.
While I was at grad school I started teaching freediving courses, and also got my captains license so I could run boats. During this time I met Elizabeth, my partner in crime and the much needed adult supervision (it's all relative). We worked on a dive boat until their operation fell apart, and then we somehow stuck together afterwords. She started as our social media manager, and has become the absolute foundation of both DiveViz and Just Get Wet. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good, and the luck I had to find her and get her interested in these projects is the most impactful thing that's happened on this journey.
But back to me.
We applied for federal funding through a NOAA SBIR (Small Business Innovation and Research) grant, and got $150K to start us off. This was great news because I had cashed in my entire ROTH IRA from the Navy at the beginning of 2020...and when COVID hit I wasn't able to generate any income through classes or charters. I shaved my beard, applied for 60 jobs, got 1 call back, and found antidepressants. Fortunately a couple months later we were awarded the grant, freediving classes and boat charters went through the roof, and I was able to pay off my debts and step away from the brain meds.
The past couple years we have built a prototype of the app, redesigned it, and most importantly built a rock solid, lean mean and extreme team of app developers. It's been 2 steps forward and 1.5 steps back, but we have learned so much on this journey and couldn't be more excited about the updated app we're about to release. We hope you like it, we hope it gets you in the water, and we hope you stick with us as we keep making it better and better!
]]>What am I talking about — the dance shimmy shake while putting on your wetsuit and the on going search for lubricant to simmer the jive down! Whats the best product to use for gliding that suit on, whats the most natural and ocean safe product, and can I make my own wetsuit lube concoction? I have been asking myself all of these questions for a while now. I started out with the common diluted hair conditioner mixture that most freedivers swear by. However, I'm not sold on this option as the best, because generic hair conditioner is certainly not the best for some peoples skin and certainly not good to be consistently putting in the ocean (or lakes or pools or wherever you dive most)!
SO, with that being said, what are our options? My primary concern is the product being safe for our oceans, so my first thought was okay well what is a good all natural hair conditioner that can replace the commonly used Pantene or whatever your go to is. And there are a few great all natural products out there, but the question remains as to how they fare in the ocean and how they fare rubbing up against your skin in a suit. This product has proven to be awesome however: the verdict is in on Stream2Sea's Leave in Hair Conditioner, works like a champ AND is completely safe and biodegradable! Guilt Free option #1, check!
Guilt Free option #2 would be buying a 'lube' that was made specifically for your suit! A lot of wetsuit companies that sell open cell freedive suits actually carry lube you could purchase, but most of those products are actually not safe for the ocean. A awesome company to look into though is Shark Shot; their open cell wetsuit lubricant is made of seaweed [how cool] so it's good for your skin, easy on your suit, and completely benign to the ocean!
I can understand however if these two products have you a little concerned with spending the extra money, however sustainability is definitely something worth investing in! Regardless, frugality is what brought me to my next thought of... well what if I just make my own conditioner or lubricant. As I did research for DIY hair conditioner I realized going to the full lengths of homemade conditioner is a little futile if its just being used for slipping into a wetsuit. But what is the base of most DIY all natural reef safe and biodegradable skin and hair products?.... my favorite go to's of course - coconut oil and/or shea butter! Making a mixture out of either of these options are completely viable yet usually overlooked. The issue, from what I've read, is concern for degrading your suit. Most people are concerned with potential for build up or them causing your suit to smell over time. The same issue is present with a conditioner mixture though, so coconut oil or shea butter would just as well be worth a try to see if it's an option is that could work for you.
Moving on I want to address the usage of baby shampoo being used for lubricant. It has been my understanding that baby shampoo mighttt be safe for our seas, which is a common misconception; your generic baby shampoos are NOT eco-conscious. One of the important components to avoid when looking to purchase whatever attempt of safe lubricant product is Sodium Alkyl sulfates (AS), which is found in most baby wash/shampoos! So put it back on the shelf! If you're looking to stick with the simplicity of products like this though, my newest thought is to try out good ole Dr. Bronner's! By now most of us are aware that they're one of the top leading brands in environmentally friendly soaps, so why not give it a try as a wetsuit lubricant! It should be noted that I have not yet given this a go, and if you do I would highly advise you to pick a neutral 'scent'... as you definitely don't want to leave your body soaking in a burning peppermint wetsuit [for example]!
Okay thats all for now, I shall be testing out products to give you better insight as to what works best, and if you have your own feedback on products please let us know so we can share them with our epic diving community. Just remember, eco-conscious is worth the money!
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Article Written by the Lovely Grace Peterson
Full article viewable via Saltwater Bodywork
The ocean is like home to me. I submerge myself on an almost daily basis whether it’s on or under the water. If a day goes by without some sort of contact with it, I feel incomplete. While either floating on my surfboard or freediving at the local reefs, there is potential for a new encounter with nature and its inhabitants, and even with my own knowing of myself. Below the surface, the world is different. The pressure of the water encloses in on the body and ears must be cleared. There are crackling sounds of fish talking, rocks moving with the surge, sometimes the hum of a boat going by. There is movement with the current and the swell and it’s hard to stay in one place so grabbing onto the reef is the only way to stay put while everything else sways back and forth. It can be disorienting, but also soothing once you can relax into it. Depending on the time of day and the visibility of the water, sunbeams dance off of the particles of sand and plant matter making everything sparkle.
The ocean is a site of wilderness, a place of archetypal power, teaching and challenge. The surface can easily be seen, but only those willing to dive below what is seen will get a glimpse of the everchanging, expansive and mysterious world that lives beneath. I encounter the challenges it presents and the numinous (the experience of something much greater than our selves) experiences it provides quite often. I have surfed alongside dolphins, sea lions and pelicans. Last summer, a baby grey whale breached alarmingly close me during a solo surf session. The beauty of rainbows sparkling in the spray off the waves when the winds are blowing offshore never gets old. The list goes on and these experiences never cease to grasp my attention. It is these numinous experiences that bring me back to the ocean day after day.
It would be easy to write about any of these beautiful, pleasing experiences that have connected me to mother ocean, and there are many of them; however, the most powerful experience I have had with her by far is the relationship I have shared with fish she has allowed me to hunt in her waters. I am not talking about sitting on a boat or a beach with a fishing pole, passively waiting for something to take the bait. I am describing the entering of their terrain, much like hunting in the forest, but rather than trees, I am among forests of kelp. Instead of walking the plains tracking elk, I am exploring the reef in search of fish. I see what the fish looks like and what it is doing before I take them. I am looking the fish in the eye like a hunter staring down the barrel of a rifle at the deer. It is intimate and it is heartbreaking, but it is not without purpose.
I will never forget any of the fish I have brought home from the ocean, but the impact of the first is one, I believe, all will remember forever. The overwhelming feelings of excitement, sorrow, connection with and compassion for this living being in your hands. Feeling the life force depart an animal is one of the most powerful experiences I have ever felt, and it has changed me forever. This does not get easier and, if it does, something has been lost within me. The first time I reeled in a successful catch, my hands fumbling and shaking, I pulled the knife from my holster I knew what I had to do. I’m not sure whether the urge to shed tears was out of gratitude or remorse, but words came out of my mouth, or maybe from my soul, apologizing to and thanking this being for its sacrifice. I make a promise to it that I will honor its life the best way I can.
Over time, I have noticed rituals that I have developed naturally. From the moment I pack the car with my mask, fins, wetsuit, weight belt, knife and speargun, I also pack the intention to hunt. The process of catching the fish and the words and feelings that are communicated with it are absolutely necessary in its honoring. The preparation and sharing of the catch (if I come home with one) is intensely important in dignifying the fish I have brought home. We are deeply connected in that moment in relationship and in exchange. I can sustain my life because it has given its own. Reciprocity.
Clearly, I am not dependent on spearfishing for my survival. If I come onto land empty handed, I can stop at the store to get dinner on the way home. Spearfishing connects me to what it was like when my ancestors depended on a successful hunt for sustenance. While I am out among the kelp and reef, I exist in a mindset that makes me feel that if I come home without dinner, I will go hungry. There are days that I leave my refrigerator empty and I wonder if I have done this more or less on purpose when I plan to go dive for fish so that my dependency of success feels more authentic. This deepens my connection to the fish, for who I am depending on for nourishment, and the ocean, which is the landscape and habitat for the life within it.
For several years I did not eat meat because the moral rule I held for myself: If I could not kill it, I do not deserve to eat it. Once I started hunting fish, I felt an overwhelming connection to all of the fish that I consume, even those that came from the market or restaurant. I started to wonder about who caught the fish I was eating, how it was caught, how long they lived, what they looked like before they lost their beautiful iridescent colors of their scales. It became much more than a delicious dinner. These fish that I have taken have taught me so much more than the skill of hunting. I used to believe that I understood the gravity of what it really meant to take a life, and I never thought it would be something I could do. I believe that this experience is one we must have in order to understand the meal on your plate and to intimately know death without experiencing it for oneself.
The fish I choose are taken with immense gratitude, dignity and love. I thank them not only for their life, but also for what they have taught me. Ecopsychologist, Gary Snyder said, “there is no death that is not somebody’s food, no life that is not somebody’s death.” To touch death, to be responsible for that blood, is a responsibility that our ancestors took seriously. It was understood that death is a part of life, but we have become desensitized from this fact. I may not need to do this for survival, but I do need to do it to understand my place in the order of things.
Our ancestors have been catching fish with sharpened poles for an estimated sixteen thousand years. Traditional spearfishing, however, has been mostly restricted to shallow water such as reefs, rivers and streams. Shore diving, walking directly from the beach into the water without a vessel, is the type of diving that I do and is included in the shallow water category. For me, diving and spearfishing is not about catching the biggest, most prized fish as it is for others. My personal reasons for doing what I do which, I believe, are sharing a relationship with the ocean, feeling my ocean dwelling ancestors as I provide my own food, and the freedom I experience within the risk of diving into the unknown.
Freediving can be considered a risky activity. It shouldn’t be done alone for a number of safety reasons. It is an intense physical activity in an environment that cannot sustain human life for very long. As a freediver, I am welcome in that environment only for as long as one breath will allow. Even then, I can only take so many dives before I become too tired to go on. One is completely dependent on their body, trusting one’s abilities and knowing one’s limits.
Though it may not often be a conscious thought, there is an inherent knowing that something bigger than you could be to the left, right, above, below, in front of or behind you. This knowing is enlivening. It places me deeper within the order of things, furthering my understanding of my place in the world. I am not an all-powerful human. I am no different than a seal to the shark. I am no different than a shark to the fish.
Last September, I decided to do something a little riskier than usual. I decided to dive alone at a local reef that I have been many times. It was also opening day of lobster season so I was sure plenty of other divers would be out. This was indeed the case, however, as I was kicking out to the reef, the lifeguards made an announcement which is somewhat unusual this early in the morning. “Attention all swimmers, surfers, divers in the water. There has been a confirmed shark attack just north of here. We strongly advise you calmly exit the water.” Oddly enough, I didn’t immediately feel alarmed other than I knew someone had been hurt. I thought for a second about continuing my dive and decided to go back in to the beach. Of all the days I could have chosen to dive alone, I had to pick today. As I stood on the beach deciding what to do, three divers came down the stairs and wondered why I was standing on the beach. I told them what had happened and they ultimately decided to go out anyway. They invited me to go with them so I at least wouldn’t be diving alone and that was all of the convincing I needed to go back out.
I learned something about myself that day in particular. Though my actions may not have been wise, I no longer have an irrational fear of predatory sharks, perhaps a symbol of the biggest, most hidden fear within the unconscious. By going back out, perhaps something deep within me wants to meet the greatest fear of human ocean dwellers (and that of many land dwellers who choose not to enter the ocean because of those fears). I do have a conscious awareness that they are out there. It is their home. Every time I enter the ocean, I make an unspoken agreement of accepting the risk and understanding that I am swimming into their territory. There are always sharks in the water, and that’s not to say they have lost their numinosity to me. I feel respect rather than fear when I speak of them; however, if I were to see one, instinct would most likely say otherwise.
Though it is still very rare to encounter them, and much less so to be bitten, on that particular day one person had the unfortunate encounter while diving for lobster. He has since recovered and now has quite the rare experience to take with him through the rest of his life. For me, sharing the water with his experience allowed for me to recognize the possible risk that I inherently agree to when I am also a predator in their landscape.
One of the most recent dives I took was just before Thanksgiving having the clear intention of bringing home a Thanksgiving fish. I packed my gear, suited up and went out into the water with the conscious mission of bringing home a nice fish; however, I also had the awareness that if my intentions are too strong, the living ocean will be able to sense it. I must remember to wait for the fish to come to me. I have recently gone through a long period of time in which I have come home empty handed. I tried to blame it on the unseasonably warm waters we had this year, on my lack of experience and skill, or perhaps just bad luck.
This day happened to be one of the most beautiful that I can ever remember. The visibility was seemingly endless, schooling bait fish were circling around me, cormorants and pelicans were diving for anchovies and smelt. This was the day my luck would return. It had to be. An hour, if not more, had gone by, yet no fish presented themselves to me. I started to feel the determination creeping in. It is a familiar conflict of emotions, a temptation to give up and a stubborn determination to keep trying. I was feeling frustrated and discouraged, but I was not ready to give up just yet even though it was starting to become evident that today would not be the day that my luck would return. If I did leave empty handed, at the very least it was a beautiful day under the water, so I might as well enjoy it.
Suddenly, out of the endless blue, a foreign silhouette caught my eye. I have only seen one once before in this area, so it takes me a moment to register that I am in the presence of a sea turtle. I followed it for a long while and had forgotten about my tenacious determination to find dinner. Nothing else mattered but that moment of coming into relationship with this turtle. I left her and decided that that was to be the highlight of my dive and it was indeed time to return to land. I took two or three more dives and on the last one, to my amazement, a sizeable sheephead was hovering in a tunnel in the reef. I asked the ocean silent permission and it allowed me my Thanksgiving dinner.
It was as if the visit from the turtle pulled me out of the stubborn mindset I had acquired. It was a surrender to coming back to being one in and of the wilderness, letting go into remembering my place among the ocean, the fish and the turtle. The ocean continues to challenge and teach me with every encounter. Its depths put me in touch with my inner wilderness areas, with my instincts, my ancestors. It is my landscape for visiting the depths of my own unconscious and allows for me to be in touch with my soul. I have come to enjoy the solitude that I find in it all the while not being alone whatsoever. It truly has been, and continues to be, transformative for me.
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Spearfishing has taught me to remember that I am a being in the world among other beings. It has broadened my respect for all life and has connected me to the deepest roots of what it means to be human. Relating to the vast and intimidating ocean is extremely humbling and reminds me of my place in the world. If I ever forget, all I need to do is dive into the ocean and I remember, I am wild.
Grace Peterson is a freediver, surf therapist, and M.A. of Depth Psychology with a specialization in Somatic Studies. She is the owner of Saltwater Integrative Bodywork in Leucadia, CA where she practices somatic awareness education and teaches topics related to bridging the unconscious and conscious by way of the body in order to help clients to know their most authentic self. Find out more at Saltwaterbodywork.com
With coronavirus forcing everyone into their homes, many small local businesses are at the risk of permanent closure. As beach parking lots remained closed during the start of the summer season, small surf & scuba shops felt heavy losses. Today, while business is ticking up as more people seek the water for refuge from being trapped inside during hot summer days, many business owners countdown the days left of the summer season wondering if it’ll be enough to float them through the winter. As many people are afforded the ability to Work From Home with more flexible schedules, we want to make the case for all coastal dwellers to take up a water sport and sport their local small business. Whether that means buying a winter-ready wetsuit, a new pair of fins, or investing in dive gear, you’ll be helping your neighbors survive the economic downturn still to be realized. We hear dive masks are very IN right now!
A fun activity that requires minimal effort and social contact. Set up your own meet-up group to find like-minded people willing to volunteer on a Saturday morning for a beach clean up. Masks or no-masks, helping clean up the garbage and debris from getting into the water is impactful not only for aquatic life but even our coastal loving birds.
If you are able to get past the election and corona updates teeming into the top of your newsfeed every second, you may get down to some sinister happenings in our ocean waters. Super Trawlers are large ships with miles of netting that capture approximately 300,000 lbs of wildlife bycatch from our oceans every year, with a 3:1 ratio of bycatch to actual product. This practice does not discriminate and often dolphins, other mammals are swept to their death, their carcasses thrown overboard with complete disregard. Raise awareness to help conservationists force local legislators to act quickly.
A great activity you can get the whole family involved in. We recommend starting the first week taking inventory of all the various ways your home uses plastics and other single use products. Next, brainstorm innovative ways to eliminate waste in your own home. This can be simple things such as shopping in bulk bins at grocery stores for just the right amount you need or investing in imperfect foods that delivers produce straight to your door. Check out our precious blog "The Worst Type of 'Dive Viz' is an Ocean Full of Trash" for detailed advise on creating less household waste.
In the process of building an app for divers, we’ve come to know and love some of the best divers and ocean lovers in the world who have built their own non-profit organizations committing to saving the big blue. Here are just a few of our favorite people doing amazing work for the benefit of all ocean creatures. If you are able to donate a few bucks a month, it goes a long way. Even a like or follow on their socials can be tremendously supportive.
@projectkolika
@the_last_forests_project
@projecthiu
@nakaweproject
@coralrestorationfoundation
@coralgardeners
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Those who lived by the ocean solely for the view are seeking the water for new forms of exercise they may have previously overlooked and we are seeing this renewed interest in the dive world, specifically.
]]>Depending on your state, it has been close to 6 months since the Coronavirus had many Americans rushing to safety within the comforts of their homes during Shelter-in-Place. With a myriad of fumbled attempts to reopen by local governments and quarantine fatigue hitting home hard the last few weeks, many of us are struggling to balance the desire for human contact with the need to maintain safety this summer. While many indoor establishments like gyms & yoga studios continue to stay closed, most cities have opened outdoor recreation options for public use which we consider a big win. Moreso for the 29 million American coastal dwellers who have the increased ability to seek the ocean for mental and even physical refuge. It comes as no surprise that water-related physical activities like boating, surfing and diving are having its moment in the spotlight. Those who lived by the ocean solely for the view are seeking the water for new forms of exercise they may have previously overlooked and we are seeing this renewed interest in the dive world, specifically.
Surf culture tends to scare newbies from attempting to enter the locals only surf spots, whereas diving is a communal sport that will welcome you with open arms. It is common knowledge to never go out diving alone but that doesn’t mean its dangerous or not for the faint of heart. Setting up our Diveviz booth on Sunday mornings at Kellogg Park here in San Diego where we host our weekly freedive lessons, we see many groups of scuba divers, new & old, heading in and out of the water at a near constant flow. Many local dive masters can be found teaching classes to new cohorts of eager ocean loves excited to get into the water, hoping to capture something insta-worth underwater on their wrist-affixed go pros.
While the barrier for entry might scare people off, requiring a tad bit more equipment than a $99 Wavestorm surfboard, diving is worth the entry price. Following top divers and communities such as @JustGetWet and @San_Diego_Freedivers was what some of our newest divers say got them pumped to try out the niche sport of freediving which solely requires fins, a mask, and a steady practice of holding your breath for long periods of time.
Whether you are along the Atlantic, Pacific, or the Gulf Coast, there is a wide variety of what you might see during your dives. Beyond that, there is much more to gain mentally during times of crisis such as the current pandemic and unfolding economic crisis. Diving helps improve blood circulation & lowers blood pressure, not to mention, providing one with the immense feeling of stress relief as you sharply focus on your breath. Physically, you move every part of your body so you’ll be well ahead of others with shedding the Quarantine-15 you might’ve noticed. Connecting with nature and allowing the healing properties of saltwater to wash over your hair, skin and nails are also big added bonuses to the dive life. For many of us, just a few moments of silence and peace under the surface is all any of us really need to shut out some of the day-to-day noise. It’s no surprise that diving is the way to go when it comes to water sports to try during the pandemic, though we may be a bit biased. ;)
]]>We had raised a friends and family round in December that paid for the development of our Beta, which just recently wrapped up. Beyond that however, we didn't have anything on the horizon. We launched a kickstarter in March which got an amazing response off the bat, but when COVID-19 sent the world into a tailspin our kickstarter was one of the casualties. Here's the kickstarter video if you haven't seen it:
This was a pretty dark time for me personally...I had just put the majority of my savings into this project, and the only money I was making was coming from freediving classes and boat charters...which completely dried up. I had a very small runway for DiveViz, as well as for myself. I decided it was best to apply for jobs and keep DiveViz as a side project...I applied for over 50 jobs and ended up with two interviews, neither of which led anywhere. Throughout this time I did have something in my back pocket, but it was a long shot at best.
In the winter of 2018 I came across a NOAA Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) grant opportunity that included a category that would have fit perfectly with DiveViz. Unfortunately I discovered this a couple weeks before the deadline and wasn't able to apply for it. What I did know is that NOAA released it's SBIR opportunity every year, so I knew I had to be ready for the next year. I asked some experts if there was anything we could do to prepare, but since the categories (the specific types of projects they will fund) change every year, and there's really no way of knowing what they will be, we had to sit and wait for the next years release.
The NOAA website said it would be released in the Fall of 2019. Starting in September I checked the grants.gov website religiously. Nothing showed up in September...or October...or November...and after I checked a few times in December I thought maybe their funding had dried up and we wouldn't be able to rely on this option. I visited my mom in Colorado over Christmas, checked the site again December 19th, no dice, and just said the hell with it.
Christmas and New Years were great, had some friends in town following New Years, and by the time I got back in the groove it was mid January. I decided to check the site again and....what do you know. They had released the funding opportunity December 20th, and the proposal was due...February 3rd!
Oh boy.
Scramble time.
I've never done this before, I don't have the first clue where to start, but all I do know is that it's a very long, arduous process to write a grant proposal. I had been in touch with an expert in writing grant proposals (who also happened to surf and freedive), and I figured it was better to hire him to write it rather than scramble through it on my own. I could not be happier with that decision, he was a life saver!
That said, we were way behind. We had to get accounts set up on multiple government websites which took days if not weeks for the approvals to go through, so we started right away. Halfway through however, we got denied for some administrative screw ups I had made, and fixing those normally took a couple weeks.
Initiate FULL scramble.
I fast tracked everything. I contacted every agency we were dealing with including NOAA to let them know what we were going through, and while they were understanding they still said if we didn't get everything figured out and submitted by the due date we were out of luck. I was beside myself at the fact that we might miss out on this opportunity due to some simple oversights I'd had, but the only thing we could do was push forward.
The submission was due on Monday, and our account approvals came in on Friday! As well as our letters of support, and a letter of intent that a lab at Scripps Institute of Oceanography submitted saying that they would take on a large chunk of this work in support of DiveViz. I happened to be on a surf trip in Puerto Rico, and spent pretty much the entire weekend in the AirBnB writing up budget narratives, getting all the loose ends tied up, and going back through the requirements to make sure nothing was missed. We submitted everything at 10PM Monday night, just in time, and then...it was waiting time. (Below is the day after it was submitted, captured by Rich Brooks Photography)
NOAA doesn't say when you will find out if you've been awarded or not, they just told us that the period of performance had to start July 1st...so hopefully we would know before then! Normally the award is announced around 30-60 days after the submission, but there's nothing that says that has to be the case.
30 days came around, no word.
60 days came around, still not a word, and time to start exploring other options.
90 days came around, still no word, and I had assumed we had missed the boat and were on our own. It was time to form a new plan, figure out how to get funding so we can keep this thing going.
But then, around the 100 day mark, we got the email! WE WERE FUNDED!!!
It's hard to describe what this means and how this feels. After 2 and a half years of pushing this, getting told no again and again, our idea was validated by a major government organization who was willing to pay us a significant amount of money to develop. Un, real.
You know what's better?
This is just Phase I.
We'll talk more about what that entails, as well as what Phase II is and what we need to do to get there (it involves you!) in our next article! Until then, thank you SO much for all of your amazing support! We should have the Beta in your hands soon, and not long after that you can look forward to having live sensors in the water, and continual updates on the app!
See you in the water
]]>Nathan Minatta put together an incredible video for us here, check it out and help us make this thing a reality!
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The species of kelp that make up California's kelp beds, Macrocystis pyrifera (Giant Kelp), can grow up to 40-65m high and at a speed of 60cm (2ft) a day! Animals depend on Giant Kelp beds for food and shelter. This rapid growth characteristic and use by other animals, makes Giant Kelp a foundation species. One of these species that relies on kelp as a food source is the purple sea urchin. Purple sea urchins in Southern California have always been present. But could a lack of predation on urchins and increased El Nino events make things worse for our kelp beds to recover?
Sea Urchins and Their Predators
Sea urchins, those prickly Echinoderms and cousins of seastars and sea cucumbers, are fed upon by their main predator: Southern Sea Otters. Unfortunately, sea otters once thrived from Baja California and around the Pacific Rim to Russia and Japan before fur hunters hunt them to near extinction in the 1700s and 1800s; the California population has grown from a group of about 50 survivors off Big Sur in 1938 to nearly 3,000 animals today (Monterey Bay Aquarium).
So what eats these purple sea urchins now? California sheepheads and California Spiny Lobsters are now the main predators of urchins in Southern California. However true, we have overfished these two predators, causing them to be of a smaller size and unable to eat the larger urchins, further causing a shift in these predators ecological role.
Sea urchins eat only the holdfast of Giant Kelp. A holdfast is a root-like structure of an algae; it is root-like in structure but not in function (it does not take in nutrients from the roots like in plants). For algae, holdfasts latch on to a substrate. Eating holdfasts can cause the whole kelp body to detach. Sea urchins can also lie dormant and wait for a new holdfast to start growing. One can start to see how this is a big problem... how is kelp supposed to recover if dormant urchins charge young kelp holdfasts?
Giant Kelp and The Science Behind Its Growth
This lack in sea urchin predation however, is not the only culprit preventing Giant Kelp from recovering: increased El Nino events are another factor. El Nino brings in warmer water to Southern California. Contrary to popular belief, warm water itself is not the issue for Giant Kelp, as Giant Kelp was found to grow in deeper tropical waters. Kelp, like all living organisms, has a limiting temperature that can prevent them from reproducing or eventually die if too hot. However, they can still thrive in warmer, tropical environments. In order to thrive, M. pyrifera needs the following for proper growth: 3 abiotic (non-living) factors -- a hard substrate to grow on, nutrients and plenty of light; and 2 biotic (living) factors -- herbivory (animals that eat kelp, like sea urchins) and competition for space (i.e. corals).
Kelp has been found in deep water habitats of tropical regions, up to 200m deep! In the tropics, the water is clearer and light can penetrate deeper in the water column, allowing light to reach the kelp at much deeper depths. So if warm water itself isn't the issue, than what is? Here's the science: warmer water tends to lack nutrients. If adequate nutrient concentrations are available in the water, kelps can survive up to temperatures near 23 degrees C (Santelices, B. 2007). In additions, kelp in tropical environments live lower down where the water temperature is going to be cooler (below 23 degrees C) where it can still thrive.
Competition wise, Giant Kelp cannot grow on coral. If corals are present, kelp cannot attach itself to the ground; remember, kelp needs a hard substrate, and therefore, cannot grow on sand and needs a rocky reef.
In summary, warm water itself is not necessarily preventing Giant Kelp from growing, but rather the lack of nutrients warm water carries. El Nino brings in oligotrophic (nutrient-poor) warmer water, making it difficult for Giant kelp to grow.
Hope for our Southern California Kelp Beds
With increasing El Nino events, in both frequency and intensity, scientists claim we will soon lose our kelp beds in SoCal. With El Nino AND having no chance to recover by the constantly eating sea urchins, how can we expect kelp to come back? Well, there is hope. Many scientists also believe that with anthropogenic aid, we can help prolong our kelp beds' lifespans. Scripps Institution of Oceanography scientists state the kelp in San Diego is actually doing fine, for the most part. The urchin barrens are contained. However, we believe we should act during El Nino periods to minimize the impact the urchins have when El Nino passes. If we remove some urchins during El Nino, the kelp will recover much quicker once El Nino is over.
Project Kolika is in the works of launching a new campaign: The Urchin Removal Program, in hopes that by removing sea urchins and minimizing sea urchin barrens, we will allow a chance of recovery for our Giant Kelp. The logic is simple: remove a stressor (herbivorous urchins) of the Giant Kelp, therefore allowing Giant Kelp to recover, and thus, grow more rapidly.
And YOU can get involved in volunteering with us! Stay tuned for our second fundraiser to help us raise funds for this project we will be launching end of 2019! All you need are these simple requirements: must be Open Water Scuba certified and serve during El Nino periods. The ocean needs you, come join our conservation effort!
As many of you might have seen, the Just Get Wet freediving community has decided to jump on the bandwagon and start teaching the Molchanovs Freediving Education system. So what in the world is that? And why?
We'll start with the why.
Just Get Wet has been committed to building a thriving community of freedivers in San Diego since June 2018. We believe that having a group of like minded, educated, safety conscious freedivers to train with will foster the most growth in all of us as individuals, as well as in the sport. The Molchanovs education system aligns with our vision perfectly, and has built a foundation that will accelerate all of our progress in ways we couldn't have possibly come up with on our own.
As an instructor I have seen how the Molchanovs system is in every way as robust as the top freediving agencies in the US, but they have managed to package the content in a more user friendly way. I have seen students struggle with the methods of other agencies, but succeed with the Molchanovs system. At the end of the day I want my students to succeed and fall in love with freediving more than anything else, and I truly believe this is the best method to achieve that.
So now, what is it?
The Molchanovs system is written by the top freedivers in the world, including world record holder Alexey Molchanov, world record holder Goran Colak, and Australian record holder/youtube sensation Adam Stern (@adamfreediver). Their philosophy is that while traditional freediving courses provide new tools and techniques to divers, the real meat and potatoes behind a divers progression is consistent training within a supportive community.
This is why, after you finish your Molchanovs course, you will get access to the worldwide Molchanovs Freediving community, which includes weekly training workouts written by the top freedivers in the world and is tailored to every level of freediver. This is called Base Training. We believe this is the best tool that can help you and our freediving community grow, progress, and thrive.
Classes are labeled as Wave or Lap...Lap being the pool only portion, and Wave being the pool and open water portion. Upon successful completion of your course, you will get access to that level of Base Training. Note, if you take a Wave 1 class and pass the pool portion but not the open water portion, you will still get certified as a Lap 1 diver and get access to Lap 1 Base Training.
You can tailor your Base Training to your own needs and abilities, but all Molchanovs divers around the world will be doing the same workouts every week as a freediving community. We all stay connected through the Molchanovs app to stay connected, share ideas, and track improvement.
What does this mean for you?
If you were certified through another agency we can still get you access to the Molchanovs Base Training system! The FII curriculum is very similar to the Molchanovs curriculum, so if you were certified through me, another FII/PFI instructor, or any other agency just contact us and we will be able to get you into the Molchanovs community! There are some differences that will require you to watch some online videos and take an online exam, but the foundation is extremely similar so it shouldn't take you a lot of time!
Here are our course breakdowns...keep in mind the Lap course would be just the theory and pool session. So you can sign up for the full Wave course or the Lap course. If you sign up for the Lap course (and pass) you will get access to Base Training which will improve your breath hold and comfort in the water, gain you access to our training comunity, and then if you want you can easily sign up for the Lap to Wave upgrade course. Essentially this option gives you the ability to build a foundation in the pool to ensure your success in the open water, for a similar price.
Students learn the basics of freediving in the pool and ocean, they learn how to use their breathing and relaxation to unlock the bodies natural freediving potential and enjoy the feeling of freedom in the water. Students learn everything they need to dive to 12 – 20 meters (40 - 66 feet) and to achieve breath holds of over one and a half minutes.
Students learn how to train and utilize their body for greater freediving performances. They learn how to break down the different elements that improve their freediving and how to develop those individual elements. By the end of the course each diver will know everything they need to dive comfortably from 24 – 30 meters (79-101 feet) and to achieve breath holds of over two and a half minutes.
To sign up or to see the full descriptions of each course that Just Get Wet is providing in San Diego just click here . Hope to see you out in the water soon!
]]>Seasons change and certain friends come and go, but there are a couple reliable San Diego marine species that you can always count on finding in La Jolla year around. Our resident population of wild seals and sea lions are always nearby to provide some thorough entertainment. We know that it’s winter at the current moment and we are holding strong through some variable dive conditions, however if you’re itching to be near or in the water, regardless of visibility, at least these adorable animals give a reason to #JustGetWet and will surely keep things interesting.
The La Jolla seals and sea lions are definitely a touchy subject in some regards. Visiting them is pretty much at the top of the list for ‘Things to do in San Diego,’ however as an attraction, it’s definitely a controversial one. If you’re a local then you’re probably plenty aware of the presence and importance of these species, and of course abide by the mission to protect them from the nonsense of visitors who may be unaware of the common respect that should be adhered by when in close proximity to them. That being said though, most tourists are very much interested in adoring the resident seals/sea lions, so we want to provide some guidelines to them and new San Diego divers on where to find, and hopefully dive with them, while still maintaining respect.
First off, let’s talk about those good looks. Sea Lions and Seals can be pretty easily differentiated by anyone if you know what you’re looking for. Pretty solidly brown, Sea Lions stand tall on their larger and stronger flippers; these flippers give them the ability to walk, if you will, and maneuver their way up and around the cliffs. On the other hand, seals tend to be a little pudgier; they’ve got a mixture of brown/gray/black colors in their fur in a seemingly freckled pattern. They have much shorter front webbed flippers that don’t do much help when it comes to walking, so they pretty much just wiggle and do belly rolls to get around on land. That being said, sea lions are the main ones you’re going to see in packs hanging out on the cliffs out of the water.
If you’re visiting La Jolla and wondering who the culprit is of the loud barking noise, those are the loud and proud sea lions; seals are much less vocal and can only really make low grunts. Oh and fun fact to look out for… sea lions have external ears! See if you can notice next time y’all are hanging out.
When it comes to being in the water with the two of these fun animals, you will as well notice differences in their behaviors. They’re both playful creatures who, if you’re diving, are pretty curious as to what you’re doing underwater with them. If scuba is your thing and you decide to dive La Jolla in sea lion territory, expect your personal space to be invaded. Seals are playful and cute but not as ‘in your face’ as sea lions can sometimes be. Sea lions like to playfully test out your camera and scuba gear with their mouths, not in an aggressive way, just out of curiosity… so if you’re nervous about potential interactions maybe stick to the shore. However with that said, just because they come up to you, does not mean you should induce an interaction or chase down one of these species to play with you. Remember you’re in their home… hang out time is on their terms, and you should absolutely avoid physical interaction for safety of you both, obviously unless its to keep your dive gear attached to you!
For more specific information on the difference between seals and sea lions, check out Seal Conservancy.
Okay, on to the 'where.' Obviously as we have been saying, La Jolla is where all the main action goes down. Keep in mind this is year around too, so any day, any time you can count on sightings. There are actually a few places that are well known for our resident seal and sea lion populations, however I want to mainly focus on one, as our main goal is getting you in the water, and this is the best place to get a chance to experience diving with them.
While the Children’s Pool at Casa Beach is where you are more likely to see seals and is a great place to watch them both on the sand and witness pupping season… if you head North and around the corner to the Cove, you’ll find our personal favorite spot!
La Jolla Cove is part of the La Jolla Underwater Park and Ecological Reserve - it’s a marine protected area which is what helps to keep it so abundant in visible marine life. The beach itself is a smaller area flanked by two rocky points where you will find heaps of sea lions laying out and enjoying the sun; it’s accessible via a stairway and has a lifeguard tower on the Southern rocky point. There’s a coastal path going from the cove to Boomer Beach, where you will see even more sea lions, and a small wall separating the path from the rocks. Many people like to hop the wall and walk out on the rocks to get a closer look. If you walk out on the rocks just be very careful as they can be quite slippery in areas, and just because you can get really really close to the animals this way doesn’t mean you should… in fact you absolutely should not [we’ll discuss that more momentarily].
Scuba diving and freediving at the La Jolla Cove is some of the best diving in San Diego. Not only do you get to witness the adorable seals and sea lions that we’ve been talking about, but it’s also home to a giant kelp forest, making it an extremely diverse underwater ecosystem. The Kelp Forest is cold water diving, but it’s an easily accessible shore dive via the cove and totally worth every bit as the landscape and featured species provide for an epic experience. Aside from making friends with sea lions and seals, the magical kelp forest is home as well to Leopard Sharks, elusive Sevengill sharks [the Cove is an aggregation site for Sevengills during the winter and spring seasons], the bright orange Garibaldi [our state marine fish], and many more interesting marine animals.
As for the dive site details itself, it’s pretty straight forward. You suit up and enter via the beach at the cove (down the stairs). Sometimes there is a little swell, normally its manageable but if it gets too big I’d advise waiting until a better day... that would ruin your visibility anyways. Once in the water it’s about a 10-15 minute surface swim straight out, about 65ft. You’ll know when you hit the kelp, and when you descend into the forest you will be in about 45ft deep water.
If you're not familiar with the area or don't have a dive buddy we would definitely recommend heading out with one of the awesome local scuba diving companies. There are a few to choose from, but our friends over at Ocean Enterprises or Zach's Scuba Shack would totally guide you in having a great time.
If youre not a diver but still want to experience sea lions and seals from an ocean perspective, I would recommend renting a kayak or SUP. And if you're from out of town and simply want to do a fun snorkel in the cove, I'd suggest looking into renting snorkel gear from here.
The most important part of this post is to remind locals and tourists alike to KEEP YOUR DISTANCE FROM THE SEALS AND SEA LIONS. You are not at a petting zoo and they are not there for your selfie photo pleasure.
The act of scaring these animals back into the water is called 'flushing,' and not only is it terrible for their health and safety but as well will cost you a fun fine of $500; and yes, there are in fact people out patrolling and willing to hand out necessary fines. Aside from the scaring, you should be keeping a safe and respectable distance, your new profile photo is not justification to be in their face… also though they're not aggressive, do not put it past them to lunge forward or bite if you infringe on their territory. I know seals and sea lions are absolutely adorable, but getting too close is dangerous for both parties and causes unnecessary stress on the animals, disturbing their natural behavior and routines. If you see an animal being abused, call the San Diego Police Department at (619) 531-2000 or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Enforcement hotline at (800) 853-1964. Give them their space, as humans we have already claimed too much marine territory; we need to coexist and realize this is their home too, so have respect. Another number to call in the instance of seeing a sick or injured seal or sea lion is for the Sea World Mammal Rescue at (800) 541-7325.
What is visibility?
For us as divers, it means how far away we can discern an object.
When we see something, light is being reflected off of it and into our little eyeballs. When we see something underwater, that light typically is coming from the sun, down to the object, and then is reflected back to us.
I would say the simplest equation for visibility would be:
Light entering the water + water clarity = visibility
*if night diving, this equation would essentially boil down to just water clarity, but for the purpose of this article we're going to focus on day time diving
Basics of Bad Viz
Visibility will be reduced by anything that blocks, scatters, or dims light. Both the light that gets to the water, the light that gets through the surface of the water, and then the light that gets down to the object, and from the object to our eyes. The first two are easier to understand.
Light Getting to the Water (Light Source)
If it's dark out, or if it's cloudy, there will be less light that gets down to the surface of the water, and therefore less light that can illuminate an object and reflect back to our eyes. What this means is that visibility is better when it's a clear sunny day and worse during a cloudy day.
Light Getting Through the Surface (Surface Scatter)
When light hits a flat ocean surface it will have a much easier time getting down to an object than if the surface is choppy. A choppy surface, usually due to wind, will scatter that light and decrease visibility.
Beyond this we start getting into the really tricky part, and the real mystery, which is water clarity. This is by far the biggest and most impactful factor regarding visibility, and there are a ton of components that affect it. There is a principle that we have to understand first, which is called suspended sediment. This means any particulates that are in the water column that are blocking light. They can come from a myriad of sources (which makes visibility so hard to predict) but for the most part these particulates are the things on the ocean floor that are getting churned up for some reason.
I̶m̶p̶o̶r̶t̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶B̶o̶t̶t̶o̶m̶ ̶T̶y̶p̶e̶
Importance of Ocean Floor Composition
First you have to start with an understanding of your bottom type, or what your ocean floor is made of...usually rock, sand, or silt. The smaller the particulates on the bottom (silt), the easier they are to suspend and the longer they take to fall back down through the water column and settle on the bottom. Imagine being underwater with your fins on. If you kick downwards on a rocky bottom, not much is going to happen. If you kick downwards on a sandy bottom, you're going to kick up a big cloud of sand on the bottom. If you do this in a silty area, you're going to kick up so much sediment that it's going to cause a blackout.
What Affects Water Clarity
Ok now that we understand bottom type, and we know that some areas will be much more volatile than others, we're going to talk about the forces that act on the ocean floor and kick up the sediment that blocks out the light. I'm going to do my best to break them down to the best of my understanding, and I'm organizing them in the order of what I check when determining if I will dive or not in San Diego.
Waves
We get a lot of waves in San Diego, and it's one of the reasons I love living here! While great for surfing, big waves don't help with visibility.
Waves 101: How they work
They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so I'm going to let this one do some talking.
When the wave energy comes into contact with the bottom, the waves start to steepen and eventually form breaking waves. Keeping visibility in mind, when the lower portion of the wave comes in contact with the bottom it starts to stir it up, but only a little because there isn't much energy there. As the wave gets closer to shore there is more energy coming into contact with the bottom, which means it's stirring up more sediment and creating worse visibility.
Waves 201: Swell height, period, and direction
As we saw in the first picture, waves reach further down into the water column than we realize. But how far? It's all based on the wave length. The wave length is the distance between two crests, and this picture shows that.
While wavelength can be measured as a distance it is more often measured by the time it takes two wave crests to pass the same point. This is called period, and is measured in seconds. The longer the wave length (or period), the further down the waves energy will reach. What this means for us is that one 3 foot swell with a long period can have a much greater impact on visibility (and surge) than a short period swell. It may look the same from the surface, but the longer period swell will create more surge and worse visibility.
So what about wave height?
While wave length is massively important because of how far down the wave reaches, wave height (the thing we see) definitely plays a huge roll. I would attribute this simply to impact. A larger wave is going to have more water that crashes into the bottom when it breaks, which means it will suspend a large amount of whatever is on the bottom.
Wave direction is probably the easiest. Think about it like wind. If you're in Chicago (not that you would ever want to be) and it's crazy windy, you could stand behind a building and be protected from that wind. Or you could stand in front of the building and feel the full force. I would recommend not going to Chicago, but if you're there the best bet is to hide behind the building. Same thing with waves. If we have a steep south swell in San Diego, La Jolla Point is going to stick out and block a lot of those waves from hitting the cove or the shores.
Tides
Just like waves, tides are moving water that stirs up sediment. Here are a few tips regarding tides and why
1) Dive on an incoming tide
If you dive on an outgoing tide, all the water is moving from shore out to sea. This means that the murky water that has been churned up by breaking waves is getting pulled out, bringing all the light blocking sediment with it. If you dive on an incoming tide, clear deep ocean water is moving towards shore. That's what you want, but you want to catch it at the right time
2) Tide intensity
When tides are at their peak (high or low) there is no water moving. At the midpoint between peak tides, the water is moving at its fastest. The faster water is moving the more sediment it's going to kick up. Also, the bigger the difference between the high and low tides, the faster the water will move. During full and new moons the tides are more extreme, which means they will move more water in between the highs and lows. Best bet is to dive an hour or two before the high tide. Worst bet is diving halfway between a high to low tide on a full or new moon.
Wind
Wind is what creates waves. Let's take a look
Sometimes we get what is called a wind swell, which means the waves are more in the chop category than the fully developed sea swells, or ground swells. While these waves don't have the same period as a ground swell and don't reach as deep, they still have a big impact on visibility for a couple reasons. First off, they have a really high frequency. This means that while they aren't as powerful, there are a lot of them and they come in non stop. This causes non stop churn...aka suspended sediment. In addition to this the surface scatter is much more intense with wind chop than with a ground swell. In the grand scheme of things this isn't nearly as important as the suspended sediment, but it's something to think about.
Rain
Rain itself isn't a bad thing, but rain creates runoff which can be a bad thing. Remember the more things that get in the water column to block light, the worse the viz is. So if there's a bunch of dirt, grime, and pollution pouring off of the streets and into the ocean, the viz will be worse.
So those are the main things, but there are some other factors that are either more anomalies or are much harder to predict.
Algae Blooms
Algae blooms are the type of thing that only happen once or twice a year, but when they do happen, they can shut down everything. They are usually our fault (something we've dumped in the ocean starts growing), and NOAA is spending a ton of money trying to figure out how to predict them. For me the best way to stay on top of this is to listen to the local dive reports and wait until the bloom dives off.
Longshore Sediment Transport
Now we're getting really nerdy. Basically there are these big longshore currents that can take someone else's murk to your own beaches. In order to stay on top of this you have to know where your currents are coming from, and know what has been going on in that area (aka a big storm, a polluted river, etc)
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“Despite the fact that 75% of people recycle, 75% of plastic generated ends up in landfills and only 9% is actually recycled.” - Poly Free Planet
The beginning of a new year is always the time of which people tend to start new positive habits in contribution to their well-being. Well… your health is dependent on the health of our oceans and this planet. So how about this year we all start off strong by creating new habits that are focused toward contributing to the well-being of Earth.
It is a FACT that we have been killing our planet and thus it’s rebelling against us. There are smart and passionate people all over the world making massive strides to combat climate change, global consumerism and apathy… however in the end it comes down to you. Each and every person contributes to the health of our planet, every decision you make can either aid or harm in its revitalization; therefore it is your environmental responsibility to #bebetter!
Ripples can turn to waves.
Ideas to movements.
Small actions to worldwide efforts.
No tiny attribution toward making a difference goes unnoticed.
Ripples can change everything!
To help you get started, I’ve made a list of some easy ways to guide you in your journey to reduce your footprint as a consumer and thus help to keep trash out of our oceans. Start with one, see how it feels to be a contributor to ocean conservation, then add another, and another, and anotha one! ;)
That being said, while boycotting plastic straws was a start... it isn’t enough; it’s time to reduce your consumption of all plastics! I’d like to focus on giving you options for a few other items that are common in most every house-hold yet easily disregarded when thinking about reducing your plastic use.
Plastic storage bags - To me these are a no no, because honestly they are such an easy thing to cut out. Reusable containers are the easy solution, however I know many people desire less bulk for taking on the go. In that case you need to check out StasherBag! They are definitely the cool kids in the sea when it comes to reusable storage bags. They are made of silicone, are able to completely seal tight and have so many cool uses. You can simply store food [or items] but you can also freeze them, boil them, bake them, microwave them, throw them in the dishwasher, or even throw them at your friends if you see them using actual ziplock bags… For real, they’re great and come in many sizes and make life on the go easier and eco-friendly.
Plastic Wrap - Another non essential item that I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of using at some point or another for easy food storage, but as well is another easy item to say goodbye to and not miss. Sealable containers are also an easy replacement here, but if you’re looking for a more versatile option to replace the ‘wrap’ aspect, then beeswax food wraps are the way to go. Bee’s Wrap is an awesome and sustainable brand that creates their product "by infusing organic cotton with beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin [...] to create a washable, reusable, and compostable alternative to plastic wrap.” You can use them in the exact same way you would use your one time use plastic wrap, but these will make your fridge/pantry look cool and they’ll last!
Toiletries/Cosmetics - Okay this is normally a pretty hard one for people. Even when buying all natural products, they still tend to come in some sort of plastic container that may get overlooked due to already being so stoked about your all natural organic vegan decision. It doesn’t have to be hard though! First have you looked up basic recipes to make your own products? There are plenty of DIY answers all over google and youtube for at home concoctions. Otherwise, consider this:
Soap bars are becoming increasingly available and are a guilt free option for your shampoo, conditioner and body wash needs. There are plenty of local ethical companies now supplying all types of bars, if you’re on instagram or etsy you can definitely find a small business to support. Lush Cosmetics is always a great option as well, however some of their facial products still come in a plastic container.
When it comes to toothpaste, honestly making your own is not hard at all, and you’ll get used to the taste, just like you do anything else. Here is an easy recipe I like to use [I tweak the essential oil ‘flavor’ often as I prefer fruity, and the sweetener isn’t necessary if you’re working with limited ingredients]!
A newer eco-trend that I’m excited about is Safety Razors. It may be a slightly higher cost upfront, but will save you beacoups and create no waste. Check out this great gender neutral company with variable price points and great quality.
And now for my favorite, stop contributing to the 2 billion cotton swabs [plastic or non] that are thrown away every day solely in the US, and get down with reusable silicone swabs. They’re easy to clean, better for your ears, great for makeup and other uses, waste-free and all natural. Check out this site and read the reviews if you don’t believe me immediately.
Females, I hope you’ve let go of your insecurities and fears by now about the ever so intriguing menstrual cup and decided to give it a go. It’s not scary or weird and there really is no legitimate reason to not make the switch. “It’s estimated that, every year, over 45 billion products related to periods, including tampons, pads, and applicators, are thrown in the garbage. And tampons make up a large part of that weight. The Ocean Conservancy collected 27,938 used tampons and applicators on beaches around the world in a single day in 2015.” - Bustle. So with that being said, give it a try, you’ll get used to it and you’ll never want to go back to tampons again. There are plenty of purchasing options and they are all pretty much the same, so head to a local health food store [support local] and be proud about buying your cup!
Food Packaging and Produce Purchasing - Hard to get around for some dried goods, but not impossible. Start taking into consideration the packaging that your food comes in, is it something that you can buy package free, like grains, nuts, sugars and spices? And as far as produce goes, never buy produce that is wrapped in plastic, it’s completely unnecessary. Also when it comes to gathering your produce avoid those single use super thin plastic bags that are supplied and get yourself some mesh produce bags! This site has great mesh bags of all sizes that could be your solution for loose grains and produce.
Dish Washing Soap Bars - Just like with your soap bars for the bathroom, companies are now making dish soap bars for the kitchen. They last much longer than the liquid soap, of which people have a tendency to over-concentrate their sponge with, and work just as well when it comes to breaking down grease. Check this company out!
Washable Scrubbies - Stop buying those dish sponges that you end up throwing away after just a couple weeks and get yourself some reusable/washable scrubbies. You can find some awesome ones simply on Etsy or Amazon, take your pic. They key is washing them in the laundry, or even dishwasher, before they get to a grimey state… and then they’re good as new!
Loose leaf tea and reusable tea bags - Most tea bags are made with plastic and therefore release billions of microplastic particles. “Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world next to water, and can be found in almost 80% of all U.S. households. On any given day, over 159 million Americans are drinking tea. In 2018, Americans consumed over 84 billion servings of tea, or more than 3.8 billion gallons.” - Tea USA. That’s a lot of tea bags and potential microplastics that can be avoided by simply choosing to switch over to loose leaf tea and getting yourself a reusable filter. Check out this awesome option made by Good Intent. They also have reusable coffee filters as a way to help you create less waste [don’t get me started on K-cups btw], and have so many great items to help you on your low waste mission.
Jars - They should be your best friend! No need to purchase them separately, most likely there are goods in your pantry that come in jars, so start saving them all... there are so many uses for them it’s insane.
Paper Towels - Just use dishrags and washable cloths… no brainer.
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