Between the Ocean and You: Freediving Ecoconsciously

At Stream2Sea, we are dedicated to helping all explorers get the tools they need to adventure ecoconsciously. That includes any of you who spend time outside, whether you’re hiking, swimming, or something in between. This week, we’re highlighting the ways that Stream2Sea can help freedivers explore ecoconsciously, along with sharing some freediving resources we love!

What Is Freediving?

For those unfamiliar, freediving is “breath-hold diving”—it’s what you do every time you hold your breath underwater, according to Deeper Blue, an awesome resource passionate about sharing news about the underwater world. It is also practiced as a method of gathering food, a challenging water sport and pastime, and at the professional level.

You may have seen images or videos of individuals far down in the depths of the ocean, reliant only on their own breath and swimming strength to return to the surface. Those individuals—like Stream2Sea Wavemaker, architect, AIDA master instructor, and record-breaker Nataliia Zharkova—are freedivers, too, performing feats of strength while connecting with the power of the ocean.

Wavemaker Nataliia Zharkova. Photo by @fotofedorova on IG.

Ecoconsciously Connecting With The Ocean

The experience of freediving is, for many, a way to feel one with the ocean and oneself—it is discipline-based, and allows for a unique underwater perspective. With this closeness to the ocean, however, comes a responsibility—what a freediver touches, the ocean touches.

A freediver might not need a breathing apparatus, but does need other equipment—soap, lotion, or other products to help them slip into wetsuits, sunscreen to protect their faces, and conditioner to protect their hair from the salty seas, for example.

As part of the Stream2Sea community, you likely already know that all body care products are not created equal. Products may contain harmful chemicals such as oxybenzone, and if those toxic chemicals are part of what forms that product’s “fragrance,” companies are not even required to list them on the ingredients label. So it follows that it is important for a freediver, whose experience involves extended, direct contact with the vulnerable ocean, to be careful about which products they choose, making sure that what they use to get into their wetsuits and keep their skin safe.

As all of our sunscreen and body care products have been tested and proven safe for reefs and other marine life, we can confidently recommend our full line of body care products to aid your freediving experience. As mentioned, body wash, lotion, sunscreen, and conditioner are all important freediving tools, and we’ve heard our lip balm can act as a great sealant for a snorkeling mask.

Further Reading

If you are just learning of freediving and want to research it further, or want to give it a try, check out some of our favorite resources! If you’re already a part of the freediving community, you can use these resources to stay up-to-date on news and new developments in the freediving world!

Deeper Blue As mentioned above, Deeper Blue shares news and general information about freediving, spearfishing, SCUBA, and other underwater pastimes.

Dive News Wire A trusted resource in the diving world, Dive News Wire will help you stay up-to-date on upcoming events, learn the stories of notable members of the industry, and all the environmental and educational material you could hope to read.

International Association for the Development of Apnea AIDA is an official organization of freedivers, and their website provides information about events, world records, and freediving athletes.

Scuba Diver Life A resource for anything at all related to Scuba Diving and related watersports, Scuba Diver Life shares information about gear and travel, as well as articles about anything from underwater species to ecconscious choices and conservation tips.

U.S.A. Freediving If you’re interested in learning more about freediving in the United States, check out U.S.A. Freediving for information about record holders, answers to your biggest freediving questions, and a list of schools and instructors with whom you can train.

U.S. Freediving Federation Started by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and dedicated to supporting all US Freedivers, the U.S. Freediving Federation provides, and shares about, freediving opportunities for freedivers of all experience levels.

We wish you a wonderful summer of exploring the depths of the ocean through freediving, and we thank you in advance for #ProtectingWhatYouLove by using ocean-safe products while you explore.