Surfing has always been more than a sport. It’s a culture shaped by natural forces – tides, winds, swells – and a lifestyle that depends on healthy ocean environments. So it’s no surprise that surfers are often engaged environmental activists, at both a local and global scale. As we’ve travelled around the world, we’ve loved…
You don’t need a scuba certification to fall in love with the ocean. Snorkelling is an equally magnificent way to explore coral reefs, seagrass meadows and the marine life that calls them “home”. In fact, snorkelling is often a gateway to scuba diving. Or sometimes, it’s the destination. We all snorkelled long before we ever donned…
In recent decades, photography has become unbelievably accessible. Almost everyone carries a camera around with them everyday in the form of a smartphone. Technological improvements have also made underwater photography far more accessible, resulting in powerful images of a world that’s inaccessible to many. A single image of a healthy reef, a shark passing through…
Surfing sells itself as a low-impact pursuit. All you need is a board and the ocean (and if you live where we do, a wetsuit!) What could be simpler? But behind this “at-one-with-nature” facade lies an industry built on short product cycles, seasonal “drops” and a steady turnover of gear due to new “innovations”. The…
Coral reefs support an extraordinary diversity of marine life, and as divers, being able to explore them is one of life’s great privileges. But coral reefs are also among the most threatened habitats on the planet. Pollution, destructive fishing practices and climate change-induced coral bleaching are all having a devastating impact. In response, coral nurseries…
Nothing compares to surfing in the ocean. Full stop. For us, being at the whim of Mother Nature is a big part of surfing’s allure, and all things being equal, we’d pick the ocean over a wave pool every time. But with coastal communities under increasing pressure and surf breaks being flooded with people, are…
For surfers and divers, the ocean isn’t just a destination. Often, it’s the reason we travel, full stop. But the very act of travelling across the globe to chase waves or incredible underwater experiences comes with an environmental cost. There’s the carbon footprint of air travel, the overdevelopment of coastlines for waterfront resorts and the…
Scuba diving connects us deeply with the ocean. And in our experience, the more you do it, the harder it becomes to remain naive about the threats our underwater ecosystems face. Climate change, agricultural runoff and plastic pollution are just the tip of the iceberg! But sometimes that threat is tourism itself – unregulated tourism…
If you’ve been on a dive liveaboard recently or stayed at a sustainable surf resort, you may have been advised to bring only “reef-safe sunscreen”. This request is often included in trip dossiers and/or mentioned by dive/surf guides before heading into the water. These days, there’s a consensus amongst the ocean-loving community that reef-safe sunscreen…
We’re as guilty as the next surfer for taking our breaks for granted. They’re our playgrounds – firing up one day and flat the next, but always with another swell on the horizon. But the reality is, surf breaks are delicate coastal systems shaped by geology, tides, sand movement and the overall health of marine…