Today is World Ocean Day. A day that celebrates the ocean and brings awareness to ocean conservation. This year’s action focus is around preventing plastic pollution and encourages action for a healthier ocean.
The ocean is a magical place, where you can spend hours watching it, hearing its waves and never bore. For some it smells of holiday, for others it signals escape, adventure and freedom. For surfers, the ocean is their playground, their office. They’ve learnt how to respect the tides, follow its currents and dance upon its waves.
They arguably have one of the greatest love and respect for the ocean; and so I asked 6 South African surfers to share just what the ocean means to them this World Oceans Day.
Adin Masencamp
“The ocean is my happy place, it’s one of the few places you feel completely free. Each wave has a clear canvas to draw whatever line feels best, it’s just such an amazing feeling. Only a surfer knows the feeling”
Find Adin on instagram @adinmasencamp
Mitch Du Preez
“The ocean is the place where I feel like my worries are all gone. It is where I get my most
joy from”
Find Mitch on instagram @mitch_du_preez
Sune Chadwick
“The ocean to me is not just somewhere to go for fun. It Is a place where you re-find yourself, get closer to nature and get a chance to truly live. The ocean is always changing, providing challenges, but also pure beauty. Even on stormy days the energy of the ocean and the power is a beauty of its own. It gives joy and happiness just by being in it. The ocean is a gift to us from above, a gift we should protect and respect. Surfing is my way of doing so”.
Find Sune on instagram @surfergirl.sune
Kayleigh Tuck
“The ocean is a place of escape from the sometimes overwhelming world around me, but it also poses a challenge to me. I am extremely terrified, yet enchanted by the ocean. Each time I surf bigger waves or dive out a bit further I am dealing with some serious fears while harnessing the healing power of the ocean. No matter where I am, if I am near the ocean everything seems 100 times better”.
Find Kayleigh on instagram @scrattykay
Mia Baard
“The ocean is a place I love to go. It brings me so much joy daily whether it be surfing or just simply going for a swim”.
Find Mia on instagram @miabaard
Camdyn Kellet
“To me the ocean is a playground, a place where I can release all my stress, a place where I am happy, a place where all I think of is the now, not later. All life came from the ocean so we need to respect the place we came from and protect it not only for our future but for the people in the future”.
Find Camdyn on instagram @camdynkellet
What does the ocean mean to you?
