- Reading time: 2 minutes -
By Lottie Lewis
“The ocean teaches me to be more patient and attentive. The waves are never the same and we all have different sensations when we are surrounded by water. It is in the sea that I drown my sorrows and fears.” - Rod
We love our seas. They provide us with our much adored playground, allowing us to surf, kite, swim and submerge ourselves. The ocean is a place where we lose ourselves, fall in love, relax, unwind, exert energy and connect with nature. From a young age we’ve been obsessed with the salty goodness of the sea, and most of us strive to incorporate the ocean into every single one of our days.
“The ocean means a lot to me. There I feel free and independent and I also can feel this deep, unique connection to nature.” - Anna
However, we are also aware that the ocean is so much more than a place where we feel free. It’s an incredibly important part of our stunning ecosystem, it keeps the world turning and it harbours millions of species of wildlife.
“The sea is the optimal definition of the present moment. It’s the closest I can get to the now. It makes us at one with nature. I feel more comfortable when I’m with her that on land. It is a matter of urgency to protect her.” - Sanna
Plastic pollution, waste and overfishing is harming our seas, and we dread to think what the earth might be like without our beautiful, biodiverse ocean. It’s so important that each and every one of us do our bit to help protect the big blue; whether its through small but impactful actions such as recycling and beach cleaning, or making big lifestyle shifts such as cycling instead of driving, cutting out single use plastic for good and donating or volunteering for marine charities.
“The sea restores me and brings me happiness like no other place in this world.” - Leah
Here are Rebel Fin we use ghost fishing nets and marine plastic to make fins. We also use carbon fibre off-cuts from factories, to save it going to landfill. The Rebel factory itself is powered by renewable resources and we strive to be as planet-postive as possible. We hope the small part we play in making the surf industry a bit cleaner and greener will one day make a big difference.
“The ocean means peace to me. It doesn’t matter if it’s with or without waves, the ocean will always be my place to find peace.” - Freja
Obviously, if you love something, you’ll do what you can do keep it safe. This is gospel for our ambassadors and the ocean.
“I love the ocean because it is my escape. Cold water swimming and wave sliding allows me a moment to myself, a break from the world. When I dive below the surface I think of nothing else but the present moment. There’s no other place I feel like that.” - Lottie
