Kurt Taguma, owner and operator of Maui Sporting Goods, takes some time to share his insights on safety for our Spring into Safety effort. With over 40 years of experience as a spearfisher and decades running one of Hawaii's top dive shops, he has a front-row view of the current dive scene and the next generation of divers. He’s graciously lent his time and expertise to this project, helping us promote safety and build a more informed, responsible diving community however we can.

If you find your self in Maui, go hit up his shop! https://www.mauisporting.com/

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Jana Strain

Freediving classes: janastrain.com/ Instagram: instagram.com/janastrain Facebook: facebook.com/JanaFreediver Check out her youtube channel for insightful information on free diving: / @janastrain Instructor Profile: https://bit.ly/3LleOGw

Inosia Pati His gyotaku fish print art are available here! etsy.com/shop/ReelFishPrintsPNW Check out his youtube channel for spear fishing vids about the PNW: / @okekai8353

Ben McElroy Follow Ben on his dive adventures on his channel: / @b3nrmc Instagram: instagram.com/brmcelroy

Sam Park Creative director/editor based in Seattle. If you want to collaborate, feel free to reach out at sampark@hampork.com For commercial inquiries and needs email sam@dystnct.media dystnct.media hampork.com

Spring is around the corner, and it's time to warm up your safety reflex. In our 'Spring into Safety' series, divers share personal experiences to raise awareness and remind everyone to dive safely. One diver reflects on his time spent free diving and spearfishing in Louisiana, and the impact of losing his old dive partner in a tragic scuba diving accident after moving to Washington. This story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of safety in every dive. — Jana Strain Freediving classes: janastrain.com/ Instagram: instagram.com/janastrain Facebook: facebook.com/JanaFreediver Check out her youtube channel for insightful information on free diving: youtube.com/@Janastrain Instructor Profile: https://bit.ly/3LleOGw Inosia Pati His gyotaku fish print art are available here! etsy.com/shop/ReelFishPrintsPNW Check out his youtube channel for spear fishing vids about the PNW: youtube.com/@okekai8353 Ben McElroy Follow Ben on his dive adventures on his channel: youtube.com/@b3nrmc Instagram: instagram.com/brmcelroy Sam Park Director/editor based in Seattle. If you want to collaborate, feel free to reach out at sampark@hampork.com For commercial inquiries and needs email sam@dystnct.media dystnct.media hampork.com

Today we welcome Christina Sours, a world ranking freediver, insructor, and member of Team USA. We are catching her just as she returned from CMAS competition in Greece after a deep drop. A perfect time to discuss the world of competitive free diving and recounting her recent experiences. If you are interested in competing or just generally curious go check out CMAS and AIDAs programs. Who knows, you may find youself in competition or volunteering in this exciting activity! https://www.cmas.org/freediving/masters.html https://www.aidainternational.org/ — Christina Sours You can follow Christina's free dive adventures on Instagram: @spitseadive Jana Strain Freediving classes: janastrain.com/ Instagram: instagram.com/janastrain Facebook: facebook.com/JanaFreediver Check out her youtube channel for insightful information on free diving: youtube.com/@Janastrain Instructor Profile: https://bit.ly/3LleOGw Inosia Pati His gyotaku fish print art are available here! etsy.com/shop/ReelFishPrintsPNW Check out his youtube channel for spear fishing vids about the PNW: youtube.com/@okekai8353 Ben McElroy Follow Ben on his dive adventures on his channel: youtube.com/@b3nrmc Instagram: instagram.com/brmcelroy Sam Park Creative director/editor HQ'd in Seattle.If you want to collaborate, feel free to reach out at sampark@hampork.com For commercial inquiries and needs email sam@dystnct.media dystnct.media hampork.com

Welcome back to Deepside Freedive Chats! This is session two! Today we dive into what it means to be a good dive buddy and partner. Safetying and a buddy system is crucial to free diving safely and to maximize fun! We cover a wide range of aspects that make a successful partner and talk through anecdotal experiences - good and bad - that will hopefully help others on their diving journies. Let's dive in! ____ Jana Strain Freediving classes: janastrain.com/ Instagram: @janastrain Facebook: JanaFreediver Check out her youtube channel for insightful information on free diving: youtube.com/@Janastrain Instructor Profile: https://bit.ly/3LleOGw Inosia Pati His gyotaku fish print art are available here! etsy.com/shop/ReelFishPrintsPNW Check out his youtube channel for spear fishing vids about the PNW: youtube.com/@okekai8353 Ben McElroy Follow Ben on his dive adventures on his channel: youtube.com/@b3nrmc Instagram: @brmcelroy Sam Park Creative director and editor HQ'd in Seattle. If you want to collaborate, feel free to reach out at sampark@hampork.com For commercial inquiries and needs email sam@dystnct.media dystnct.media hampork.com

In this deep side session we touch on harvesting fish and sea life for consumption. Inosia reflects on his experiences as a spearo and food gathering enthusiast. Sustainability, regulations, safety, and tips are on top of mind! Remember! Know before you go! Be able to ID your target species before you hunt or gather. If you are uncertain, then it is a NO. Regulations are your friend and are available online or via app through the Fish and Wildlife Department of your state. Washington: https://wdfw.wa.gov/ Oregon: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/ California: https://wildlife.ca.gov/ _______

Join us for our first open format discussion on all things freediving! Pacific Northwest local divers cover safety, gear, spearfishing, and more. Jana Strain is a nationally recognized freediving competitor and record holder and certified instructor. Ben McElroy is a passionate freediver on track to becoming an instructor. Inosia (Jr) Pati is a life long spearo hailing from Oahu, HI. Wendy Mironov is a surfer, a freediver, and a spearo - passionate about all activites in the water. Jana Strain Freediving classes: http://janastrain.com/ Instagram: / janastrain Facebook: / janafreediver Check out here youtube channel for insightful information on free diving: / @janastrain Instructor Profile: https://t.ly/aidainternational Inosia Pati Fish print art are available here! https://etsy.me/3VsETIB Check out his youtube channel for spear fishing vids about the PNW: / @okekai8353 Ben McElroy Follow Ben on his dive adventures on his channel: / @b3nrmc Instagram: / brmcelroy Much love and be safe out there!