Our vast, magical oceans house secrets beyond those we can see. 
Blue Health ~ a term coined by a pan-European research project investigating the links between urban blue space, climate and health. This study explored the connection between how being in or around the water has a positive impact on our physical and mental well-being.
"Research has shown blue environments might allow us to tackle major public health challenges such as obesity, physical inactivity and mental health disorders." ~ About Blue Health, Bluehealth2020.eu
Not all children flourish in the classroom ~ the water is somewhere they can build confidence, learn new skills, connect with the natural world and escape the challenges of everyday life.
With anxiety levels at an all-time high amongst children today we are passionate about exploring how we can help turn the tide and restore a sense of balance in their lives. As huge advocates for a return to nature, it has been a natural part of our journey to cast our eyes to the horizon, to where the tide meets the shore.
This summer is all about the big blue.
Our mighty Oceans, lakes and waterways hold a very important key.
From diving into the ocean, to cold water swimming in a lake, that arresting sensation of ‘letting go’, of diving beneath the surface into a space that takes us away entirely from the pressures of life, is like no other. There is something so life affirming in dragging the water down and pushing our bodies back up as we break through the fluid divide into our kingdom and pull the air into our lungs once again.
What is it that draws us to the water?
Is it the immediate stimulation of body and mind as we plunge into the big blue? The sense of freedom, of weightlessness, of belonging to something bigger than us? Is it simply the bodies need for movement and the rewards that this brings to our physical and mental wellbeing?
“When Homo sapiens first evolved some 300,000 years ago, we lived in grasslands and forests, next to lakes and rivers. It wasn't until 2007 that we became a majority-urban species. But as urbanisation increases, our access to nature continues to dwindle.
The loss of human-nature interaction has been linked to a rising tide of mental health disorders. A growing body of evidence indicates that human health, both mental and physical, is intrinsically linked to nature.”
BBC Future Planet ~ Frankie Adkins and Katherine Latham
We want children to delight in the wonders that the water has to offer, which is why we have created our first range of U.V SPF 50+ Protection Swimwear, designed with comfort at their core; easy fit and peach-soft fabrics which are kind to children's skin. This, our first certified carbon neutral range, has been created from recycled materials ensuring it is, importantly, also kind to our environment.
This summer and beyond we want to harness the power of the ocean to stimulate and free our children's minds.
We explore how blue spaces offer a powerful distraction from the burden of modern life, from the pressures they may feel at school, from the judgement they fear on social media. Allow us to take you to a world where this drifts away.
Blue Health covers a kaleidoscope of benefits;
Physical health ~ swimming, surfing, kayaking, wakeboarding or just messing around with your friends in the water, and whether intended as exercise, improve your overall physical endurance as you are pushing against a natural resistance.
Mental health ~ as well as being directly linked to physical activity (exercise releases endorphins that make you feel GOOD), being in or around the water has a calming effect. The peaceful nature of water, the gently ripples across a pond or the ebb and flow of the tide, promote relaxation and help to reduce stress and anxiety levels.
~ Being in the water is shown to increase feelings of happiness and alleviate symptoms of depression. ~
Free the mind ~ being in or near the water can enhance cognitive function, from attention and focus, to problem-solving. Again, this is intrinsically linked to being in a space of calm and complete disconnect, your senses are essentially given a rest. The impact of always checking a phone, always, endlessly thinking are so much harder on us than we realise. Mental fatigue begone, hello clarity.
Social interaction ~ in a world of x-box and mobile phones, it is easy to let this critical element of actual physical social interaction slip. The greatest memories are forged when our physical senses are stimulated by our environment. My own childhood memories of playing rounders on the beach with a piece of driftwood gives such a strong sense of nostalgia I am instantly transported back.
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“When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come, I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, cleanses me with its noise, and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused.” ~ Rainer Maria Rilke