A total of 47 surfers enrolled and completed an online survey on the effect of the ocean environment on their well-being, physical and mental health, and provided their perspectives on ocean conservation. The majority of the surfers were white males, with a median age of 40 years, and a mean of 21 years surfing experience.
All participants reported being engaged in ocean stewardship. It sustains life through the hydrologic cycle and heat transfer through ocean current circulation.
The majority of oxygen production on our blue planet is from oceanic photosynthetic phytoplankton, more than from the tropical rainforests on land NOAA, Humans rely on healthy ocean ecosystems for seafood, medicines, marine employment, transportation, trade, recreation, and tourism.
The ocean provides numerous risks and benefits to human health Bowen et al. Time spent in the ocean has inherent risks, including accidents, drowning, illnesses from pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and harmful algal blooms HABs , and dangerous marine animals. Yet, for many people, the physical, emotional, and well-being benefits of being in the ocean outweigh the potential risks. Globally, surfing is a popular sport.
The growth of the sport of surfing was facilitated by the development of the wetsuit. In , Hugh Bradner, a University of California Berkeley physicist, developed the wetsuit which provided prolonged access to the ocean for recreational activities, such as surfing and scuba diving Rainey, The International Surfing Association, the governing authority for surfing, estimates there are 35 million surfers globally and 2.
