For the past few years, I’ve defined myself as a ‘‘waterwoman’’, in fact, this is my bio:
Gabriella Gerbasi is a waterwoman living life in shades of blue. The French-Canadian native and self-proclaimed “ocean child” has been diving for as long as she can remember. She first became a PADI-certified junior diver at the age of 12. Gabriella strives to bring awareness to ocean conservation and empowering action through art and sustainable living. The ocean is her home, it’s where she feels most alive and that's why she loves freediving, spearfishing and scuba diving. By using the power of photography, she can nurture a meaningful connection with nature and form bonds with others ocean lovers around the world.
Since it’s the beginning of the year, I was updating my profile picture and bio on social media and I was curious about the definition of ‘‘waterwoman’’.
There are a lot of definitions that mention being an expert in everything related to the water and the ocean. A waterwoman or waterman is considered by their peers and the marine sports community to be well-adept, experienced and highly skilled in various marine sports, performed safely and courageously in myriad conditions, such as ocean swimming, open water swimming, paddling, kayaking, surfing, body surfing, boating, diving, surf lifesaving, lifeguarding, rowing, yachting, fishing, stand-up paddling, kite sailing and/or windsurfing. Waterwoman are also considered skilled in interpreting weather and tide information to decide the best water activity for the conditions. They also work to improve water resources, reduce water pollution, and protect the environment and water species from over-exploitation.
Other definitions describe it more as a mindset. A waterwoman is a mindset, a lifestyle, a way of being. It is an identity for water sports enthusiasts, people who push their limits beyond the average–athletes who are open-minded, courageous and thriving by the ocean. Watermen and women derive their energy and purpose from the sea.
Although I’ve been a certified scuba diver since I was 12 years old, freediving and spearfishing for the past 2 years, I am by no means an ‘‘expert’’ in any of these disciplines. I would love to learn more these sports and get better at surfing, boating, sailing, spearfishing and freediving, I practice these activities to have fun and as much as I want to learn, I am also a little scared. I LOVE the ocean and I am fascinated by its beauty, above and below the water, but it can also be scary sometimes. As someone who also lived all her life in the city in downtown Montreal, I am very grateful that I was able to spend so much time by the ocean over the years. I know I might be behind people that grew up their whole lives by the ocean, that learned to surf and swim before they could walk but my journey by the ocean started much later in life and I will embrace every step of it.
For now, I am embracing the mentality of the waterwoman, the ethos of living in harmony with the ocean. I am the waterwoman that is humble and fun-loving around the ocean, while simultaneously fearless, but respectful, of rough water conditions. I am the waterwoman that will advocate for the ocean to reduce plastic pollution and support sustainable fishing methods. I have a deeply embedded connection with the ocean and take safety in the water very seriously.
I am learning to understand the ways of the water.
The sea is my second home. The ocean is central to my existence, it is where I go to exercise, to explore, to fish and feed myself. For me, the ocean is a source of energy and power. It calms my mind and recharges my body. When I’m in the water, I experience joy and contentment. I delight in the sea, I can taste the life in the water.
The ocean is a part of who we are; it’s a source of life. We have emerged from the water and evolved inland, but we forgot about our origins. Some of us still have a strong link to it, but some have lost that connection. As humans, we walk the earth. We are land creatures with an aquatic past but we don’t have to be great swimmers or divers to appreciate the benefits of sensory solitude and the equilibrium the ocean can bring.
I think that’s why I also loved the new Avatar movie so much and that my favorite quote was ‘‘The way of water has no beginning and no end. The sea is around you and in you. The sea is your home, before your birth and after your death. Our hearts beat in the womb of the world. Our breath burns in the shadows of the deep. The sea gives and the sea takes. Water connects all things, life to death, darkness to light.’’
If you want to learn more about this feeling of delight, awe and attraction to the water, I recommend books like Blue Mind by Wallace J Nichols, Why We Swim by Bonnie Tsui, By the Sea by Deborah Cracknell, Swim: Why We Love The Water by Lynn Sherr and The Wave by Susan Casey.
What do you think makes you a waterman or waterwoman ? Is it skill or mindset ?