There’s a reason the ocean changes people. It strips things back, quiets the noise, and reminds you what it feels like to be fully present. This World Oceans Day, we explore the connection between saltwater, mental wellbeing, and community – and how something as simple as a surf can shift everything. It’s also a reminder that giving back doesn’t have to be complicated. Through go-generosity, every purchase can become a small act of impact, helping more people access the same sense of connection, support, and “stoke.”
There's a moment in almost every surf where something shifts, both physically and mentally. What is it about the ocean specifically that creates that? Why do you think it works almost every time?
Grant: For me, the ocean is the best escape and surfing is the funnest thing ever! When you’re out there surfing, getting a good wave, getting smashed by waves or just sitting out the back, there’s honestly nothing else like it.
It’s the best place to clear the head noise and get the stoke back. I’m always a better happier human after some saltwater therapy.
Rob: I think it's because the ocean demands your full attention in a way that very little else does. When you're surfing, you can't really be thinking about work, your phone, or whatever is stressing you out, you're focused on the conditions, the waves, and being present in the moment.
Surfing gets talked about as a physical thing, but you both know it's just as much mental movement as physical movement. What does a good surf actually do for your head that the gym, the run, the workout just can't replicate?
Grant: After I was diagnosed with bipolar, the ocean was the one place where I could escape and get away from it all. Surfing gave me hope again and helped me get my stoke back. Sometimes one wave really is all it takes!
Rob: There's something about being in an environment you can't control. The ocean doesn't care who you are, what you do for work, or what problems you're carrying.
A good surf leaves me feeling physically tired, but mentally lighter. Not because my problems disappear, but because they've been put back into perspective. The noise quiets down, the mind resets.
The ocean doesn't care what's going on in your life, there’s something neutralising about that. What does it mean to you to share that space with other people, even strangers?
Grant: I love that the ocean doesn’t discriminate. It breaks down barriers.
When people get salty, share waves and chat about mental health, you become good mates pretty quickly.
That’s the power of the ocean and community.
Rob: There's a quiet sense of community in that. You can sit in the lineup with people you've never met, share a few waves, maybe a quick chat, and that's enough. No expectations, no small talk for the sake of it.
World Oceans Day is a reminder that the ocean gives us so much. What does it mean to you to protect something that has given you this much, personally?
Grant: The ocean gives so many people hope, healing and stoke, so we need to do everything we can to protect it for future generations.
The thing is, whether you surf or not, the ocean gives all of us so much. It produces more than half the oxygen we breathe, supports incredible marine life and feeds communities around the world.
World Oceans Day is an awesome reminder that we can’t just keep taking from the ocean - we need to give back too. Whether it’s doing beach clean-ups, reducing plastic or helping more people get salty, it all makes a difference.
Rob: I think if you spend a lot of time in the ocean, looking after it just becomes common sense. It's a place I enjoy being, it's given me a lot of good memories and I'd like it to stay that way for the next generations.
You've run Fluro Friday every single week for over ten years. What have you seen change in people, sometimes in just one session in the ocean, that you'll never forget?
We’ve checked people’s stoke factor before the surf and sometimes it’s been 4/10 before getting in the ocean and 10/10 after the surf.
Sometimes OneWave really is all it takes!
The biggest thing is seeing people realise they’re not alone. I’ve seen people turn up really struggling, then after a surf and a chat they’re smiling, laughing and hugging people they only met that morning. Sometimes dressing in fluro and sharing stories can turn strangers into best mates in minutes.
Before vs after the water, there's often a visible shift in people at your events. What does that actually look like? What do you notice most?
You can definitely see the change in people’s stoke factor.
Before the surf some people can be stuck in a funk. Then after getting in the ocean people are smiling more, laughing, sharing stories and you can see the stoke factor has lifted.
I think there’s something pretty powerful about getting salty, wearing fluro and hanging out with good people. It helps people rinse off some of the bad vibes and free the funk.
There's something about dressing in fluro, being ridiculous together, being openly vulnerable in public, that turns strangers into mates in minutes. Why do you think this is?
I think dressing in fluro instantly breaks down barriers because it makes people smile and laugh and you’re all in it together to help bring more colour to mental health.
Then once people start sharing real stories about mental health, it creates trust really quickly. There’s something about being vulnerable together in bright fluro outfits at sunrise that turns strangers into mates in minutes.
OneWave started with one person, one wave, one Friday morning at Bondi. How has your own relationship with the ocean changed as you've watched it ripple out into other people's lives?
I’ve met the best mates ever through OneWave and watching other people get their stoke back through the ocean has made me appreciate it even more.
The ripple effect of what you've built goes well beyond the individuals that come along, it reaches families, workplaces, whole communities. What does it feel like to watch something that small become something that wide?
I honestly can’t believe it. When we started OneWave, we just wanted to give more people the chance to ride waves and feel less alone.
The best thing ever is hearing stories of people opening up for the first time, mates checking in on each other and communities creating safer spaces to ride waves and talk about mental health.
Massive shout out to Mitchells Nutrition for helping support Free the Funk school programs in New Zealand and helping us provide more young people with free mental health tools.
For someone who's never surfed, never been to a Fluro Friday, never spoken openly about their mental health. What do you want them to take from this?
You don’t need to surf to free the funk. I think everyone has their surfing - whether it’s music, running, yoga, art, swimming or going for a walk with a mate.
The biggest thing is knowing it’s totally ok not to be ok and that you don’t have to go through tough times alone.
Mitchells now gives every customer the option to donate to OneWave directly at checkout with any purchase.
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