As of May 18th, the State of South Carolina is allowing gyms and close-contact businesses to begin reopening. That’s us! And while I’m excited and eager to get in the water with students, safety is and will continue to be my main priority here at Deep Blue Aquatics. I plan to take pretty extreme precautions as we begin to resume in-person training and schedule the in-water skills sessions for our courses. Below are a few ways I’m working to keep my clients and students safe, and ways I hope we will work together to prevent the spread of the virus while beginning to enjoy our favorite in-water ..read more

Hi there Pod Squad! Anna, here, with some exciting news! I'm now a PADI Freediving Instructor! I spent the last week and a half training my tail off in Georgia with Robert King of Freedive Ft. Lauderdale. Robert is a 21x US Freediving Record holder (that’s kind of a big deal in the freediving world). I had the honor of completing my PADI Advanced Freediving certification with him in April, and when he listed the Master class and the Instructor Training Course, I could NOT pass up that opportunity. (Even if it meant giving up coffee for two weeks) The courses were held in Atlanta in partners ..read more

While mermaiding is becoming more and more popular, we're noticing that facilities and aquatic centers are prohibiting the use of mermaid tails. Why? Safety.  (I know, I know. But hear me out.) There is currently no standard for assessing an individual's ability to swim safely in a mermaid tail. Lifeguards and aquatics directors have no way of knowing if that person will sink or swim once they enter the water. And while there haven't been any reported US drowning deaths due to mermaid tail use, there have been quite a few close calls. These publicized incidents result in some parents and ..read more