Oceans Matter Podcast

Join us on this exciting episode of The Oceans Matter Podcast as we dive deep into the world of innovation and sustainability. Meet Zac Duryea and Jack Vitnell, the Co-Founders of Phycologic, a remarkable bio-tech startup that's harnessing the incredible photosynthetic abilities of marine macroalgae to revolutionize indoor spaces and bring a breath of fresh air.

My first encounter with Zac started years ago during a memorable surfing expedition in South Sumatra. A fearless heavy water enthusiast, riding big boards and conquering even the most challenging slabs along New South Wales' coastline by board and by body. Co-Founder Jack shares the same adventurous spirit. A true waterman and an exceptional rock climber, Jack's passion for the elements is undeniable.

Discover the inspiring story behind their flagship product, the Seatree—a unique creation crafted from marine algae. Seatree is transforming indoor air quality, indoor air can be 2-5 times more polluted than the air outside. Zac and Jack are offering a solution that not only enhances indoor spaces but also promotes cleaner, healthier living and presents as a memorizing display .

Tim Silverwood is an award winning environmentalist who Co-Founded the take three for the Sea movement. He spent 10 years leading and building this world wide movement, while also becoming a leading voice in the fight for cleaner and healthier oceans.

Tims latest project which he founded in 2020 was the OIO or Ocean Impact Organisation. Oil is Australia’s first ocean impact eco system and start up accelerator. 

Tim has been aware the NSW green globe champion 2014, Tim starred as an Ocean Guardian in 2017 feature documentary “Blue and in 2011 sailed 5000km across he sea to the infamous Great Pacific Garbage patch and shared his experiences as a TEDx talk. 

We spoke about his journey through life and finding himself in the position to become a leader of a big movement, somewhat unexpectedly. How he has listened to his inner voice and intelligence to create a life chasing what his passions are and learning along the way.

Richie Vas is no stranger to the exhilarating world of big wave surfing, having grown up amidst the notorious era of the Bra Boys. Alongside renowned surfers like Mark Matthews, Richie emerged as a fearless leader in the realm of big wave surfing, particularly in the groundbreaking genre of Slab Surfing, which found its roots in Australia. But Richie's story doesn't stop there.

Taking his passion for combat sports to new heights, Richie ventured into the realm of professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and even competed in the prestigious UFC. In this episode, we delve into his recent thrilling escapades at the monumental XL Wedding Cake Swell. We also explore the intricacies of growing up in Maroubra, discussing the challenges, triumphs, and unique experiences that shaped Richie's life.

From a tumultuous past, including brushes with the law, Richie's journey has led him to a place of remarkable transformation. Today, he is not only a dedicated father but also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) coach, guiding others on their own path to greatness. Join us as we unravel the multifaceted life of Richie Vas, a truly committed waterman.

Glen Casey has had an astonishing journey through life. Being born in the inner western suburbs of Melbourne, Glen stumbled upon surfing in his teenage years and was instantly hooked. This self-described addiction has seen him cement himself in some of surfing's deep history, from getting a job at Rip Curl to competing in the Rip Curl Pro ( the first and probably last Melbournian to do so). He went on to pioneer some of Victoria's rugged south coast land and big waves with surfing royalty such as Wayne Lynch, Maurice Cole, and Simon Buttoshaw.

Glen then started a sales agency and scaled it to an 11 million dollar business before parting ways with it to focus on a cause that was closely aligned with his heart. This came in the form of being contacted by Yvon Chinouard from Patagonia and opening Australia’s first Patagonia store in Byron Bay. Since then Glen has moved on to other projects and is still above all else fighting for a cleaner ocean and a brighter future for his daughter Willow. It was a pleasure to chat with such a humble, well-read, and spoken character that clearly has had his place in the history of surfing and continues to do all he can to keep our oceans a little healthier. 

 Pete Ceglinsk is the CEO and founder of Seabin, a company that's dedicated to tackling one of the biggest problems facing our oceans today: plastic pollution.

 Pete is a passionate environmentalist and entrepreneur, who along with Andrew Button invented the Seabin, an innovative device that works like a floating trash can, sucking in plastic and other debris from the water's surface.

We talked about Petes fascinating journey which led him to this point in his life, the struggles of the start-up journey , his love for the ocean and surfing and his outlook on the future of the marine eco-space. It was a big honor to have Pete on the show as a longtime fan of him and his organization. Hope you enjoy. 

James Griffin is the Member for Manly and NSW Environment and Heritage Minister. He has been hugely influential in protecting our oceans and promoting the sport of surfing in NSW. 

James is responsible for environmental initiatives such as replanting seaweed in the Sydney Harbour, Banning single-use plastics, and incentivizing electric vehicles in NSW. He helped secure the WSL QS pro in Manly and the WCT Pro event in Narrabeen.

We sat down to speak about all this and more! 

Tom Wilson is Founder of Wave Changer an environmental surf organization that provides research and projects to speed up the transition to planet-friendly materials and encourage the right type of consumer behavior from surfers. Wave Changer was created on the back of an academic thesis focused on the surfing industry, after completing a Master's Degree in Environmental Science in 2018.

Tom has spent a decade working in architecture and design between 2000-2010, which has given me a keen eye for detail and creative problem-solving - before making the decision to pursue social and environmental interests from 2010 onward. Extensive experience in the social and education sectors with The Big Issue, Save the Children, and the Social Impact Team at the University of Technology Sydney. 

Tom and I sat down to discuss where surfing is in the environmental shift that the world is currently undergoing. With the world climate changing around us and extreme natural disasters becoming place its incredibly important for surfers to reflect 

Wave Changer has recently become a branch of our Partners Surfers for Climate and spearheaded their Wave Changer Club program! Find out more about it in this link -> https://www.wavechanger.org/  . 

Tom Carroll is an Australian icon of surfing, born and bred in Newport on the Northern Beaches. Tom managed to rack up 26 career world tour wins, three Pipe Masters victories (87, 90, and 91), and two world titles.

He is a trailblazer in professional surfing being the first goofy foot to win the world title and also the first surfing millionaire securing a lucrative contract with Quiksilver. His surfing career has extended far beyond his professional career going on to conquer unknown big wave spots with his partner in crime Ross Clarke Jones.

 After his competitive career finished tom faced some demons and managed to come out the other side better equipped and better than ever diving deep into his now love and passion for meditation and spreading that tool with other people now as a teacher. 

We talk about all these things and for me on a personal level it was an honor. 

Boardsox is kicking off Season two of The Oceans Matter Podcast with a huge episode off one of the most ambitious grass roots environmental quests we have seen. Sam McLennan has had one of the most fascinating lives we have encountered and his latest mission is no different!

The name of Sams operation is Project Interrupt which stems from trying to interrupt the norm which is peoples relationship with waste. He wants the raft to be a conversation starter for the kinds of environmental catastrophes that are occurring in our own backyard. Sam has been collecting debris that has been washing up all over the coastal line along Tasmania

Sams raft will be ready for it's first rounds of testing he hopes at the end of February, where he will have to get a helicopter to lift the raft and place it into the ocean. Sam plans on gradually building up the raft to more difficult conditions testing it in strong winds and eventually bigger swells. If the raft passes these tests he then says it will be ready for a crack at crossing the bass strait for Hobart to Sydney.

If you would like to contribute to helping Sams mission donate via the link below 

https://www.mycause.com.au/p/300525/project-interrupt-from-hobart-to-sydney-beyond?fbclid=IwAR12c2olN47kBGy2tdEA_57ZNqoGjaJMe5W18v3kAIApEbh1Ed9GIWAsMDo

Josh Kirkman is the newly appointed CEO of grassroots surfing organization Surfers For Climate, a grassroots organization aimed at enabling the surf community to take action on climate change. In his previous life he was also a professional bodyboarder, traveling the world to pack heavy slabs at a competitive level. Josh climbed the ranks to world number 7 on the tour and we chatted about his thoughts on the competitive bodyboarding landscape and where he thinks the sport is heading, as well as his experience working yachts and where the current initiatives and big issues Surfers For Climate are working on.

Brett Connellan is a top-tier talented surfer from the east coast of Australia, he had the humbling experience of every surfer's worst nightmare when he was attacked by a shark at his local beach in Kiama. The instinctive response of Brett and the fortunate circumstances of close friends and helpful bystanders was the difference between Brett living and dying on that day. As amazing as Brett's shark Story is, the more amazing part of this interview is Brett's headspace and mental resilience to defy doctors' prognosis of not being able to surf again to bringing himself back to peak fitness and mental fortitude. 

This Podcast traverses Brett's journey from growing up, to the shark attack and then through his many triumphs and tribulations since then! You can follow Brett and his amazing journey in his upcoming documentary "Attacking Life" which is soon to be released at the end of the year. 

Sustainable Surf uses the global appeal of Surf culture to protect ocean health and reverse climate change. There global programs and projects like SeaTrees and the ECOBOARD Project, provide direct and measurable ways for brands and individuals to have a positive impact.

We caught up with Sustainable surfs communications manager Alena Riggs and Program manager Mark Alvarado to chat about the different missions they are embarking on. 

If you are keen to find out more about Sustainable Surf and the arms they are comprised of Seatrees & ECOBOARD Project. 

https://www.sustainablesurf.org/

Deano Gladstone is a Bondi Lifeguard who was front and center as one of the head lifeguards during the rise of the TV series Bondi Rescue. He has transitioned into a multifaceted health coach teaching Yoga, PT and perhaps most notably become a master breath-work coach. Above all else he is a passionate waterman and helper to those that need it most and the perfect candidate for the oceans matter podcast.

Craig Brokensha is a surf forecaster at Swellnet.

Providing surf forecasts for Australian and International locations. We delve into his journey of getting started at surfing in South Australia and how he made the transition from an engineering degree in computer science & finance to surf forecasting.

We sat down to chat about his role, what it entails and how people can touch up on their skills. Craig tells us about the current climate drivers at hand, looking at a potential third La Niña. We also discuss coastal erosion and his love for photography, getting into the heavy water surf spots like Deadmans.

We sit down with Thomas Hobbs founder of Spooked Kooks surfboard company, the only surfboard company in the world that takes plastics out of the ocean and creates their boards entirely out of recycled plastic.

We delve deep into Toms's early life growing up in New Zealand and starting off on his boogie board chasing his passions around the world, ending up as a professional actor before going out on a limb with two friends and creating the pioneering recycled plastic surfboard brand. 

It was so insightful to learn and explore all the different materials used in a quality soft board such as the thin layer of fiberglass found under the deck, bamboo stringers and EPS core. Where we got the biggest beacon of hope is where Tom sees the future of the surfboard industry going with more natural alternatives like Algae Replacements and Bioplastics.

Matt Dunsmore is one of the leading underground big wave chargers in Sydney. He has been a standout in many sessions up and down the east coast and puts hunting big barrels before everything else. He was on a 3 month trip through south australia when a big swell popped up hitting the infamous Shipsterns Bluff. After a couple of days of epic waves and floggings, he swung on a beast of a wave that ended up landing on his knee, causing ACL and MCL to break at once. Shipsterns Bluff is a remote wave in one of Australia rawest areas of the coast and we talk about the whole session to the mission of getting him out afterward. We also chat about where Matt sees the future of big wave surfing heading in Australia and many other topics of interest in the big wave world. 

Roland Davies is an ocean lover & surfer, who runs Deus Store in Manly, and an environmental activist who expresses his passions by renovating and converting old trucks to run-off vegetable oil and traveling the beautiful Australian countryside collecting trash along the way. 

There are people who care about the environment and talk the talk, then there are people like Roland. Inspired by a trip to the beautiful area of Stockton just above Newcastle, where the rolling sand dunes appear to be the picture-perfect image of untouched beauty, unfortunately, the reality is upon closer inspection they have a dirty underside of being riddled with man-made plastic pollution. It started him on over a 12 month journey to convert a truck named "nugget' into a vegetable-powered machine that enabled him to roam the Australian coastal line picking up tons of rubbish. For anyone willing to help he would brew them a little home batch of coffee for their services. 

Rolands next endeavors is to convert a fire truck, with a proper commercial coffee machine to get more hands on deck on the fight vs plastic pollution. You can follow along on his social media below 

https://www.instagram.com/ep.cleanup/

Dr Robert Harcourt is leader of the Marine Predator Research Group at Macquarie University. He has authored over 320 scientific publications and written 2 books. 

Dr Robs primary interests of expertise are in marine conservation, behavioral ecology of marine predators, and marine observing. We talk about all things marine from Australia's increasing shark encounters, debunking some Seaspiracy facts and his thoughts on the future of the ocean. We discuss how to implement change at both a personal level and at a government policy level. We also discuss how warming of the ocean is changing aquatic animals behavioural patterns, sending species further south due to warming water temperatures.

Lucy Small is a professional longboarder, writer and leading gender equality speaker & activist. She's grown up in the heavy slab-riddled waters of Western Australia however has managed to come out the other side as a light-footed longboarding queen. Her life has taken many fascinating twists and turns from interviewing the mythical Wayne lynch as a Surfing world intern, to studying a Masters's dissertation on women in conflict zones and somewhat accidentally becoming the lead figure in gender equality in sports across Australia. 

We cover a lot of ground with lucy through all these topics above and also through her travel stories from exploring countries such as Algeria, Bangladesh, Madagascar, Morocco, Vanuatu. We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did making this podcast! 

P.S This podcast was recorded back in November 2021, so Lucy's petition has all wrapped up now and some of the talk is outdated COVID chat etc. 

We sit down with one of Australia's most core underground watermen, Josh Ku. He recently scored wave of the day at a historic XL surf session at the central location of Deadman's surf break and we delve into the wave and moments leading to it in great detail. We also discuss growing up in Maroubra and Josh's other ocean-based specialties spearfishing and foiling. 

We sit down with legendary Indigenous artist Zac Bennett aka Salt Water Dreamtime. We talk about everything from growing up in Wollongong, to artwork, surfing, his indigenous heritage, and everything in between. Hope you enjoy as much as i do! 

Link to Zacs artwork are below

http://www.saltwaterdreamtime.com/

We sit down with Bondi legend, big wave charger and globe-trotting adventurer Eddy Hudson. We talk about everything from growing up in Bondi, to traveling the world surfing and relivinging some crazy stories along the way.