Costa is the coolest IYKYK eyewear brand on the water. The brand has built a dedicated following for its performance eyewear innovations, including its patented 580 polarization technology, as well as its organic connection the best athletes and conservationists in the outdoor industry, including names such as Rachel Moore, Gádor Muntaner and Kimi Werner. After years of overlapping friendship and collaboration, Costa and PADI have officially joined forces to share knowledge and create impactful solutions, starting with the PADI Aware Foundation and other initiatives such as Costa’s Kick Plastic program.
What’s PADI? In a literal sense, PADI is an acronym for Professional Association of Diving Instructors, with 6,600 dive centers and more than 137,000 active members across the world, who work tirelessly towards ocean research and conservation. In a metaphorical sense, they’re the ocean’s spiritual guardians.
The fashion community has long taken influence from all things aquatic, from the classic submariner silhouette to vintage clothing that rocks the red and white dive flag. Ocean iconography continues to reign supreme. With so many people who find inspiration and a connection to marine culture, there are endless opportunities to introduce new communities to the ocean in fun and thoughtful ways.
To celebrate the partnership, we’ve put together a list of sustainable practices that help you, and your super sick fishing fits, get a little closer to the water while making it a better place.
Get Scuba Certified, It’s Fun and Easy
Getting scuba certified is easy with PADI. Start by visiting the PADI website, where you can find a local dive shop that will help you take on the PADI Open Water Diver course. Once you’re certified, one of our favorite next steps is the Dive Against Debris course. This is a great way to explore the ocean while contributing to research and conservation efforts that go into protecting the reef.
Buy Stuff That Lasts, Know How It’s Made
Buying the great stuff that lasts a lifetime is the name of the game. Costa puts a specific focus on making high-quality and reliable equipment built to last and survive the elements. One of our favorites is Costa’s Untangled Collection, where the brand and friends at Bureo incentivize commercial anglers across eight countries to donate their used fishing nets to be repurposed into Costa frames. Since 2018, more than 3.6 metric tons of discarded fishing nets have been repurposed for Costa’s Untangled Collection of eyewear.
Say Hey To Your Local Dive Or Fishing Shop
Local fishing, diving and general outdoor spaces are often led by passionate adventurers who share a similar interest in conservation and community. It can be intimidating jumping into these sports head first, but these people are happy to help no matter how new you are in your journey. Not to mention, this is where you’ll find your most coveted merch. Here are some of our favorites — Pan Aqua Diving, Brooklyn Fishing Club and The Almeda Club.
Bring An Extra Bag, Pick One Or Two Things Up
You know the rules, leave it better than you found. When visiting the beach this summer, bring a reusable bag to take on your own mini beach cleanup, just in case you come across a few pieces of trash on your way out. Don’t be scared to encourage your friends to do the same.
The post How Costa and PADI Are Redefining Ocean Culture — And How You Can Join In appeared first on Hypebeast.
