World Ocean Day is a day to drum up public interest in the protection of the ocean and the sustainable management of its resources. Did you know that 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by our oceans? That’s a large portion of our planet that needs to be protected. We should be working on protecting and restoring our natural coastal and ocean ecosystems at a local, national and international level.

To celebrate World Ocean Day, here are a few activities to get your feet wet and get you out exploring and enjoying our oceans so you can see why we need to protect it.

Kayaking

One of the best ways to enjoy the ocean, or any body of water. Ocean kayaking isn’t as easy as it looks, but with the right technique and hours of putting your back into it (literally), it’s highly rewarding and a great workout.

Sydney has so many places you can kayak and we’re lucky enough to have such a pretty harbour to explore. There are a number of tours that will take you around the Harbour and to all the sweet spots, like the Opera House, Luna Park, Cockatoo Island and a shipwreck. Check out Sydney Harbour Kayaks and Ozpaddle Sydney.

If you’re after a different perspective, City Lights Night Paddle takes you on a night kayak tour of the harbour on lit-up kayaks, where you get to take in the vibrant city lights from the water. It’s particularly popular during VIVID, just be sure to pack warm.

You can explore the lower north shore and its waterways (Natural Wonders Kayak Tour), or move more inland (away from the ocean) to explore the Nepean River, Hawkesbury River and Kangaroo Valley. 

You can always hire a kayak and explore the coast and ocean yourself, just be prepared by checking out the safety tips down below.  

SUPing

Stand up paddle boarding is such a fun and easy way to explore the coast and ocean. Like kayaking, there are a plethora of places that can teach you the basics of stand up paddle boarding or take you on tours. Check out She SUPS, Manly Kayak Centre, Let’s Go SUP and Cronulla SUP.

Once you have the hang of it you can hire one and go out on your own. Brighton Le Sands, Kurnell, Georges River, Port Hacking, Bundeena, Narrabeen and Pittwater are all excellent places to paddle.

Pick a calm day to go out with little to no wind. This will make your paddle fun and you’ll be able to cover more distance if there is barely any resistance. If you’re more experienced and you like a challenge, you can take on small waves and stand up paddle surf. 

Sailing

If kayaking and SUPing is a bit too close for comfort, sailing is a fun way to explore the ocean in comfort. I suggest learning how to sail – it’s fun and you pick up a skill. Check out Sydney by Sail for their range of courses and on-hand charter sails.

If you’re not a hands-on-deck kind of person, and more of a put-your-feet-up-on-deck kind of person, you can choose one of the many sailing tours available. Champagne Sailing and Sydney Luxury Cruise allow you to hire a skipper and crew to take you across the water while you sit back and enjoy the ocean with the comfort of a glass of wine and charcuterie board. Sailing is fun right?

Scuba Diving

I don’t scuba dive so I thought to pick the brains of a mate that tries to do it as much as she can. You’ll find Erin Ramsay reporting on Nine News, talking sports on Sky Sports and at dive sites with her brother and mates, so of course I’ll go to her to ask her about her faves.

Fish Rock – South West Rocks

This is at the top of her dive list she’s been there twice and she’s planning for third. It’s just a short trip up north, just north of Port Macquarie and has 2 dive sites. The first is a 125 metre cave where you get to swim through a tunnel, pop your head up in an air bubble cave and take your mask off along the way.

The second site is a grey nurse shark trench – with hundreds of grey nurse sharks just hanging around “it’s so epic”

Narooma

“Seals, seals and seals!” That’s what you’ll get at this dive site south of Batemans Bay. It’s a fun and easy site to dive (only 5 – 10 metres deep) you can just snorkel if you want. The seals are super playful and swim right up to you, but it’s also super pretty swimming in crystal blue waters.

Oak Park – Cronulla

Erin has done this dive tonnes of times because she used to be a member of the clean up dive crew. A group of divers would just go for a dive and pick up rubbish along the way.

The site itself is a fun and easy dive site that’s not too deep. There’s also a sunken see-saw with oceanic wildlife growing around it which makes for a good photo opp.

Stay safe on the water

The ocean is beautiful, magestic, mysterious, unpredicatble and very dangerous. If you’re planning on trying all the ocean-loving activities we spoke about on your own, it’s important to be smart and safe about it.

Always check the weather before you go. There are several swell report websites you can check out that inform you of the direction and the speed of the wind, the temperature and precipitation and humidity. It’s not only for your own safety, but it’ll inform you if it’ll be an easy paddle or not.

Always wear a life vest.

Always let someone know where and when you’re going.

Invest in good waterproof bags.

Always pack extra food and water.

Always pack warm clothes, waterproof and windproof clothing and a hat.

Always have a First aid and safety kit on you or your watercraft (flare, whistle, warm blanket).