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FreediveSafe! Awarded 501(c)3 Status

March 7, 2021/in News, Public Service Announcements /by Nicola Stepanek

We are proud to announce FreediveSafe! is now a public charity with tax-exempt status under  Section 501(c)3 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. The granting of nonprofit status is a major milestone for our organization, and we are excited to provide freediving and spearfishing safety training to our communities.

Thank you all for your participation and support of our freediving and spearfishing safety initiative.

 

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  • Big Island Youth Spearfishing Safety Training HiloApril 1, 2022 - 4:29 am
  • Does Your Spearfishing Buddy Have Your Back?September 13, 2021 - 8:09 pm
  • FREEDIVESAFE! HOSTS SUCCESSFUL YOUTH EVENT IN KONAAugust 6, 2021 - 9:46 pm

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freedivesafehawaii

Our next freediving/spearfishing safety event will Our next freediving/spearfishing safety event will be hosted at Hawaii Preparatory Academy on Saturday, May 28th with @bigisleboy24 @thesaltyskipper and @sandyseabottom. This event is free and open to 12-25-year-old Big Island residents. 
Participants must pre-register at www.freedivesafe.org 

Join us and let's have a safe summer in water! 

#spearfishingsafety #hawaiifishing #freedivesafehawaii #kohala #hawi #kawaihae #waimea
@freedivesafehawaii is saving lives. Mahalo Cesar @freedivesafehawaii is saving lives. Mahalo Cesar Felix @cesarfelix06 for sharing your story with Byron Kay @konafreediver. We are so glad everyone came home safe🙏 

There are more and more reports surfacing in the community of divers relying on our training to save their buddy's life.

Keep practicing these skills because it's super scary handling a blackout victim. It feels like time stands still, and it can be overwhelming. These safety skills need to be automatic. But the training works...as long as you follow the protocols. 

Mahalo to our instructors who are volunteering their time to make this happen. Cesar was trained by @merlifehawaii and @moistmaninis in Dec 2020.

Next course: Saturday, May 28, 2022 at HPA, Waimea, Big Island with @bigisleboy24 @thesaltyskipper and @sandyseabottom

www.freedivesafe.org #hawaiioceansafety

#venturewetsuits #spearfishinghawaii #freedivingsafety #freediverblackout #hawaiispearfishing
Congratulations to FreediveSafe! Instructors Justi Congratulations to FreediveSafe! Instructors Justin Lee @bigisleboy24 and Mike Jutt @misfit1214 for taking 2nd place in the USA Spearfishing Nationals team division with fellow teammate @redtidespearfishing (center). Justin went on to take first place in the individuals and athlete of the year title. An impressive accomplishment from these talented divers! We are extremely proud to have Justin and Mike on our team promoting freediving safety in Hawai'i. 

Next safety course: May 28th, 2022 - Waimea, Big Island. Link in bio! 

www.freedivesafe.org

#spearfishing #spearfishinghawaii #fishinghawaii #freediving #spearfishing #hawaiispearfishing #freedivesafehawaii
We promote safe freediving/spearfishing practices; We promote safe freediving/spearfishing practices; part of those practices means diving safely and with a trained buddy. But freediver blackout happens, and it can at any time, so we must understand what it is.

Freediver blackout is a protective state the body enters to preserve the remaining oxygen in the body.

If a trained buddy is within reach to protect the diver's airway from water, everyone goes home safe.

If the diver enters the state of blackout alone (without eyes on them), they're at an extremely high risk of death by drowning.

If the diver enters blackout alone (without eyes on them), and they're carrying too much lead on their weight belt, they have a ZERO chance of coming home alive. The diver will sink, and after the little remaining oxygen has been exhausted, they will experience a terminal gasp (final inhalation) underwater and die by drowning. 

Key Points:

1) Always have eyes on your dive buddy. 

2) Don't dive overweighted! Check your buoyancy. If you sink on the surface, you're overweighted for safe freediving/spearfishing. It's deadly.

3) Take a Freedivesafe class and train these safety protocols with the pros.

4) Do not freedive alone. Ever. Like never,  okay.

No session is worth your life. Let's keep everyone safe out there 🙏 Happy Easter weekend, everyone.

Next course: May 28th, Waimea, Big Island

More info at www.freedivesafe.org.

#hawaiifishing #freedivingsafety #freedivinghawaii #freedivesafehawaii #spearfishingsafety #shallowwaterblackout
Calling our Waimea/ Kohala divers and surrounding Calling our Waimea/ Kohala divers and surrounding areas! FreediveSafe will be hosting a spearfishing/freediving safety program for 12-25-year-olds on May 28th, 2022, in Waimea with Justin Lee @bigisleboy24, Dylan Currier @thesaltyskipper @makaifreediving, Sandy Hammel @sandyseabottom, & @nikistepanek. And we want to work with you! 

This FREE safety course should be viewed as a minimum training requirement to spearfish or freedive.  The course covers lifesaving freedive safety protocols taught by some of Hawai'i's top spearos and freedivers. It may save your life one day! 

Who should attend?
* Hawai'i residents 
* Between 12 and 25 years old
* Already spearfishing or freediving, or just starting out 🤙🏽
* Never taken a formal freediving course 

For more info and to register, go to www.freedivesafe.org ⏩ EVENTS

info@freedivesafe.org

www.freedivesafe.org

#spearfishingsafety #freedivetraining #spearfishingsafety #hawaiianislands #hawaiispearfishing #freediverblackout #Hilo #bigisland #hawaiiisland #waimea #kawaihae #hamakua #hawi #hawaiiyouth
Our founder, @nikistepanek, enjoyed Spring Break f Our founder, @nikistepanek, enjoyed Spring Break freediving with our local youth and talking story on Hawai'I Island beaches. Now it's back to work as we pursue funding to expand our freediving safety programs statewide. Mahalos to the community gathering around our mission. We can feel the momentum growing, and we appreciate your support! 

FreediveSafe! Hawaii, 501(C)(3) nonprofit was founded to combat the rise of spearfishing-related fatalities in the islands. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made via our website www.freedivesafe.org. 

#freedivinghawaii #freedivesafehawaii #hawaiispearfishing #spearfishingworld #spearfishing_international #hiig #hawaiiisland #hawaiiyouth #bigislandhawaii
One by one, these courses are making a difference. One by one, these courses are making a difference. Former students have reported using this training to save friends from freediver blackout. It's working! We are proving this training has a significant impact on the safety of our sport, and we will work tirelessly to push this training into the outer reaches of our community. 

We hope you will join us on this journey because we need your support. Share our story with your friends and 'ohana. Talk about the importance of always following these safety protocols with your kids. And if you sell spearfishing or freediving equipment, from a three-prong at Walmart to a fully stocked store, tell your customers to go to our website for information. This is a community effort; please help keep our divers safe! 

Mahalo to Justin Lee @bigisleboy24
for inspiring and leading our Hawai'i spearfishing community to safer waters. You are a real-life hero.

Mahalo Jeremy @primefootage for beautifully documenting this course and sharing our story. 

www.freedivesafe.org, a 501(C)(3) Hawaii-based nonprofit organization serving the local spearfishing community.

@moistmaninis @merlifehawaii @misfit1214 @nikistepanek 

 #spearfishinghawaii #hawaiiyouth #hilo #spearo #spearfishingsafety #fishinghawaii #hawaiiskindiver #bigisland #hawaiicommunityfoundation
A huge thank you to our students for joining us in A huge thank you to our students for joining us in Hilo! We were impressed with your dedication to learning, and even though it was a long day, you worked hard, and everyone passed the course! Twenty-one safer divers on the Big Island!

Now you need to promise us and your 'ohana that you'll use these safety protocols on every dive.🤙🏽💯 

Mahalo to our pro instructor team Justin Lee @bigisleboy24, Mike Jutt, Chris Funada @moistmaninis, Heidi Hoover @merlifehawaii, and event organizer @nikistepanek. 

Lastly, thank you to our supporters for ensuring this lifesaving training is available to the community  @hawaiicommunityfoundation / Kukio Community Fund, @konasportscenter, @fii_freedive.

We'll be launching our next Big Island youth event date soon. Remember, all FreediveSafe programs are provided at no cost to the community. We want everyone to stay safe out there!

Freedivesafe.org is a Hawai'i-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing spearfishing and freediving safety training with Hawaii's communities. 

#hawaiispearfishing #bigisland #jleestories #spearfishing #freediverblackout #freedivingsafety #oceansafety #hawaiiyouth #hilo #hawaiinonprofit #freedivesafehawaii #freediving #spearo #hawaiifishing #spearfishinghawaii #hawaiiskindiver
Dive safe out there this weekend, everyone! Keep a Dive safe out there this weekend, everyone! Keep an eye on your buddy like their life depends on it...because it does 🙏

📸 @deronverbeck 
Freediver @nikistepanek 

#hawaiifishing #hawaiispearfishing #spearo #hawaiian #holoholo #wego #freedivingsafety #freedivesafehawaii
Hilo, we're coming for you! We'll be hosting a spe Hilo, we're coming for you! We'll be hosting a spearfishing/freediving safety program for 12-25 year olds on March 12 in Hilo with @bigisleboy24 @misfit1214 @moistmaninis @nikistepanek @merlifehawaii 🔥Spots are filling up fast! 🔥

This FREE safety course should be viewed as a minimum training requirement to spearfish or freedive.  The course covers lifesaving freedive safety protocals taught by some of the worlds top spearos and it covers essential info for our local divers.

Who should attend?
* Divers between 12 and 25 years old
* Already spearfishing or freediving
* Lives in Hilo or surrounding east side zip codes 
* Never taken a formal freediving course 

Limited spots are remaining! The course is FREE to the community.

For more info and to register, go to www.freedivesafe.org ⏩ EVENTS

info@freedivesafe.org

www.freedivesafe.org

#spearfishingsafety #freedivetraining #communityfirst #hawaiianislands #hawaiispearfishing #holoholo #Hilo #bigisland #hawaiiisland #hamakua #puna #moutainview #hilotown #spearfishinghawaii #hawaiifishing #hawaiibeachsafety #nonprofit
FreediveSafe! Hawai’i is excited to welcome Just FreediveSafe! Hawai’i is excited to welcome Justin Lee @bigisleboy24 to our instructor team. As a Hawai’i Island local and one of the world’s top spearfishermen, Justin brings more than 30 years of spearfishing experience to our organization. Having been raised in the ocean, Justin has forged a special connection with the ecosystem beneath the waves and shares his experiences through storytelling on social media, inspiring a massive following in Hawai’i and worldwide. As a local boy from these waters, Justin knows firsthand the dangers of our sport, and he is passionate about ushering in a new era for this sport in Hawai’i—where every diver comes home safe.

 “This safety initiative is a long time coming for Hawai’i. Everyone spearfishes out here; it’s a way of life for us. I want parents to feel confident knowing their kids are doing it safely.” – Justin Lee @bigisleboy24

We are excited to announce Justin will be leading our first 2022 Hawai'i Island Youth Program in Hilo on March 12–13. This event is open to 12–25-year-olds from Hilo and the surrounding areas who are already in the water spearfishing. 

Mahalo to our 2022 Freediving and Spearfishing Safety Training for Hawai'i Island Youth Program supporters: @hawaiicommunityfoundation 
Kukio Community Fund
Freediving Instructors International @fii_freedive
Kona Sports Center @konasportscenter
Kona Freedivers @konafreedivers
and the many individuals contributing to the success of this important mission through contributions, volunteering and sharing our story with the community 🙏 

📷: Justin Lee with FreediveSafe! Founder/President @nikistepanek 

For more information, please visit www.freedivesafe.org
info@freedivesafe.org 
FreediveSafe! Hawai'i is a registered 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization serving the Hawaiian Islands.

#freedive #spearfishing #spearfish #hawaiispearfishing #OceanSafety #justinlee #spearfishingsafety #spearfishhawaii #bigisland #hawaiiisland #hawaiifishing #hawaiianislands #nonprofit #spearolife 
#Hilo #hilotown #hiig #hawaiioceansafety
Happy New Year, everyone! We're excited to announc Happy New Year, everyone! We're excited to announce that we'll be hosting a series of youth spearfishing/freediving safety events around the Big Island in 2022! 💦

These events are for spearos/spearas between the age of 12-years-old to 25-years-old and led by USA's top spearfishermen and freedivers.

Our first FREE safety event is scheduled for Hilo during Spring Break (date coming soon). If you know someone who could benefit from this training, please tell them to pre-register their interest at www.freedivesafe.org. Limited positions! More info on the website.

Who should attend?

* Beginner to advanced spearfishermen (if you're in the water with a 3-prong, gun or whatever then we want to see you!)

* Does not have any formal freediving training or certification

* Between 12 - 25 years old

* Lives between Mountain View and Hamakua (other areas coming soon)

* Interested in training with world-class spearos and learning to dive safe! 

This course will teach you lifesaving freediving safety protocols to keep you and your dive buddy safe in the water. 

Mahalo nui loa to Hawai'i Community Foundation, Kukio Community Fund,  Kona Sports Center and Kona Freedivers for supporting spearfishing/freediving safety training for Hawai'i Island youth 💦 It's go time!

www.freedivesafe.org

@hawaiicommunityfoundation 
@konasportscenter
@konafreedivers
@fii_freedive
@bigisleboy24
@moistmaninis
@misfit1214
@merlifehawaii
@nikistepanek 

Photo by @perrinjames1 

#spearfishing #hawaiispearfishing #hilo #hawaiiisland #hawaiifishing #hawaiifreediving #spearfishinghawaii #hawaiibeachsafety #bigisland #hawaiistagram #hiig #hamakua #puna #mountainview #hilohawaii #dive #freedivesafehawaii #nonprofit #501c3
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