Bluespace, Senses, Wellbeing, and Surfing: Prototype Cyborg Theory-Methods

Abstract

Bluespace, where water people immerse themselves for thrills, therapy, or thalassography, is constantly fluctuating, influenced by materials, nature, and discourse. Drawing on onto-epistemological aspects of embodied theory-method, we report entangled prototype “cyborg” in situ strategies (mobile, sensory [auto]ethnography, and self-interview) to notice, record, and ultimately create human–water relations, from the perspective of a surfer. Audio/-visual evidence, from multiple perspectives, folding time, and several point-of-view devices, enabled unique insights into voiced thoughts, sights, sounds, and conscious/subconscious practices that occur in surfing. Such insights into the relationships, experiences, and movements of surfers inform research, such as to wellbeing and to the challenges of investigating bluespace. We offer cyborg theory-method for further methodological and onto-epistemological consideration in such relationships, contributing to a growing understanding of more-than-human engagement with watery worlds.

Coastal Communities, Leisure and Wellbeing: Advancing a Trans-Disciplinary Agenda for Understanding Ocean-Human Relationships in Aotearoa New Zealand

“…While the COVID-induced lockdown circumstances were exceptional, they help amplify and highlight the deeply affective ‘everyday’ experiences of recreational surfers’ practices and how they influence people’s sense of wellbeing, collective identities, and forms of belonging and exclusion [ 33 , 34 ]. This unusual time-period has emphasised the socio-cultural relationships, experiences, and meanings that surfers bestow on their experiences of oceanic blue spaces, in diverse local and national contexts [ 33 , 34 , 63 ].…”

“…As research on ‘surf therapy’ wellbeing initiatives that have been proliferating around the world [ 30 , 130 , 131 ] has also shown, these wellbeing benefits of ocean immersion are multi-sensory. lisahunter and Stoodley [ 34 ] explored surfers’ relationships with salt-water, using various technologies to capture their multi-sensory experiences, feelings and ‘entanglements with water’ (p. 4). Their work focused less on what participants thought about surfing, but rather on their experiences of ‘seeing, hearing, and feeling it’, such as ‘the smells and sounds of the coast, the temperature and movement of the water, and the taste of salt in the air’ (p. 8).…”

“…Their work focused less on what participants thought about surfing, but rather on their experiences of ‘seeing, hearing, and feeling it’, such as ‘the smells and sounds of the coast, the temperature and movement of the water, and the taste of salt in the air’ (p. 8). Their research [ 34 ] helps explain how the saltwater ecosystems in which surfers are immersed are central to the health-enabling aspects of surfing as an ocean practice. They also show how the benefits of surfing are not only in the water itself, but also the connection with human and non-human others in the water [ 34 ].…”

“…Their research [ 34 ] helps explain how the saltwater ecosystems in which surfers are immersed are central to the health-enabling aspects of surfing as an ocean practice. They also show how the benefits of surfing are not only in the water itself, but also the connection with human and non-human others in the water [ 34 ]. For example, participants explained the pleasures of ‘waiting for a wave, the splashing of the water, and sociality with others, both friends or casual acquaintances’ (p. 19).…”

“…For example, participants explained the pleasures of ‘waiting for a wave, the splashing of the water, and sociality with others, both friends or casual acquaintances’ (p. 19). They also referred to ‘how the absence of surfing made them feel frustrated or unhappy’ [ 34 ] (p. 12). Nonetheless, the ‘buzz’ of surfing can endure beyond the surf session.…”