The Power of Depth: The Journey of a Freediver and Spearfisher
Immersed in the Depths: The Journey of a Freediver and Spearfisher
From a young age, the ocean was a playground for Brittani—a place where she learned the rhythms of the water, the depths of the earth, and a sense of peace found nowhere else. Her passion for diving and spearfishing didn’t just appear overnight, but rather, it grew from childhood moments spent exploring oceans and lakes with her father. Whether it was snorkeling or diving down to see how far they could walk holding a rock to the bottom, the ocean called to her, and it didn’t let go.
As she grew, so did her love for the sea. A pivotal moment came in Antigua when a tour guide took her beyond the coral reef, to the edge of a drop-off, and asked her if she believed he could dive to the bottom. What followed was a moment of awe—he freedove into the deep, reemerging with a handful of sand from the ocean floor. It was that very moment that sparked her lifelong desire to explore the ocean’s depths. From there, she immersed herself in marine science, earning her degree and becoming scuba certified. She was drawn to the power and beauty of the ocean, working on a NOAA study tagging sharks, and even spending her days in Hawaii shark diving.
Her journey continued after moving to California and starting her work with Just Get Wet and pursuing her Molchanovs freediving instructor certification, she took her first steps into the world of spearfishing. What began as a new challenge quickly turned into a profound spiritual connection. Her first catch—a Mahi—was more than just a meal; it was a moment of clarity, a deep respect for the life she had taken and the intricate web of life it represented. “In those moments, I connected to something deep in my soul,” she reflects. “I had a profound appreciation for the fish I speared. That night, I prepared a meal for my family, a life to support us. That’s when my respect for life on this planet was truly born.”
The Power of Depth: Why Freediving is More Than Just a Sport
For Brittani, freediving is not just a sport; it is a journey into the depths of both the ocean and herself. “There is a powerful parallel between the depth of ourselves and the depth of the oceans,” she says. “The deeper you go, the better you feel. That goes for both depth and knowing yourself on a deeper level.” Freediving is her escape from the noise of the world—a space to retreat inward, to reconnect with her breath, and to experience the calm and clarity that comes from immersing oneself in the water.
She describes freediving as underwater meditation, where you tune into the small signs and changes in your body, thoughts, and mind. “You soon realize your limits are just your mind holding you back,” she explains. “And your limits are actually limitless.” Freediving, for Brittani, is about understanding yourself intimately—the subtle shifts in body and mind, the rhythm of the breath, and the connection to something much larger than oneself.
“There’s a thrumming that happens in my body,” she continues. “It’s like a siren call from the depths, pulling me further in. I feel at peace in the water, like it’s where I belong.”
A Moment That Changed Everything: Diving with Sperm Whales
If there’s one experience Brittani will never forget, it’s the day she dove with a pod of sperm whales in Mexico, right after achieving her deepest dive yet—40 meters (~132ft). It was a moment of triumph, a manifestation of everything she had worked toward in her freediving journey. But the real magic happened moments later, when she had the rare opportunity to swim with a baby sperm whale.
“I felt this unbelievable calm come over me,” she recalls. “As I dove deeper, I could hear the baby whale’s clicks as she scanned the depths. It was like a communication—a silent exchange between two creatures of the deep.” She describes the experience as surreal, feeling a deep connection with the whale as they swam side by side, suspended in the ocean’s vastness.
Later, she learned that one of her friends had captured a photograph of the moment—a snapshot that serves as her pride and joy, proof of an experience that felt almost like a dream. To this day, she wears a shell she found on the beach as an earring, a reminder of that day and the lesson it taught her: “What seems daunting doesn’t mean it’s your limit,” she says. “If a dream doesn’t scare you, it’s not big enough.”
A Dream to Share the Ocean’s Wonders with the World
Freediving and spearfishing has taught Brittani not just about the ocean, but about the power of the human spirit. “I want to show people they are more than the limits they’ve set for themselves,” she says. Through her work as a freediving instructor, she helps others discover the joy of pushing their own boundaries, just as she has done.
Her dream is to help more people fall in love with the ocean, to understand it, respect it, and fight for its protection. “We breathe air, but we are born with the same adaptations to water that our ancestors had,” she says. “We’ve lost that connection in this modern world, but freediving is my way of reconnecting to that wildness.”
As she continues to teach, dive, and explore the underwater world, Brittani dreams of one day combining her love of freediving with her passion for photography. A former child prodigy in wildlife photography, she hopes to someday capture the unseen world beneath the waves, telling its stories through her lens. And, who knows? One day, she might just find herself with her dream job as an underwater photographer for National Geographic—the dream she had as a child still burning brightly in her heart.
But for now, she’s focused on the journey—whether it’s working toward her captain’s license to take people on life-changing dives, or partnering with sustainable brands like Abyss Official, a mother-daughter founded company committed to protecting the oceans. “If I could choose in the next life,” she says, “I’d choose my mother to be my daughter, so she could know the unconditional love and support she gave me.”
The Journey Continues
As Brittani continues to dive into the depths of the ocean, she remains committed to finding her true home among the kelp forests of South Africa. She hasn’t been there yet, but she feels a deep sense of connection to the place, as though it’s calling her. Until then, she will continue her adventures around the world, experiencing the ocean in all its wonder, and sharing that love with others.
In the end, it’s not just about the sport of freediving or spearfishing; it’s about the connection to the ocean, to nature, and to oneself. “I hope someday we can understand the wildness inside ourselves again,” she reflects. “Our ancestors had sharp senses, but we live in a tame world. Freediving helps me reconnect to that wildness, and in turn, it helps me teach others to reconnect as well.”
Gear worn by Brittani Eaton and Photographed by Natalie Wade Photography:
- Black rash guard: Berlook Sustainable Swimwear (Instagram: @berlookofficial)
- Black and white rash guard: Acacia (Instagram: @acacia)
- Black fins: Molchanovs (Instagram: @molchanovsfreediving)
- Shark tooth fins: Taylor Cunningham’s design (Instagram: @taylork.sea) on Penetrator Fins (Instagram: @penetratorfins)
- Circle vintage mask: Cressi
- Weight belt: Kiwa Weight Belts (Instagram: @kiwadive)