Curated for the Current: Nudiwear
Curated for the Current Continues
NudiWear: Colorful Creatures, Cleaner Oceans, and a Community Making a Difference
Some of the best ideas in diving begin with a single moment underwater.
For Christy, co-owner of NudiWear, that moment came more than twenty years ago during a Discover Scuba Diving experience in Belize. By her own admission, it wasn't a particularly great introduction to the underwater world. The instructor wasn't especially engaged, and the experience could have easily ended there.
Yet something happened beneath the surface that stayed with her.
Back home in North Carolina, she signed up for a certification course and quickly discovered that diving was more than a vacation activity—it was something she wanted to build her life around. More than two decades later, that passion has carried her around the world, through a career as a travel nurse, into professional diving, and eventually into entrepreneurship.
Today, Christy and her business partner Ryan are the co-founders of NudiWear, a Hawaii-based, woman-owned and veteran-owned company that blends marine life, conservation, and creativity into products designed for people who love the ocean.
What started as an idea for colorful, ocean-inspired apparel has evolved into something much bigger: a platform for conservation, education, and community action.
Following the Current to Hawaii
Like many divers, Christy's life has been shaped by the places diving has taken her.
Her work as a travel nurse eventually brought her to Hawaii, where she found herself diving every chance she could. Along the way she became a Divemaster in Honduras before completing her Instructor Development Course through Dive Oahu. As an instructor, she spent countless hours introducing people to the underwater world while teaching ocean conservation and marine stewardship.
Those experiences sparked conversations with Ryan, a fellow dive professional and military veteran who shared many of the same passions.
Together, they started asking a simple question:
How could they create something that celebrated the ocean while encouraging people to protect it?
At the same time, Christy noticed another gap within the dive industry. There were plenty of technical products available, but relatively few options that felt bright, fun, expressive, and designed with women in mind.
"We wanted something colorful and unique," she explained. "Something that lets people show their personality."
That idea became the foundation for NudiWear.
Why Nudibranchs?
If you've ever gone diving with a macro photographer, you've probably witnessed the excitement that erupts when someone spots a nudibranch.
These tiny sea slugs have an almost magical ability to capture a diver's imagination. They come in seemingly endless combinations of colors, patterns, and shapes, often looking more like works of art than living creatures.
For Christy, they represented everything she loved about the underwater world.
Colorful. Unique. Unexpected.
The name NudiWear kept resurfacing as they brainstormed ideas for the company. It was playful, memorable, and perfectly reflected the spirit they wanted the brand to embody.
The fact that it also happens to be a fun pun certainly didn't hurt.
Among Christy's favorites is the iconic Spanish Dancer, a spectacular nudibranch known for its flowing red mantle and graceful swimming behavior. She is equally fascinated by the tiny "Shaun the Sheep" nudibranchs that can occasionally be found around Hawaii for divers willing to slow down and look closely.
Like nudibranchs themselves, NudiWear celebrates individuality and reminds us that some of the ocean's most incredible creatures are also its smallest.
Finding Your Ocean Personality
Part of the beauty of diving is that every diver falls in love with something different.
Some dream of swimming alongside whale sharks. Others become captivated by tiger sharks. Many macro enthusiasts happily spend an entire dive searching for nudibranchs, shrimp, and cryptic reef creatures no bigger than a fingernail.
That philosophy is woven throughout every NudiWear collection.
Rather than choosing animals simply because they look good on apparel, Christy and Ryan select species that hold personal meaning in their own diving journeys. Their Tiger Shark collection reflects a shared fascination with sharks and shark conservation. The Whale Shark designs are inspired by Christy's involvement in whale shark conservation work. Their Lionfish collection stems from years spent managing invasive lionfish populations throughout the Caribbean. Even their vibrant Mandarinfish artwork celebrates one of the reef's most beloved and colorful fish.
The result is a collection that feels authentic rather than trendy.
NudiWear's growing lineup includes UPF sun shirts, leggings, long-sleeve swimsuits, towels, tote bags, dry bags, hats, changing ponchos, and other ocean-inspired accessories. Whether you're spending a day on a dive boat, walking the beach, paddling offshore, or planning your next dive trip, the designs allow you to carry a piece of the underwater world with you.
As someone who spends a lot of time teaching, traveling, and hauling gear between classrooms, pools, dive boats, and airports, I've become particularly fond of NudiWear's neoprene totes. I personally own the Tiger Shark tote and recently purchased the Lionfish version as a gift for a friend. What initially drew me in was the artwork, but what has kept me using it is the durability. Mine has traveled with me through multiple countries and countless dive trips, carrying everything from laptops and tablets to reels, slates, and instructor materials. Despite the miles and the abuse, it still looks fantastic and has held up remarkably well.
In a sport where much of our gear looks identical, NudiWear offers something different: a chance to wear the marine life that tells your story.
Conservation at the Core
While the designs may catch people's attention, conservation remains the heart of the company.
Long before NudiWear existed, Christy and Ryan were organizing cleanup dives around Oahu. What began as a desire to protect the places they loved has grown into one of the defining pillars of the brand.
In 2020, NudiWear adopted Point Panic through PADI AWARE's Adopt the Blue program and began conducting monthly Dive Against Debris surveys. Month after month, divers have returned to the site to remove debris, document findings, and contribute valuable data that helps researchers better understand the impact of marine pollution.
The results have been remarkable.
To date, NudiWear and its volunteers have removed more than 34,664 pounds of trash from Hawaii's oceans and beaches. The debris ranges from tiny fragments of plastic buried in the sand to large abandoned objects requiring teams of volunteers to remove. What started as a cleanup effort has evolved into a community movement that gives divers a tangible way to protect the places they love.
For Christy, the cleanups are about more than removing trash. They're about changing perspectives.
Many new divers are shocked when they first encounter marine debris underwater. They immediately recognize there is a problem. What NudiWear hopes to show them is that there is also a solution. Every cleanup, every survey, and every piece of debris removed demonstrates that individual actions matter.
That conservation mindset extends directly into the business itself.
NudiWear prioritizes recycled and recyclable materials whenever possible, despite the additional challenges and costs associated with sustainable manufacturing. The company also donates 10 percent of profits toward ocean conservation initiatives.
Five percent of every purchase supports the Coral Reef Alliance, an organization working to protect coral reef ecosystems around the world, including Hawaii, Fiji, Indonesia, and the Mesoamerican Reef. Additional conservation support helps fund local cleanup efforts, educational initiatives, and community programs that encourage ocean stewardship.
In an era of fast fashion and disposable consumer goods, NudiWear is intentionally taking a different approach.
The goal is not simply to create products inspired by the ocean, but to ensure those products actively contribute to protecting it.
For Christy and Ryan, conservation was never intended to be a marketing strategy.
It was the reason they started the company in the first place.
Building a Community of Ocean Advocates
One of the most rewarding surprises has been the community that has grown around the brand.
What started as a small business has become a gathering point for divers, underwater photographers, marine life enthusiasts, conservation advocates, and ocean lovers who share a common appreciation for the underwater world.
NudiWear's designs often become conversation starters. Someone recognizes a favorite species. A diver asks about a shark design. A customer learns about a cleanup effort. Those conversations create opportunities to share knowledge, inspire curiosity, and encourage stewardship.
The artwork itself is deeply collaborative. Christy and Ryan work closely with a fellow diver and artist to bring each concept to life, ensuring every design reflects both scientific inspiration and artistic creativity.
In many ways, NudiWear serves as a bridge between art, diving, and conservation.
Looking Ahead
The future of NudiWear continues to evolve.
New designs are currently in development, additional products are on the horizon, and Christy is preparing for one of her most anticipated adventures yet: a three-week journey through Ambon, Raja Ampat, and Lembeh.
Raja Ampat has sat at the top of her bucket list for years.
After finally experiencing the Galápagos, a destination that exceeded every expectation, she is eager to see how the world's epicenter of marine biodiversity compares.
Yet no matter how much the company grows, the mission remains remarkably simple:
Help people fall in love with the ocean.
Because when people love something, they are far more likely to protect it.
As Christy reflected on what she hopes people take away from NudiWear, the answer wasn't about apparel or sales.
It was about empowerment.
She hopes people recognize that conservation isn't reserved for scientists, policymakers, or large organizations. Every diver, snorkeler, beachgoer, and ocean lover can make choices that help protect the places they care about.
"We're just dive instructors," she told me. "But people can make smart choices, take action, and be part of the solution."
That message may be the most important thing NudiWear creates.
Not clothing.
Connection.
A connection to the ocean, to the creatures that inspire us, and to the idea that every one of us has a role to play in protecting the blue world we love.
Dive safe, explore passionately, and remember…
