OpenWater

✨ Meet Jaimie: OpenWater Mentor, Civilian

 💬 “Before joining I felt like every day was an emergency, pulled tight by work and life. This community has been a powerful reminder to slow down and practice gratitude while giving back to those who serve. I’ve formed real bonds with first responders and loved ones, and even small moments of joy feel meaningful.”

🫶 This Women’s History Month, we continue our profile features on the members of Team OpenWater. They are 4 weeks away from the Catalina Channel crossing.

Since OpenWater’s inception, Erin has been a steady force behind the scenes. As OpenWater took shape, she watched it evolve from an idea into a life-changing nonprofit. Before OpenWater, her husband Danny Nichols had spent a decade serving in the ocean-based nonprofit space, and Erin understood what the water meant to him. “I was already like, okay, this is his passion,” she says. “He wants to give back, and he wants to do it in a really meaningful way that relates to the water.”

She hosted gatherings for participants and their families, often connecting with spouses and children who shared how much OpenWater had changed their loved ones’ lives. “Danny meets the individual,” she says. “And I meet the family unit behind them.”  

For years, she saw herself as the supporter, not the one stepping into the water and taking on the challenge.

Until now.

This April, Erin will paddle 32 miles across the Catalina Channel to Newport Beach, California, as part of OpenWater’s Wild Buffalo Relay team. The channel crossing is no easy task. At first, Erin shares she wasn’t sure she belonged.

“I was resistant,” she admits, when she was asked to join the team. “Not because I didn’t believe in it. I just thought, ‘can I do this?’”

“I get OpenWater on a different level now,” she says.

As race day approaches, Erin says she’s most looking forward to being fully present on the water with the ladies and the bond forged mile by mile across the open ocean. But most importantly, she’s doing it for her daughters to show them they can reach for the stars and achieve anything they put their minds to. “It’s not just dad that can do the hard things,” she says. “Mom can do them too.” 

Read more about Erin’s story in our bio.

👋  You are invited to register for our beginner CO2 Tolerance Class!

Improve your body’s ability to maintain function despite elevated levels of CO2 in your system. This training can increase muscle efficiency, endurance, and help manage stress and anxiety. 

Ocean View High School 
Fridays 5-8pm 
**RSVP is MANDATORY**
Email [email protected] 

FR/Military: your participation is covered by OpenWater. 
Friends: each class is $35. 

What to bring: wetsuit, bodysurfing fins, mask + snorkel, goggles. 
Need to borrow equipment? Let us know!