Identical twins Viktoriya and Oksana Gruzdyn have always been drawn to the open water. Originally from Ukraine, the sisters, who suffered from chronic ear and sinus infections as kids, would take frequent trips to the Black Sea with their parents and return home cured. Their passion for water’s healing would eventually lead them to move to Florida four years ago to pursue their shared love of scuba diving.
The Scuba Twins, as they are known on social media, have completed 40 dives to date—many in the waters off Jupiter—including open-water shark dives. In 2024, they were selected from more than 10,000 applicants to be featured in Legacy Makers, a global documentary series that showcases people who inspire, educate, and motivate the world. (Their episode is set to air later this year or in early 2026.)
The sisters also run a virtual health consultation company together—Oksana is an immunologist, while Viktoriya does digital marketing. They are passionate about blending science with real-life wellness strategies to reverse inflammation, chronic fatigue, autoimmune disorders, and even hair loss. And there is a lot we can learn from scuba, they say, when it comes to the health of both body and mind. Here, the Scuba Twins offer insight into the sensory calm and health benefits of scuba diving.
Stress Control
Scuba diving teaches you to slow down and breathe deeply—skills that activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which lowers your heart rate and reduces cortisol levels, says Oksana. “It’s underwater meditation,” she says. You’re breathing so slowly, you can’t help but relax.” The ocean itself helps too. “Sea salt contains negative ions that help increase oxygen intake, which balances your serotonin levels and boosts your mood,” she adds. “Sensory effects all help calm the nervous system—the smell, the color blue, the sound of the waves—they all activate different senses in your body.”
Emotional Grounding
For the Gruzdyn sisters, diving is more than physical—it’s emotional. “You feel weightless, like you’re flying,” says Viktoriya. “You forget about time, and you become more present in the moment.” Shark diving specifically helps the sisters reframe fear into adaptability. “When you face a 10-foot tiger shark, you’re training your brain to stay calm under pressure,” says Viktoriya. “The experience teaches you to face your problems head on.”
Mental Clarity and Focus
Diving demands focus, communication without words, and quick problem-solving—all of which sharpen cognitive performance. “Our brain is designed to solve problems,” says Viktoriya. “When you don’t have problems to solve in your life, you will make them. Scuba diving teaches you to solve problems in real time, under pressure, and in an unfamiliar environment. When something goes wrong underwater—like a mask leak, buoyancy issue, or equipment snag—panic is the real danger, not the problem itself. That instinct to pause instead of freaking out is a muscle you build.”
Physical Resilience
Diving boosts circulation, oxygenates cells, and promotes anti-inflammatory effects. “When you’re diving, you’re breathing air under pressure, which means your body absorbs more oxygen than usual,” says Oksana. “This can help reduce inflammation and support tissue repair, similar to mild hyperbaric therapy. Buoyancy in water also relieves pressure on your joints, muscles, and spine, which can help with pain relief, flexibility, and even recovery from injury.”
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