EBB & FLOW ORGIN STORY
In 2017, Brady Trautman and Alex Blue's paths converged in Cape Town, South Africa, united by their passion for sailing. Their subsequent worldwide sailing adventures revealed a shared commitment to giving back – whether through nature-focused filmmaking, fundraising for hurricane-ravaged islands, or introducing the power of sailing to those who might never experience it otherwise.
The founding of Cruisers Academy Sailing School on Lake Tahoe in 2020 marked a turning point. What began as a sailing school evolved into something deeper as Brady and Alex discovered their calling in helping others connect with nature. Through partnerships with local non-profits, they developed programs bringing cancer survivors, underserved youth, and injured athletes onto the lake, witnessing firsthand the therapeutic power of being on the water.
Inspired by the transformative impact of these programs and their own first hand experience with nature healing traumatic events throughout their life, they established the Ebb & Flow Organization in 2025. The name reflects both their maritime roots and their philosophy that life, like the ocean, moves in natural rhythms of giving and receiving.
The organization builds upon their Lake Tahoe success, aiming to create more opportunities for those who need it most to experience the healing and empowering effects of nature through sailing. Their work continues to embody the principle that sparked their initial connection: the belief that the water holds unique power to transform lives and unite community.
MEET THE TEAM
Brady Trautman
Executive Director
Brady is passionate about sharing the joy and healing power of sailing. Having sailed over 90,000 nautical miles to some of the world’s most remote places, he has experienced firsthand the transformative effects of nature. As the founder and executive director of Ebb and Flow, Brady brings his expertise, problem-solving mindset, and endless patience to help others find renewal on the water.
Alex Blue
Co-Founder
Alex is a filmmaker and photographer who ventured into the sailing world over a decade ago. Since then, she has crossed the Atlantic three times, created an extensive portfolio of sailing content, and co-founded Cruisers Academy Sailing School in Lake Tahoe in 2020. Alex is passionate about getting people out on the Lake and connecting them with the healing waters that calls home.
Tripp Brower
Vice Chair
Tripp is a USCG Captain currently leading a ten-year circumnavigation aboard his 75-foot sailboat as the Executive Director of his nonprofit, Apparent Winds. With a strong background in education, nonprofit leadership, and extensive sailing experience, Tripp brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the board. He is passionate about sharing the joy and transformative power that sailing has brought to his life with others.
Michael Mettler
Treasurer
Michael is a driven and accomplished entrepreneur across several industries. He has founded many successful companies over the years and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to the Ebb & Flow organization. Mike is also a veteran so understands the unique needs and challenges presented when providing therapy sailing to veterans and other similar groups.
HOW NATURE HEALS
You’ve heard it before: nature heals.
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Sailing combines the calming and healing aspects of water with a degree of mindfulness and physical activity that has been shown to make a meaningful difference for those struggling with PTSD, anxiety, depression, trauma, and more.
Ebb and Flow, our nonprofit foundation, was founded on this premise. Getting anyone out on the water, particularly those who are victims of abuse, mentally or physically disabled, or veterans, can unlock new forms of healing through therapeutic sailing experiences.
Sailing has been shown to offer a wide range of mental and physical benefits. As an aerobic exercise, it improves neuroplasticity and cognition—you’re sharper, your memory improves, and you’re quicker to learn (more on that here). It can also contribute to your spatial abilities, meaningful to everyday life (navigation) and particularly useful for certain professions (engineers). For patients with mental disorders, rehabilitation with sailing can improve their clinical status. Sailing was shown to promote psychological well-being for breast cancer survivors and for veterans specifically, a “peer-led therapeutic adventure” like a sailing course is shown to alleviate mental health symptoms. It alleviates anxiety and serves as another tool for recovery.
What you gain from sailing goes far beyond what studies show. It fosters an environment of active engagement with your surroundings and fellow passengers, inspiring mindfulness and connection to others. And particularly as part of a community of sailors, you learn how to collaborate, trust, share, problem solve, accept changes with grace, and other vital skills that promote well-being and happiness.
Being on the water brings its own set of benefits as well. You’ve likely heard of the Blue Mind Theory which is based on research demonstrating that water offers both visual and auditory stimuli which can activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the one counteracting your fight and flight tendencies and potentially high cortisol levels.
Water, and specifically aqua therapies, or more broadly, hydrotherapies (think sailing as well as jazzercise), can help those suffering with PTSD, physical disabilities, and mental illnesses. Even just visiting a blue space was found in this study to be associated with less frequent use of medication, specifically psychotropic (affecting mind, like anxiety and depression), antihypertensive (having to do with blood pressure, and asthma medications. The water can quite literally cure.
Quote (Indented in Wix):
“For those who do have easy access to blue mind, it’s a good thing to take someone with you to the water,” Dr. Wallace J, Nocholas, biologist and author of Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do.
There is no shortage of information out there that demonstrates how nature heals-It’s been shown to improve moods, stress, anxiety, depression, blood pressure, and cardiovascular and respiratory functions—to name a few of many impacts. Particularly with mental health, being exposed to nature can positively affect cognitive function, physiology and happiness. It can also possibly lower the risk of developing a psychiatric disorder, according to this research. Even mere exposure to nature can be enough to promote mental and physical well-being. Connection to it fosters wellbeing.
We’ve seen the truth of these claims first hand: a cancer patient who can enjoy the sun and water after years of treatments, a survivor of domestic abuse taking the helm and feeling empowered by the ability to take control over their life, a kid struggling with autism engaging with others and their environment like never before, a widower who feels relief from intense grief by immersing themselves in sailing—and many other stories like these.
We are excited to be stewarding an experience that continues to create the opportunity for these experiences, to generate real therapeutic benefits, and we hope you will join us in making this possible.
Check out the foundation, our programs, and—if you’re feeling inspired—consider donating here.
