Meet Team Diver Halle Piacente

I’m from Atlantic Beach, FL. I became scuba certified in 2015, and that’s when my love for the underwater world really began. After that, I spent a lot of time snorkeling around Florida and Puerto Rico, exploring the ocean, and falling in love with life beneath the surface. That passion led me to underwater photography—I picked up a camera and started capturing the beauty I was seeing to share it with others. Over time, I began surrounding myself with people who were into freediving, which inspired me to take a freediving course. After spending so much time photographing marine life and watching others spearfish, I finally decided to put the camera down and give spearfishing a try—and I completely fell in love with it. In a world built for convenience, I believe it’s time we return to our roots—especially when it comes to sourcing our food. For thousands of years, people knew how to hunt, fish, grow their own food, and live off the land. But in just a couple of generations, much of that self-sufficiency has faded. Now, most people don’t know where their meat comes from—let alone how it was harvested. That’s one of the reasons I’m drawn to spearfishing. There’s no mystery meat or plastic packaging—just me, the ocean, and the hunt. I get to be fully present, take only what I need, and know exactly where my food came from. It’s intentional, primal, and deeply fulfilling. And there’s something incredibly powerful about sharing that kind of meal with others—one you worked for, respected, and earned.

I’ve been below the surface for about 10 years now. My love for the water runs deep- my mom was a mermaid performing shows at the Weeki Wachee Springs and I always dreamed of following in her finsteps. What draws me to the ocean is the rawness of it all. The ocean is one of the last truly wild places left on Earth. Humans don’t dominate here—we’re just part of the food chain like everything else. It demands respect and full presence. It’s a place where you can feel wild too. 

I took my first freediving course in 2016 with the original owners of Florida Freedivers, Jonathan and Kelsey Dickinson. That experience was a major turning point for me—it opened the door to a whole new world. Ever since, FLF has been my go-to shop for everything freediving and spearfishing. Walking in feels like being a kid in a candy shop—but what keeps me coming back is more than just the gear. It’s the people. You can feel the passion in the shop, and every time I visit, I’m surrounded by like-minded individuals who live and breathe the water life just like I do. I never leave empty handed and always leave inspired. 

Being an ambassador for Florida Freedivers means getting to share my love for the ocean with others—through diving, photography, and spearfishing. It’s about inspiring people to connect with the water in their own way. Having the right gear is essential for both comfort and performance, and I’m proud to say most of mine has come from FLF. It feels good to represent a shop I genuinely believe in and that’s been part of my journey from the start.

The FLF Remora bag and the Gili bag are two of my favorite pieces of gear from the shop. The Remora bag offers solid support and protection, which is especially important when traveling long distances with your gear. The Gili bag is super roomy—you can toss a bunch of equipment in it, and when you’re on a boat, you can easily ball it up and move it out of the way. Both are functional, durable, and make dive days way easier.

I love diving both the reef and the open ocean. The unpredictability is what makes it so exciting—you never know what you’re going to see down there. Reefs offer such incredible biodiversity. Even if you’re hunting and don’t spot anything worth sourcing, there’s always something beautiful to admire among the reef fish. But the open ocean is a whole different world. When you’re out and the bottom disappears into deep blue, it feels raw and limitless. With reef, I feel like the bottom is there to catch me if I sink. But with the open ocean, it’s just you and the wild. It’s humbling. 

This summer, I’m planning to spend more time diving offshore right here in my backyard—Jacksonville. I absolutely love the clear blue water of the Bahamas and South Florida, but at times, those areas can feel a bit overfished. Here in Jax, you have to head pretty far offshore to find better visibility, but I think that distance gives us a unique advantage. The effort it takes to get out there means fewer people are diving those spots, which can lead to better opportunities and a more untouched underwater experience. I’m excited to explore it more.