A taewak is a device used by haenyo to stay afloat when she comes up fom deep water.

It is made of a hollow gourd that has been resealed to be watertight.

A haenyo hangs a net on the taewak to hold the seafood she collects, and it also serves as a sort of buoy marking the location of the haenyo.

Since the mid-1960s, taewak have been produced with fabric-covered Styrofoam, so it is now rare to see a taewak made from a gourd.