During retreats we focus on avoiding crowds altogether as much as possible, but we know that most people don’t have the luxury of living in a spot or having a schedule where it’s possible to avoid other surfers. For all of you living a city surf lifestyle, here are some tips you can use to catch more waves even at a crowded spot.
Continue reading “3 Tips for Catching More Waves at a Crowded Surf Spot”
At Surf With Amigas, we love inspirational stories of women going out and doing something amazing for themselves and others. We recently met an Amiga named Christine who came on a retreat with a purple shortboard and so much style. She told us about her company Tapa Reef and hooked us up with some samples of the sunscreen removing wipes and shampoos and conditioners made to protect your hair from the ravages of salt and sun.
We tried the products and fell in love! They are all made from natural ingredients. Moisturising aloe, cucumber and fruit extracts quickly and gently remove water resistant and zinc sunscreen. They are paraben and sulphate free. No dyes, petrochemicals, PEGs or artificial fragrances. What’s not to love?
Luckily, she is providing a discount code for amigas! Go check out the products and try something using the code AMIGAS for a great deal!
On to the inspiration portion of the post, check out Christine’s story below:
I have lived on islands my whole life – Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island through grade school, Kwajalein Island in the Marshall Islands for high school, the Barrier Island on the East Coast of Florida during university, a couple of working stints on Manhattan Island, a year working on the Island of Guam in the Marianas and then Australia (the “island continent”) for the majority of my professional career. In between, family holidays were spent in the Hawaiian Islands and later, places like Bali and Fiji. Not surprisingly, I have always been a swimmer and beach lover so when I met my husband, a keen surfer, during university, I was never going to be the type of girlfriend to sit on the beach and take photos.
Surfing quickly became one of my favourite hobbies and a professional career working for an international corporation became the means to travel and finance it. Problem was, in my line of work back then, golf was a respectable pastime to discuss with clients, surfing wasn’t. We even had a “professional” dress code and showing up to a meeting after an early morning session with traces of zinc on my face or with my hair trashed from being in the water all weekend wasn’t going to play well on my performance review. In addition, with two nights training in the pool turning my blond highlights green, I was constantly on the lookout for products to simplify the transition from sport to work.
Of course these days, surfing is much more mainstream but then again so is Instagram and Snapchat. I was constantly meeting people who love their action sports but still want to maintain their appearance (no shame in that) and so the concept of “Live Big, Look Good” came about.
Part of my job was working in mergers and acquisitions and with startup companies. I have always admired and envied entrepreneurs who were able to turn their passion into a lifestyle. I realized I wasn’t the only one with these issues and decided to draw on my background to see if I could start a company to develop the types products I was always looking for but couldn’t find.
It was harder than I thought, but eventually I was able to find a great group of people – a cosmetic chemist, manufacturer, legal advisor, logistic specialist and a couple of brand ambassadors – who also love water sports, care about the environment and were willing to help pull this all together. Two years in, it is still a hard slog but growing and it has definitely been a fun learning process!
If you’re needing to stock up before your next retreat, Christine has offered a great travel pack. With the AMIGA code, you can get 10% off and she will include some free sunscreen remover for your next SWA trip. Click here!
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO1UHFrj5TQ]
If you surf a shortboard, you have the luxury of duckdiving to get under waves. If you ride a longboard, you want to turtle roll. We get a lot of Amigas who come down wanting to learn to ride a shorter board just so they can duckdive. Why sacrifice paddle power and glide just to duckdive? Learn how to Turtle Roll instead!
In this video, Jackie and Holly talk you through the best way to Turtle Roll and show a few ladies trying it out for themselves.
Recently we had an Amiga from Western Australia visit us for a week in El Salvador. She had quit her job and decided to embark on a journey around the world to surf and explore. You can read about the whole journey on her blog.
After Rebecca’s trip she emailed me to say thanks and also to ask for 1 thing that she could work on back at home in order to continue to improve her surfing. Rebecca is a yoga teacher, she’s super fit, has been surfing for a few years, and she brought a thin, narrow shortboard on the trip. My response was as follows:
“ Hey Bec,
I think one of the things you could work on is to relax and not be as serious about it. I feel like you are a perfectionist which is what makes you so awesome at things but in your surfing it may lead you to get frustrated which is counterproductive.
You’re surfing really well I thought but riding a thicker/wider – but not longer – board might help too. Your board doesn’t carry speed very well because it’s thin, so you have to work really hard to make sections. You looked really good on those longer boards that you rode, but they were so long. Riding something like 6’0 or 6’1 but 19″ x 2.5 or even 2.25 thick might really be awesome. If you have mates at home with boards like that you should ask them to try theirs to see how it feels.
Ok, I know that was more like two things, but in the end it just comes down to enjoying it and having fun!
That response sums up the advice that I have for multiple Amigas. I’ve noticed that the girls that improve the most have a few things in common.
1. When we give feedback, they don’t make excuses. They don’t take the criticism personally. The say “ok, cool, thanks” and then immediately try to implement the advice.
2. They don’t get down on themselves. They think positively. They don’t say “I can’t do it” or even “I’ll try” but “I will do that on the next one”. The way we talk to ourselves makes a difference. If you say “I can’t” you’re right. Saying “I’ll try” leaves room for failure. If you say, “I will” then you will, maybe not that very next time, but eventually you will!
3. Don’t get too caught up in trying to ride a board that’s not right for you because it’s cool or it’s what you have. Finding the right board for you whether it’s a longboard, fish, or fun shape, will allow you to get the best waves and thus have more fun.
4. Remember that it is all about fun. With a smile and happy attitude, none of the rest of it really matters. If you’re having a good time, you’ll surf longer, be happier, and enjoy improvement.
To read the blog posted by Bec on this subject, click here.
Check out the video highlights of Rebecca’s sessions in El Salvador
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOcKNuFj76Y&list=UUi17EZzkx9RLwtw9Ujt0MQw&index=2&feature=plcp]
Anastasia Ashley and I use to do battle over 1st place finishes back in our amateur days. We have since become good friends although I don’t get a chance to surf with her very much anymore. So it was with a mixture of competitive “ha ha!” and friendly “yikes!” that I watched this video of her getting destroyed by a late drop at a gnarly reef pass in Micronesia.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edqVpxvrFHE]
I then thought that it was an entertaining and instructive video on what not to do. If you notice in the clip, the problem is that she doesn’t fully get into the wave before standing up. She takes a few paddles and pushes to her feet, but the wave hollows out beneath her, and she air drops, landing in the flats, and then face plants and bounces as the wave swallows her.
What could she have done? Taken a few more paddles! If you watch her try to stand up at the top of the wave, she gets held up in the lip for a second. On a wave like that you really need to paddle down the face a bit. Even in “normal” waves, it’s a trend I see a lot with Amigas – trying to stand up too soon before they are really into the wave. If this is a recurring problem for you, try taking a few more paddles! The next time you’re out surfing, think about it. Take as many paddles as you normally do, and then take a few more before you stand up.
Feel free to come back, leave a comment and let us know how it worked out for you!
Happy shredding!
