It’s a common misconception that you have to be young, fit and good looking to be a surfer. This misconception is true for both Men and Women, but it’s something women tend to pay more attention to when deciding if they should or shouldn’t try a new sport or activity. Given women have been proving stereotypes like this wrong for forever, it’s interesting to know that it’s one of the regular barriers to entry for women considering giving this amazing sport a go.
Surfing is an activity that gives so much more than it takes, and it provides both physical and mental benefits for any participant. So we’ve put together a few of the reasons why you should take up surfing if you’re a woman over the age of 40.
Firstly, because it feels like the industry has been telling you ‘you can’t’ for decades! We’ve all been at the beach and seen the chiselled bodies of surfers and walked into surf shops quickly realising that there isn’t anything in there that looks like it will remotely fit. The surfing industry, whilst changing, has been indirectly telling everyone that only teenage girls and ripped young men can surf and/or be any good at surfing. If you haven’t seen the film Girls Can’t Surf, make sure you do. It's an interesting story of how a band of renegade surfer girls in the 1980's fought to create their own professional sport, changing surf culture for women forever.
Surfing is an activity that helps you to improve your fitness, whilst enjoying yourself at the same time. It’s a sport that if you’re consistent at it, will help you gain fitness very quickly. Being on your surfboard is great for your cardiovascular health and will help you to increase your flexibility too. When you’re regularly surfing you’ll notice you gain more movement and flexibility in your shoulders, back and hips. As well as this, a lot of strength in your upper body and core from all the paddling and standing up.
This is called paddle fitness, and when you’re starting to surf you’ll notice you’re engaging new muscles in your body, ones that you don’t use in your normal day-to-day life. Every time you’re on your surfboard you will be gaining paddle fitness and strengthening muscles which will assist you in your surfing ability, and give you more enjoyment throughout the process!
Not only does surfing increase your physical health but perhaps, more importantly, your mental health. This is because when you’re surfing it forces you to be present. When you are in the water, you need to be fully focused on learning how to stand up, improving a turn or getting through the next wave, you aren’t thinking about what work you have to do back home or all the pressures of our modern day lives.
Meeting other adventurous women is another great benefit of surfing. When you start surfing you’ll be surprised just how many female surf communities there are for female surfers. Surfing can help you to gain a sense of community and meet like-minded women who will make your surfing journey all the more enjoyable. Finding your community of surf women is a very powerful feeling, and when you have a group of women of all ages and sizes enjoying participating in the sport together, it's an amazing feeling.
There are no limitations to where your surfing journey can take you. If you’ve ever wanted to travel or are already an eager traveller, surfing is a great enabler to take you to bucket list destinations and catch waves all around the world. Where do you want to go? Do you want warm tropical water, which country? You can take your pick! There are endless locations across the world where you can go searching for the perfect mix of waves and adventure, suited to your surfing abilities. At Surf Getaways we handpick all our locations to ensure the perfect mix of surf, fun, relaxation and adventure, all with a group of women who you can share the experience of surfing with all across the globe.
If you’re thinking about giving surfing a go, make sure you check out our local Surf Lessons or our luxury Surf Holidays across the globe today.
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