On the board ... guest blog on surfing and mental health
This week is Mental Health Awareness in the UK and the theme is Connect with Nature. When we think of nature, we might go to forests and green open spaces but the sea counts too!
Yvette Curtis must have the sea in her genes; half Mauritian, half British, in this week’s blog she explains how surfing and the sea helps her and her community be active, look after their mental health and be at one with nature.
Yvette doesn’t mention it here but we’d like to say a huge well done to her for her work with refugees. She has offered surf lessons to refugees to help them to have fun, forget about their worries for a while and feel part of the community in Devon.
Don’t worry, if you don’t live near the sea, Yvette explains how you can get involved in surfing wherever you live!
“One of the biggest benefits of surfing is being out in the ocean and the positive impact that has on our mental health and wellbeing. There is so much new research being carried out into the field of ‘Blue Health’ and how being in, on, under and around water can have a positive impact on how we feel, how we respond and how we view the world. I have gone from being scared of the ocean to getting tense if I don’t spend enough time in the sea! It really is a place of freedom, space and reflection.”
Welcome to the wonderful world of waves, wipeouts and Wahines, (Wa-he-nees).
I created the club 5 years ago after my eldest daughter (then 13 years old) expressed a real interest in learning to surf but many of the local clubs were for surfers with their own equipment and were male dominated. With the support of Surf South West and two fabulous coaches Karma Worthington and Liv Bennett, Wave Wahines was brought to life.
We wanted to provide a fun, inclusive and non-judgemental entry into surfing for girls aged 8-16 years, the ages when girls are statistically more likely to drop out of organised sports. The community has been growing steadily over the years and in 2019 we worked with Active Devon & Devon Girls Can (the local This Girl Can initiative) to bring surfing to women over the age of 30 years old. What an amazing moment to see over 20 local women join us on a chilly but bright February afternoon – all shapes, sizes and experience.
The club now operates 3 weekly sessions for various age groups, and we regularly see over 30 girls at our youth session. For many of our participants, it’s a great opportunity to make new friends as many are from different schools, some even home schooled, so offers a vital social connection. We have women and girls who surf with us as part of their mental health and emotional wellness as they deal with grief and loss, others as a way to gain self confidence and realise that they CAN achieve anything when you believe and you surround yourself with like minded people to encourage and support you on every wave and pick you up after every fall.
There are so many reports and research focusing on the value of being in nature and the calming impact that can have on individuals. We love to be part of that in our surf club and hear the giggles and cheers from all of our women and girls as they enjoy the ocean and the sisterhood.
With the introduction of inland wave pools, surfing is now able to reach an even wider audience and enables access to those based in a city without needing to travel to the coast. Having run an event day at The Wave in Bristol, it was fantastic to take our coastal surfers to the city for waves and to have other women and girls from the surrounding area join us to catch a few waves too. This definitely will enable more people to experience the joy that we find on our boards.
I must also admit that I myself am an eternal novice and still falling off and mainly in the white water (the part where the waves have already broken), but I have the most amazing time falling off and getting my hair full of salt water and sand).
“The best surfer out there is the one having the most fun” [Duke Kahanamoku 1890-1968]
The thing I love most about being in the water is how it refocuses me. I don’t think of anything other than the waves and my friends who are with me, it’s a real sense of freedom. I have come from a point of being scared to even go in the sea 6 years ago to now feeling lost if I don’t get in the sea at least twice every week, either with a board or for a refreshing sea dip with me friends.
If you are reading this and feeling like you would like to give it a try – don’t hesitate – look for your local surf school or club if you live near the sea or an inland pool. If you live further away and that is not an option, don’t worry, the joy of surfing and the sea can be found on film or TV with some amazing documentaries or watching the World Surf League’s Championship Tour to watch the best in the world. I helped create a game to play on dry land to help replicate surfing and something to do with your friends [with Girl Guiding UK & Surfing England], so there are plenty of ways to work on your surf moves without a wave in sight.
Wave Wahines is a place of sisterhood, community and changing the narrative around surfing. It has been an honour to share some of what we do with you all and I hope you feel inspired to find your own wave.
Thank you Yvette! Follow Wave Wahines on Instagram @wave_wahines
All photos Yvette Curtis