Mums Who Surf

The SurfGirl Mums Who Surf Facebook page was inspired by a plea from a new surfing mum Bryony Raffield about the difficulty of finding mums who want to surf, “I’m totally stuck as I know no one who has a baby and wants to surf, and do not seem to be meeting anyone who wants to at the new mum activities I’ve been going to to meet other mums.” This probably strikes a chord with many other mums who make the transition from carefree beach babe to being an ever so slightly frazzled parent. But just because you’ve got kids it doesn’t mean you have to stop surfing.

By communicating with other like minded mums who are in the same position, the SurfGirl Mums Who Surf Facebook page is a chance to find mums in your area who would like to go for a surf, or go to the beach with other families.

We asked surfing mum Sarah Bentley who always seems to have everything under control and is in the surf whenever it’s good, how she goes it.

“I was always adamant that I would try and get back in the water fairly soon after having a baby and I think it was about three weeks after giving birth to my son Luca that I ventured back into the ocean. I struggled with fitness and lack of practice for a few months but soon found my feet again. When Luca was a baby I was able to fit little surfs in around his feeding and sleeps, gratefully utilizing friends and family for short babysitting slots. I would have to be a bit selective with where I would surf, choosing beaches with a cafe nearby so whoever was looking after Luca could have a coffee or a spot of lunch whilst I surfed. If time was really short and the waves small I would take out my longboard to guarantee getting plenty of waves.

This summer Luca has started to show an interest in surfing and enjoys playing around in the white water on either his body-board or one of our surfboards. I guess the next step is to get him his own board but I have always been really conscious not to push him into surfing, but letting him find it in his own time.”