Ocean Woman: A Shaka Surf Podcast

Live in Bristol: Tirion Jenkins- PhD in Cold Water Surfing

Ocean Woman: Live at The Wave. Episode 2: Tirion Jenkins
Welcome to the second episode in our 3-part 'Ocean Woman: Live' series. This is a series of conversations that we had on the 2nd of July, 2023 in front of a live audience at The Wave in Bristol!
Everything we do here at Shaka Surf is about community building and this event was no different. We gathered our community together for a full day of surfing, skating and storytelling and the result was nothing short of magical! 
Our second guest in this series is the lovely Tirion Jenkins. Tirion is a PhD student studying the link between cold water surfing, community and wellbeing. She is also a talented surf photographer and one of the co-founers of the Gower Women's Surf Society. 
We love Tirion's curiosity and passion. We hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as we enjoyed recording it.
Want to get in touch with Tirion? Reach out on Instagram: @eilirhaf
As always, huge thank you to our sponsors over at SurfMould Pro for supporting the show and supplying us with the best custom ear plugs on the market. Want to learn more about what surfer's ear is and how it can be prevented? Check out their website and get in touch for more info:
https://www.surfmouldpro.co.uk/
Special thanks to the team at Crestcast for helping us produce the show! Crestcast is a podcast all about Welsh surfing. Go give it a listen!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5BcwNYZprOGtKZruYs7g8A/videos

Live in Bristol: Sally McGee- Cultivating a Thriving Women’s Surf Scene in Northeast England

Ocean Woman: Live at The Wave. Episode 1: Sally McGee
This is a very special episode, not only because it is with the legendary Sally McGee, but also because it is the first in our 3-part 'Ocean Woman: Live' series. This is a series of conversations that we held on the 2nd of July, 2023 in front of a live audience at The Wave in Bristol!
Everything we do here at Shaka Surf is about community building and this event was no different. We gathered our community together for a full day of surfing, skating and storytelling and the result was nothing short of magical! Keep your eyes peeled for future live events. We love nothing more than connecting with our listeners face to face. 
Our first guest in this series is the legendary Sally Mcgee. Sally is a surfer, Finisterre ambassador, mum, activist, world traveller, surf coach and founder of Yonder, a women's surf school based in Northeast England.
Yonder is the definition of a purpose driven business. We have always been inspired by Sally's passion for welcoming and integrating women into the surfing community. In this conversation, we talk about Yonder's origins and values, Sally's journey of surfing throughout motherhood, activism, travel, and so much more.
We hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as we enjoyed recording it.
Want to get in touch with Sally? Visit the Yonder website to get in touch:
https://www.surfyonder.com/
As always, huge thank you to our sponsors over at SurfMould Pro for supporting the show and supplying us with the best custom ear plugs on the market. Want to learn more about what surfer's ear is and how it can be prevented? Check out their website and get in touch for more info:
https://www.surfmouldpro.co.uk/
Special thanks to the team at Crestcast for helping us produce the show! Crestcast is a podcast all about Welsh surfing. Go give it a listen!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5BcwNYZprOGtKZruYs7g8A/videos

Lauren Evans- Surf Specific Fitness & Body Image in Surf Culture

Our guest today is Lauren Evans. Lauren is a yoga teacher, personal trainer and founder of the yoga and surf specific fitness brand, Tideline Surf. Lauren is our go to yoga instructor for all of our Shaka Surf academies and social events so I can tell you from experience that she is darn good at what she does!
 
I think one of the things that makes Lauren so good at what she does is that she really believes that our motivation to exercise should come not from pressure to look a certain way, but rather from a genuine desire to be well and live healthy, fulfilling and active lives. And lemme tell ya... no one I know practices what they preach like this girl.
 
In this conversation, we talk about Lauren's surfing journey, the origin of Tideline, tips for tailoring your workouts to benefit your surfing, and towards the end Lauren really opens up about her struggles with over training, disordered eating and negative body image. This is a very raw and honest conversation and I have to say I left feeling very inspired by Lauren's story and her willingness to share it so candidly not only with me but with an unknown audience. I am so glad that we are talking about these issues more and people like Lauren who embrace their own vulnerability and share their stories pave the way to recovery for so many people who are going through similar challenges. I am in awe of her bravery and I feel incredibly lucky to call this remarkable woman my friend.
 
Learn more about Tideline Surf here:
 
https://tidelinesurf.com/
 
Follow Lauren on instagram:
 
https://www.instagram.com/tidelinesurf/
 
Get in touch: lauren@tidelinesurf.com
 
Join us at our first live podcast event! 
 
2nd July, The Wave, Bristol
 
Learn more here:
 
https://www.shakasurfwomen.com/event-details-registration/ocean-woman-podcast-live-at-the-wave
 
Join us at our next Shaka Surf Academy!
 
Use code SHAKA15 for 15% off the weekend academy f your choice.
 
Learn more here:
 
https://www.shakasurfwomen.com/
 
Check out the best ear plugs in the buz:
 
https://www.surfmouldpro.co.uk/
 

Sue Cristopher- The Life Changing Effects of Cold Water Swimming

A few quick announcements before we introduce this week's guest!
 
To thank you for supporting the Ocean Woman Podcast, we would like to offer you a discount code for all future Shaka Surf Academies. Our Shaka Surf beginner and improver surf academies are based in Pembrokeshire and include two full days of surf coaching in small groups of up to 8 women. If you are looking to kick start your surfing journey or take your surfing to the next level in a fun and supportive environment, these courses are made for you! We started Shaka Surf because we are passionate about supporting women to become knowledgeable and confident surfers and that is exactly what our academies aim to do. 
 
Use the code SHAKA15 at checkout for 15% off  the weekend surf academy of your choice and we will see you in the water here in Pembrokeshire!
 
Okay, time for some VERY EXCITING NEWS! On the 2nd of July, 2023, we are hosting our first live podcast at The Wave in Bristol! We have an absolutely epic line up of guest interviewees, and the conversations will be taking place alongside a day of Sister Sessions at The Wave. In case you've never heard of the Sister Sessions before, they are a series of sessions at The Wave dedicated solely to women. The next one is on the 2nd of July and I highly highly highly recommend you book yourself onto one. It is guaranteed to be a memorable and inspiring day!
 
Check out our website for more information about our upcoming academies and to learn more about our live podcast event:
 
https://www.shakasurfwomen.com/
 
Now onto the show!
 
Our guest today is Sue Cristopher. Sue runs Wild Swim Wales, a business that offers guided wild swims on beaches all across Pembrokeshire. In this episode, Sue shares her extensive knowledge about ocean safety, social prescribing, bioluminescence, the mental and physical health benefits of cold water swimming, and much more. I have mentioned a few times on this show that we recently held a speaking event in which we had some local women take the stage and share stories of lives spent in and around the ocean. Sue was one of the legends who spoke at the event and she had the entire audience in stitches from start to finish with stories of her wild swimming escapades. She was a joy to listen to and she was a joy to talk to. We hope you enjoy our conversation, and if you do, why not leave us a review on Spotify!?
 
Check out Sue's work at Wild Swim Wales:
https://www.wildswim.wales/
 
Check out some of the resources Sue mentions in the show:
https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/
https://outdoorswimmer.com/
https://www.immersehebrides.com/
https://www.h2otraining.co.uk/
 

Laura Truelove- Daughters of the Sea Mag & The Value of Storytelling

Our guest today is Laura Truelove. Laura is the founder of the women's surfing magazine, Daughters of the Sea. She started Daughters of the Sea because she wanted to see more wetsuit wearing women in the pages of surfing magazines and she wanted to see them in print, not just online. Daughters of the Sea publishes just one issue a year and each issue is a treasure trove of stories that dive deep into the nooks and crannies of our global community of cold water women.
 
I wrote an article for issue #2 of the magazine, in which I tell the story of why Holly and I decided to start a women's surf school and why we feel that the work we do is important. When I finally received my copy of the magazine, I was surprised by how strong a sense of comradery and connection I felt to everyone who not only contributed to the magazine but to everyone who would eventually read it. I think that feeling of connection is where the true value of storytelling lies and Laura does such a wonderful job of capturing it in the pages of her work.
 
DAUGHTERS OF THE SEA X SHAKA SURF GIVEAWAY! (Entry closes 15/4/23)
 
In honour of this episode we have teamed up with Daughters of the Sea for a very exciting giveaway! Enter for your chance to win a copy of both issues of Daughters of the Sea and a spot on one of our Shaka Surf Weekends, which include two full days of surf coaching, including video analysis, surf skate sessions, and beach yoga! These weekends are SO much fun are such a good way to either kickstart your surfing journey or take your surfing to the next level (and meet an amazing crew of like minded women in the process!!)
 
To join the giveaway, all you have to do is follow us @shakasurf_women and @daughtersoftheseamag on instagram, tag a friend in the comments on our giveaway post and leave an honest review of this podcast on whatever platform you use to listen. If you are not on instagram, feel free to leave a review and send us an email letting us know that you've entered.
 
Get your hands on a copy of Daughters of the Sea: https://www.daughtersofthesea.org/
 
This show is presented by Shaka Surf, a Pembrokeshire based women's surf school dedicated to connecting and empowering women through the medium of surf! Check us out on instagram @shakasurf_women or get in touch via our website: https://www.shakasurfwomen.com/ As always, feel free to shoot us an email at shakasurfwomen@gmail.com
 
Special thanks to SurfMould Pro for supporting the show! SurfMould Pro make custom ear plugs to help prevent surfers ear. They are some of the most comfortable and effective plugs on the market and are an absolute must-have for anyone who spends time in cold water!
 
Check them out at https://www.surfmouldpro.co.uk/
 
 

Seren Dixon- Surfability UK, the World’s Only Full Time Adaptive Surf School

Our guest today is Seren Dixon. Seren is the operations and project manager for Surfability UK, a Community Interest Company that provides surf lessons for people with additional needs due to disability, illness, injury or learning difficulties. Fun fact: Surfability is the ONLY full time adaptive surf school in the world!
 
I caught up with Seren back in January at the Surfability headquarters in Caswell Bay and we actually had to fit this interview in around a full day of surf lessons! The demand for their services is so high that they run sessions year round for a crew of committed, hardcore local surfers.
 
When I was there I was lucky enough to meet a few members of the amazing team at Surfability and even got a tour of their adaptive changing rooms (which blew my mind!). Seren also showed me some of their equipment, including their beach wheelchairs, prone surfboards, and so much more, which we get into in detail during our conversation. When we did finally sit down to record this, we talked about the origin of Surfability, the adaptive surf instructor course, the importance of safety, dignity and fun, one of her most memorable surf lessons, common misconceptions about disability, competitive adaptive surfing and a whole lot more.
 
Seren is a very special human. We recently held a speaking event here in Pembrokeshire in celebration of this podcast where Seren gave a talk about a few of the topics we discuss in this conversation. Her enthusiasm on stage was so palpable. She cares deeply about the work Surfability is doing and I think after listening to this episode, you will see exactly why.
 
Learn more about Surfability:
https://surfabilityukcic.org/
 
Learn more about the adaptive surf instructor course:
https://isasurf.org/learning/para-surfing/isa-adaptive-surfing-instructor-program/
 
This show is presented by Shaka Surf, a Pembrokeshire based women's surf school dedicated to connecting and empowering women through the medium of surf.
 
Through our surf lessons, retreats, events and this podcast, Shaka Surf offers a welcoming path for women of all bodies, backgrounds and abilities to fall in love with surfing. Join us as we talk story with some of the most interesting women in the world of surfing. I'm your host, Laura Ward and I hope you enjoy the show!
 
This show is also supported by SurfMould Pro. SurfMould Pro make custom ear plugs to help prevent surfer's ear. These plugs are designed by audiologists and are some of the most effective and comfortable ear plugs on the market. If you spend a lot of time in cold water, and you value your hearing, you need earplugs! Surfers ear is no joke people. To learn more about what surfers ear is and how it can be prevented, visit www.surfmouldpro.co.uk or shoot an email over to info@surfmouldpro.co.uk and the incredible team will get you educated and kitted out in no time.

Lou Luddington- Life after 3 years at sea

Our guest today is Lou Luddington. Lou is a surfer, sailor, marine biologist, freediver, photographer and writer.
In our conversation we discuss the epic 3 year sailing voyage that Lou and her partner Tom just returned back home from, as well as the challenges of boat life and some of the misconceptions people have about this lifestyle. We also dive deep into a huge range of topics including coping with fear, minimalism, some of the shortcomings of boat toilets, barnacle penises, Lou's book, and her incredible underwater photography. We talk about the importance of community, the loneliness of a transient lifestyle and Lou and Tom's transition back to life on land here in their home of West Wales.
 
Learn more about Lou:
https://louluddington.com/
 
Find Lou on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/lou_luddington/?hl=en
 
Check out Lou's book:
https://www.pesdapress.com/index.php/product/wondrous-british-marine-life/
 
The Water Women Podcast is presented by Shaka Surf, a Pembrokeshire based women's surf school dedicated to connecting and empowering women through the medium of surf.
Through our surf lessons, retreats, events and this podcast, Shaka Surf offers a welcoming path for women of all bodies, backgrounds and abilities to fall in love with surfing and find their inner water women. 
 
This show is also supported by SurfMould Pro. SurfMould Pro make custom ear plugs to help prevent surfer's ear. These plugs are designed by audiologists and are some of the most effective and comfortable ear plugs on the market. If you spend a lot of time in cold water, and you value your hearing, you need earplugs! Surfers ear is no joke people. To learn more about what surfers ear is and how it can be prevented, visit www.surfmouldpro.co.uk or shoot an email over to info@surfmouldpro.co.uk and the incredible team will get you educated and kitted out in no time.