As a kid, did you ever pretend you were a mermaid in the bath?
I know I did.
I used to imagine I was Ariel, rising up to the surface of the water, long hair floating around me, looking out toward the mystery of land and trees.
Even then, something about the ocean, or even just water, felt familiar.
Like a place I already understood without needing to explain it.
Why the Ocean Feels Like Home
One of the reasons I love surfing is because of the comfort I’ve found in the ocean.
There’s something extraordinary about feeling at home in a space that is completely different from our everyday lives on land.
At first, it feels unfamiliar.
Unpredictable.
Even intimidating.
But over time, something shifts.
The ocean stops feeling like something outside of you…
and starts feeling like something you’re in relationship with.
The Ocean as a Feminine Force
For me, the ocean feels deeply feminine.
In the way she holds,
Support without restriction.
Contains without controlling.
Allowing you to be fully yourself without needing to shrink or perform.
In the water, I don’t feel like I’m too much.
Because she is more.
And she has space for all of it.
Fear.
Joy.
Hesitation.
Confidence.
Collapse.
Expansion.
All of it is acceptable.
Surfing as a Relationship With Nature
Surfing is often described as a sport.
But the longer I spend in the ocean, the more I realize it’s actually a relationship.
A conversation between you and something much larger.
A back and forth.
Give and take.
There are moments when you feel in control.
And moments when the ocean reminds you that control was never really the point.
You learn quickly that surfing is not about domination.
It’s about co-creation.
Working with something alive, dynamic, and constantly changing.
What the Ocean Teaches Us
The ocean doesn’t just teach surfing.
It teaches presence,
humility.
& trust.
It teaches you to listen; to conditions, to timing, to your own body.
And just when you think you’ve figured it out, it shifts again.
The lesson is always the same:
You are part of something bigger than you.
How Do We Nurture That Relationship?
This is something I often come back to.
Not just in surfing, but in life.
How do we stay in relationship with nature?
How do we stay connected to something that regulates us, softens us, and brings us back into ourselves?
For me, it starts with respect.
With time spent listening instead of forcing.
Showing up consistently, even when I don’t feel fully confident.
Remembering that the ocean is not something to conquer, but something to be in relationship with.
Why This Matters Beyond Surfing
The way we relate to the ocean often reflects how we relate to ourselves.
Do we force?
Are we resisting?
Do we try to control everything?
Or do we learn to listen, adapt, and trust what is unfolding?
Surfing becomes a mirror for this.
A way of understanding not just the waves, but ourselves.
Final Reflection
There’s a part of me that will always love the ocean not just for what she teaches me…
but for how she allows me to be.
Fully present.
Human.
Alive.
