Photography courtesy of Hilda Bezuidenhout

Why, as adults does it seem so hard to dedicate yourself to learning a new skill or making new friends? As kids, it comes so naturally, but as life gets in the way and we get that little bit older each day, these simple pleasures get pushed to the back.

With the help of one local business, Women Soulful Surf, it’s been made all that much easier to do both of these things within their incredibly supportive, fun, and laidback group sessions.

Brought to you by Polish-born yoga and surf-loving individual, Helena Richardson, Women Soulful Surf launched in 2020 and has since brought surfing, yoga, and inclusive and supportive vibes into the lives of many.

Creating a space for women where they can fall in love with surfing and yoga, where they can connect, feel supported, and empowered to try new things is exactly what sits at the core of Women Soulful Surf.

Alongside Helena, are her two right-hand women who will be with you on the day; Tiffany Boddey and Alyx-Jane Smith. The trio all perfectly encapsulates the brands’ philosophy and energy.

To really understand the benefits of what Women Soulful Surf has to offer, I was lucky enough to be invited to experience their latest Mini-Retreat where we surfed, laughed, ate, and yoga’d.

Now, let me paint you a picture. I’m not a particularly agile human, flexibility doesn’t have any kind of business in my life, and I haven’t touched a surfboard since I was about 12 years old. To say I was nervous is a complete understatement.

Driving out to Caves Beach past the beautiful blue water in the Swansea channel and into the chilled vibes of Lake Macquarie. Arriving at Caves Beach, the coastal breeze and relaxed natural environment found my body relax almost instantly.

The small group of women came together to meet and greet one another and our ever-so-friendly coaches, shake our nerves out and discuss what brought us there today.

I was pleasantly surprised that there were women there of all ages and with all types of experience and some even there on their own; hats off to you ladies!

Squishing ourselves into the ever-so-flattering wetsuits, pulling on a Women Soulful Surf Rashy, arming ourselves with a soft top surfboard, and heading down to the water; we kind of looked like we knew what we were doing.

To start off the day, we formed a circle on the sand and did the usual icebreakers to get to know one another before moving into a quick mindful moment and a few stretches to get us ready to tackle the Caves Beach surf.

For the beginners in the group, myself included, we hung back on the beach for a bit just to learn some basics and have a go at standing up; turns out standing up on a surfboard on the sand is SO easy; surely that translates well when you hit the waves right? Wrong.

For the next hour, we were burning calories like no tomorrow trying our best to become the surfing champions we were born to be. For some, standing up was a walk in the park, for others (myself), standing up was not exactly on the cards.

With Helena, AJ, and Tiffany there guiding each of us to have a good crack, there were many a laugh, a few hilarious dismounts, and plenty of salty goodness; the vibes were high.

As part of this particular session, the rest of the day saw the group head to The Yoga Place Café in Blacksmiths for a delicious brunch before wrapping up with a Yoga session at The Yoga Place just next door.

What Women Soulful Surf has created is nothing short of magical. It’s a place for women to come together and learn, experience, and laugh in an inclusive and supportive environment.

The Lake Macquarie-based business has a collection of offerings suitable to women of all ages, experience levels, and budgets! For those really wanting to invest in their Women Soulful Surf journey, you can browse their constantly updated selection of retreats including locations both locally and overseas.

For those wanting to dip their toes in or advance their surfing skills, Women Soulful Surf Programs cover everything from beginners to intermediate levels. In addition, the ladies also offer one-on-one private classes, online classes, and even school holiday programs for girls and teens.

Whether you want to get back into your surfing journey, are keen to learn for the first time, or are just eager to get out and stretch those old muscles and meet new people, check out Women Soulful Surf!