Board Meetings

Community building and female empowerment are at the heart of Bristol Girls Surf Club, whilst providing a space for city girls to unite through their love for the waves, without feeling intimidated by the generally male-dominated surf scene.

“One thing the pandemic has taught us is the importance of re-connecting with our natural environment and getting outside”.

Why did you set up the club?
I moved to Bristol in 2020 and found it difficult to meet people during lockdown. Being a former social secretary for the surf club at university in Manchester, I loved it, and knew it was a great way to meet people. When I relocated to the city, I was in search of a women’s surf club in Bristol and soon realised it didn’t actually exist, so I founded the Bristol Girls Surf Club in October of that year!

Why is it important to have a women’s only club?
A lot of women I have encountered have expressed that they are put off by male dominated spaces or groups. I think it’s so important to have a space for women to access surfing and flourish in a supportive environment. It’s a great setting to learn in, but mostly just to hang out and meet like-minded people, as we are all mostly beginners. I have found women have such a sense of community and really enjoy supporting each other. It’s all about creating a space and building an all-inclusive community for women to feel empowered and comforted by being around others who aren’t necessarily pro-surfers.

Why surfing, what are the benefits?
One thing the pandemic has taught us is the importance of reconnecting with our natural environment and getting outside. So many girls in the club have expressed that surfing has improved their mental health and wellbeing, and personally, it gives me such a sense of calm and peace when I’m in the water.

 We’re so disconnected from our surroundings in the modern world, constantly on our phones and distracted by social media. Surfing provides an opportunity to step away from the online virtual world. To be able to feel grounded, fully connect with the people around you, as well as the ocean – it’s such a magical thing! You don’t need to be a pro surfer; you just need to love being in the water and want that sense of community.

"We’re so disconnected from our surroundings in the modern world, constantly on our phones and distracted by social media. Surfing provides an opportunity to step away from the online virtual world."

Has The Wave become integral to the club?
We love organising beach trips, but having a space closer to us all within Bristol has been so beneficial. The Wave, based on the outskirts of the city in Easter Compton, is the country’s first ever inland surfing lake, providing consistent, safe waves all year round. They have been super supportive with allowing us to run the events, and especially now they’re recognising how many women want that female only space, we are hoping to collaborate more frequently.

How can we get involved?
We currently meet once a month at The Wave, but we also host events in collaboration with a girl’s skate organisation, Waves & Paves, to bring surfers and skaters together. Our first meetup brought 70 women together, it was an amazing turnout! We have since built up a Facebook community of around 800 active members, so there are always beach trips and hangouts being organised in between trips to The Wave.