The ocean: woman in water

What has brought me to surfing has definitely been my fascination for the ocean. Growing up landlocked, the times we made it to the ocean have always been a feeling of freedom. I remember going to the Dutch coastline and hiking up the dunes, anticipating the moment the far horizon would meet the calm waves of the North Sea, the smell of salt water and a fresh crispy breeze hitting my face. It’s as in this moment, the ocean is breathing with you.

The magic of the Ocean

Over the years, sometimes the ocean has been more present, sometimes less. But I noticed how being around water, may it be Kralingse Plas or Zuiderstrand, was always something that has brought me joy at the end of the day. The excitement I get when I engage with anything that's related to the ocean makes me feel like a child again: thrilled to spend more hours reading about fisheries (I find fisheries very intriguing) or marine biology, go surfing or for a dip, or whatever it may be. There is somehow always a surprise and every time you learn or discover something new.

Spot the surfer: a picture I took in Ericeira, Portugal

But what is it about the ocean that is fascinating? Why does it feel so healing to be near the ocean? What relationship do we have with the ocean, especially as women and as surfers? How do we nurture it? How can we care for the ocean? How can we connect with water and why should we connect with water and the ocean? These are some questions that have been following me around over the last years and that I would love to explore with you and the community. It’s an invitation for self-reflection, connection, learning and exploring, room for curiosity and curiosities: discovery. And for establishing a more intense feeling of connection with our natural world that we are deeply integrated within, and also learning how to take care of it. Considering the times we are in, the aspect of how we connect with nature is becoming more important.

The magical, the mythical, and the female

However, let’s start somewhere magical, maybe historical, maybe mythical, maybe that’s the same anyways: the ocean has been or is perceived as female throughout many cultures. Although of course we also know male gods of the ocean (greetings go to Poseidon, Neptune and Hydros), yet, many of these cultures have attributed female features to the ocean. The ocean as a place of life, giving life, seems inherently female by default. We know, evolutionarily, all life comes from the ocean. So looking at different cultures, we have Sedna in Inuit folklore, there is Tethys and Ceto in Greek mythology, Mama Cocha in Inca culture, or Iemanja in the afro-brazilian Candomblé and Umbanda religion.

There are probably more examples of female deities, but the point that I find interesting is that it is a common theme across multiple cultures that the ocean has been gendered female, given the life-giving attributes of the ocean and water as a force of sustaining life. Not only goddesses but also the creatures that we know through many novels are females, from mermaids to sirens. The image has not always been one of ‘the caring mother that gives life’, considering that sirens take pleasure in killing male visitors of the ocean. Both giving life and taking life can be personified by a female mythical creature. 

So there seems to be something special about the connection that was built by different societies and humans between women and the ocean. Womanhood and water seem to be connected throughout time. But going back to the present moment from our little journey to ancient and not so ancient cultures and literature, how do we perceive and feel about womanhood and water today? How do we shape this connection for us and for our communities?

Another shot from Ericeira.

A fluid relationship

I have been asking myself (many questions as you may have noticed) - how I relate to the ocean, especially as an ocean-lover and someone who loves to surf. When I was 18 years old I surfed for the first time and I think as many of you might have experienced, - progress doesn't come easy - fear, insecurity and anxiety may be constant companions of your surfing journey. The threatening parts of the ocean might seem more dominant in the moment you enter the waves but the long-term nourishing aspects of being in the ocean also kick in afterwards. I am convinced that the relationship you are building with the ocean by each moment you spend in the water is a unique one. To me, especially surfing is a teamsport. A teamsport with the ocean. You need to know the conditions, the waves, the wind, the current. I think building this relationship, connection, or however you might want to call it, is probably always part of surfing. Mostly, it is a unique one, a fluid one, nurtured by curiosity, a desire for discovery, self-discovery, and progress - or deeper connection. Because understanding better, like reading the waves, will also help you surf. So surfing might be a sport, but it is also so much more. Through surfing we create an emotional bond with the ocean. And if we can further shape this emotional bond beyond our own experiences and as an all female surfing community, I wonder how a blogpost like this will sound like in the future. How have we shaped new dimensions of womanhood and water and the ocean? Maybe take this question with you next time you enter the water!

Being part of a women’s surfing community, the way we connect and shape our connection to the ocean to me is a thrilling part of this joint surfing journey. I can recommend the book by Easkey Britton ‘Ebb and Flow’, which offers a feminist perspective on the connection with the ocean. Have a read and enjoy!