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If you’re looking to find moments of escape or simply want to absorb the joys of being outside and in the water, taking up surfing might just be the solitary activity to consider. Take it from Ann Kim, founder of New York City–based women’s wetsuit brand La Bamba. After quarantining in Brooklyn for months on end, Kim has found herself near the shores of Southern California to isolate and surf, what Kim calls, “the perfect remedy.” “Water is insanely healing,” she explains. Surfing has helped rid both “unhealthy coping mechanisms” and “emotional build-up,” and not to mention the overwhelming anxieties that come along with living through 2020.
Danielle Black Lyons, cofounder of women’s surf collective Textured Waves, whose mission is to advocate for inclusion and diversity by way of camaraderie in the water, agrees. “Surfing during quarantine has been essential for my mental health,” she tells me over email, from a coastal town north of San Diego. “I’m a mom, a wife, I work remotely, and paddling out each morning has been the glue that holds me together throughout the day. The ritual of wave riding allows me to connect with nature, mediate, play, and feel true freedom from the stresses of the world.”
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My former Vogue colleague Negar Mohammadi has been hiding out in Montauk this summer, checking the waves every morning at sunrise at Ditch Plains beach. Mohammadi is “particularly grateful” for surfing in 2020 thus far, describing it as “the biggest silver lining of this otherwise crazy year.” According to Mohammadi, while you’re out in the water, you can’t think about anything else. That calmness naturally makes surfing a “form of moving meditation” which offers our minds “a much-needed break from the current state of the world,” she says.
As Mohammadi explains, the sport is socially distant by nature: “It would be dangerous to be closer than six feet.” Even carrying a board would offer some sort of distance marker of at least five feet (depending on your board size). However, there is still a comfort in being around others. Mohammadi says she still feels a “sense of community in the water,” especially when she’s “meeting new people and seeing familiar faces” every time she paddles out.
Those who are inspired should get out in the water—with the help of the right gear and instruction, of course. If the water is warm enough, Kim prefers to surf “unencumbered in a bikini or a one-piece.” Danielle Black Lyons keeps her selection of spring suits (a long sleeved, pant-free wetsuit) and one-piece bathing suits on rotation, especially now since the water is starting to warm up in Southern California. Black Lyons recommends brands like Seea, Carve Designs, and Ansea, which offer both comfort and a pop of color.
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Like out-of-water fashion, keeping sustainability in mind is also key. “Being in the ocean makes you extra aware of the importance of sustainability,” Mohammadi tells me. “I love the brand Ansea for my swim- and wetsuits, they’re stylish and made of sustainable fabrics that do not budge.” But being thoughtful of the environment doesn’t stop there: Kim uses a biodegradable and reef-safe sunscreen from Alba Botanicals for sun protection while in the water, and uses a “safer” surf wax on her board by Australian-based brand Goodsurfwax, which is made from beeswax and coconut oil instead of a gnarly petrochemical base.
Other than the fact that it takes place in the water, surfing feels no different than the other nature-based activities that have been extremely popular this summer, such as visiting national parks, camping, and hiking. “Becoming a surfer inevitably means you’re on a journey of becoming more in tune with nature,” says Kim. Taking some time to slow down and appreciate your local environment is an important factor to staying sane in a year like 2020. “If you’re anything like me,” Kim tells me, “getting out of your own head is critical for happiness.”
Duck-dive into 23 women’s wetsuits and surf gear, below, to get you ready for the water.
