From London to Lombok: Vivian’s late-blooming surf dream

👋 Hey, I'm Vivian.

I'm a 36-year-old wannabe surfer girl who recently moved back to Melbourne after living in London for 7.5 years (a city famously known for its incredible surf 🙃).

🧒 Childhood dreams, cultural limits

Growing up in Australia, I’d always dreamed of surfing. But coming from an Asian family, it wasn’t exactly encouraged.

Beach days were rare, and sun exposure was a hard no. I had very little experience in open water, and waves honestly scared me.

Plus, I didn’t know a single surfer—aside from the ones on Home and Away.

🤩 First surf, total wipeout

It wasn’t until uni that I met my first real-life surfer friend and thought of him as a minor celebrity (he rode a shortboard—so cool).

Years later, at 27, we reconnected and he took me to Torquay for my first-ever surf. I totally bombed. It felt impossible.

But something about being in the water gave me a thrill I couldn’t shake.

✈️ A trip that changed everything

Soon after, I went to Lombok and Canggu to give consistent lessons a real shot. I never imagined I’d be able to catch a wave (even if I was pushed into it), and that feeling—euphoric, like flying—hooked me for good.

Then I moved to London, which made surfing even harder. But I squeezed in lessons whenever I could: Portugal, Morocco, Spain, France, even the Bristol wave pool. With 6 months—or years—between sessions, I never really got beyond standing up on a foamie.

⏳ Aging and the surf dream

Now at 36, I’m more aware of how age is slowly changing my body. And, honestly, it sometimes feels like the surfer girl dream is slipping away.

I know surfing’s for all ages, but in a society that glorifies youth, this is the first time I’ve really felt like time isn’t on my side. (Yes, I know it sounds silly—but it’s real!)

So last month, I spent 5.5 weeks in Indo surfing nearly every day, focusing on my pop-up, paddling, turns, and wave selection. My goal? To one day dance gracefully on a longboard.

🧘‍♀️ Ocean lessons beyond the pop-up

But what surprised me most was the philosophical stuff the ocean started teaching me: don’t hesitate, flow with the energy, stay present, surrender. As a lifelong non-morning person, waking up at 5am used to feel like hell.

But sitting on my board at sunrise, staring out at the horizon, I kept hearing the words, “The only time is now.” And in those moments, it felt like I was receiving a gift.

Now I’m more hooked than ever. I bought my first surfboard, paddle out whenever I can in Melbourne, have fully convinced my algorithm I’m a surfer girl, and am already plotting my return to Indo to build more surfing independence.

Surfing is a wild journey—and I’m totally in love.