🏄‍♀️ Your gut’s not wrong and your hips don’t lie 🫠

👋 So nice to see you again! I’m not saying this newsletter is a form of procrastination. But I’m also not not saying it’s an excuse for not going out today. 😂 Tomorrow—for sure!

🏄‍♀️ Let’s surf:

• Trust your gut when surfing 🥽

• Plage de Yoff is not crowded 🏝️ 😊

• Hips don’t lie 💃🏻

• Surfer’s eye 👁️

• Midlife is the best time to start surfing 🕰️

^SURFODRAMA

 😱 Trust your gut when you’re still figuring it out

When I see a wave bigger than 3 feet and a busy lineup, I’m like: no thank you, and turn my back to the ocean. Okay, not quite.

But the fear of a bad wipeout—or colliding with another surfer or a rogue board—keeps me safe in the whitewash.

Because my gut knows that with my slow-as-a-snail pop-up, I’m a liability.

There’s this idea floating around in surf culture (and honestly, life) that hesitation is the enemy. That if you just go for it, you’ll progress faster.

Don’t let fear stand in the way of the best wave of your life etc. You know—that kind of trash talk.

But here’s the thing: your gut is usually on your side.

If you’re hesitating at the top of a wave, pulling back at the last second, or skipping sets that feel too big and heavy—it might not be a lack of courage. It might be your body telling you you’re not ready. Or that the conditions aren’t right for the surfer you currently are.

And that’s okay.

Volumes have been written on how to manage fear in surfing—how to get over it. You know the advice: acknowledge and accept your fear, visualize success, breathe deeply.

Dude. I’m just trying to concentrate on my pop-up. I don’t have time to do box breathing exercises on a moving wave.

Yes, pushing past fear can be empowering. But overconfidence—especially when your skills aren’t quite there—can lead to wipeouts, injuries, or worse: it can put you off surfing for good.

Let me tell you about overconfidence.

I’m 16 years old and I’m the best glider pilot in the universe. Or so I thought. I’m blaming Top Gun.

I go for a little ride. Get lost—because map reading, not my thing. I’m running out of thermal juice, so I land in a potato field instead of an airfield. When my friends come to retrieve me and my wholesome little glider, they inspect my homemade landing pad and are not impressed.

Apparently, I landed just behind a row of 20-meter trees and in front of a massive ditch.

Translation: That could’ve ended really, really, really badly. Pure luck it didn’t.

I’ve carried a healthy dose of fear ever since.

So yeah. Listen to your fear. Not all of it is irrational.

You can build your confidence through reps, small wins, and forgiving waves. Let your instinct keep you safe—while you build the skills to back your ambition to be the best surfer in the universe.

^{SURF SPOT SPOTLIGHT}

Plage de Yoff is not crowded. Yet. 🏝️

Tired of overcrowded breaks, but yearning surfing without a wetsuit? A trip to West Africa may be just the ticket.

Plage de Yoff is one of Dakar’s most accessible and consistent surf spots, located just north of the city center. It’s known for its long stretch of beach, mellow beach break waves, and a growing surf scene that’s welcoming to beginners. 

🌊 The surf
Yoff is a classic beach break—sandy bottom, gentle peaks, and lots of room to spread out. The waves here are friendly, especially at mid-tide when they tend to be softer and easier to catch.

Ok, here’s the bad news. 

🚿 Water quality
Mixed bag. Yoff doesn’t have the same industrial runoff as some other parts of Dakar, but local trash and seasonal pollution can be an issue after heavy rains. Aim for mid-morning surfs when the tide is cleanest, and check with local surf schools for current conditions.

👙 Wardrobe
Warm water nearly all year—boardies or a bikini and rash guard will do. In winter months (Nov–Feb), you might want a shorty or spring suit, especially on windy days. The sun can be intense, so bring that reef-safe sunscreen.

☀️ Best time for beginners to go
October to May is your sweet spot. That’s Senegal’s dry season, and the waves are generally smaller and cleaner. June to September brings heavier swell and windier afternoons, which can be a challenge for newer surfers.

⚠️ Hazards
Yoff is mellow overall, but watch for strong rips during big swells or low tide. Also, stay clear of the fishing boats and nets occasionally launched from shore - it’s a working beach after all.

🏄 Rentals + lessons
Yoff has several solid surf schools offering board rentals and beginner lessons in both French and English. Many are run by local surfers who know the break well and are keen to help you progress safely.

🍉 When you’re not surfing

• Stroll the fish market or watch the pirogues (colorful fishing boats) launch at sunrise

• Visit the vibrant Yoff village for local food and community vibes

• Day trip to Île de Gorée for a mix of history and beauty

🧳 Solo friendly?
Totally. Yoff is laid-back and affordable, with guesthouses, surf hostels, and welcoming locals. It’s not a party hub, but it’s a great place to learn to surf, soak up Senegalese culture, and enjoy warm vibes on and off the beach.

^{WEEKLY POPUP}

Shakira was right. Hips don’t lie. 💃🏻

Blimey. Even the New York Times is talking big about hip mobility. And here I was thinking it’s only beneficial for a better pop-up.

Let’s start with the non-fun bit. 1 in 10 women and 1 in 17 men (in the USA) will get a hip replacement during their lifetime. This is waaaaay higher than I thought. Most common reason? Wear and tear due to gradual breakdown of cartilage in the joint. Sometimes arthritis, sometimes genetics.

Bad news is that you can’t always completely prevent hip joint wear and tear (especially from aging or genetics), but you can absolutely reduce your risk and slow down degeneration. And that’s done by exercising—yay, surfing is low impact—building muscle strength and making sure that your hips aren’t tight or out of alignment.

Plus, it’s absolutely possible to surf after a hip replacement. 

“This was my first time surfing — 13 weeks after surgery! Woohoo… this girl is still surfing 🫶” – Brandy

“My husband has had both hips replaced and he surfs better now than before!” – Sheila

“Best decision I made. I was back on my board in 9 weeks!” – Karen (got her hip replaced at 46)

If you’re too young to care about getting your hip replaced, let me tell you that hip mobility is crucial for surfing—whether you're popping up, carving, or just trying to stay comfortable during long paddle-outs.

You would not believe what else beside the pop-up, you rely on your hips to provide. Something as simple as getting in and out of your car, or getting in and out of your bed, or leaning down to pick up all the coffee beans you’ve just spilled. 

As for surfing, hip mobility is everything.

1. The pop-up:
   You need good hip flexion and rotation to bring your front foot through and land in a balanced stance quickly or do to a proper explosive pop-up where you’re literally swinging your legs below your body.
   

2. Wave riding:
   Maneuvering on the wave requires fluid hip rotation—especially when trimming, bottom turning, or cross-stepping on a longboard.
   

3. Paddling posture:
   Tight hips can affect your lower back and pelvis alignment, so if you paddle for longer than a few minutes, you will feel it.
   

4. Injury prevention:
   Hip immobility affects other parts of your body, it can lead to strain in the knees, low back, and even shoulders. If your hips don’t move well, your body finds less efficient (and often riskier) ways to get things done.

Yeah, yeah. I have ZERO problems with my hip mobility. My hips are very fine thankyouverymuch.

Oh really? 😈 Here are just a few signs that your hip mobility needs work.

You can’t sit cross-legged comfortably
Try it. No cheating and leaning against the wall! And now rock left and right for a good measure. Feeling good?

Your low back aches after standing or walking
I try to prevent sitting down by using a standing desk, and holy potato, my back hurts after a couple of hours and I need to sit down again. Or when I go to see a concert and I’m standing up for the duration. Agony.

Your knees collapse inward during squats
If you don’t squats often, you will notice that you need to consciously push your knees outward. Chances are if you squat a lot, you don’t have this problem at all.

You struggle to fully extend your hips when standing
What this means is that your hips don’t open all the way into the upright, neutral position when you’re standing, and you look like you’re slightly leaning forward and standing tall feels a bit awkward. 

And now that you know that you could work harder on your hip mobility, here’s every single SIMPLE exercise I could find that will help you improve it.

1. Leg swings back and forth

2. 90/90 seated hip switches

3. World’s Greatest Stretch

4. Standing hip circles

5. Cossack squats

6. Deep goblet squats with pause at bottom

7. Hip bridges

8. Single-leg glute bridges

9. Yoga flow: cat-cow → lunge → lizard → pigeon → forward fold

10. Lateral lunge

11. RDL—never knew it stood for Romanian Deadlift!—you will need a weight for it

If you want to try some pop-up specific ones, you will need sliders or a smooth surface and a towel for most of these.

1. Squatting 90/90s

2. Slider climbers

3. Slider pikes

4. Slider reverse and lateral lunges

5. Slider circles

6. Slider roll-outs (hips up!)

And now, tada, for the most idiotic hip exercise in the universe (I genuinely don’t think the gyms should encourage it, I always feel like I’m just about to hurt myself pretty bad).

Rowing machine pike-ups!

^{GIRLS’ RECS}

👁️ Surfer’s eye sounds poetic, looks awful 🫣

Oh no. Yet another “bad thing” that can happen to you when you surf. It’s called Surfer’s Eye — not to be confused with Surfer’s Ear, yet another bad thing that can happen to you in the surf. Lucky us.

👁️ What is Surfer’s Eye?
Surfer’s Eye — it’s this totally uncute, sometimes itchy, occasionally freaky growth that can develop on your eyeball from too much sun, wind, and saltwater exposure. Fun!

The medical name is pterygium (pronounced tur-IJ-ee-um, you know with the silent p). It’s a benign but potentially vision-affecting growth of fleshy tissue that starts on the white part of your eye and can creep toward the cornea (the clear center).

• It’s not a tumor

• It’s not contagious

• And it doesn’t mean you’re going blind

• But... it’s not something you want to develop

It’s not a surfers-only disease, but we get it because we’re literally staring at UV-reflecting water for hours on end, without blinking. Add wind, salt, sand, and dry air into the mix, and you've got a perfect storm for your eye to go into protective overdrive.

It’s most common in tropical and subtropical climates (think: California, Australia, Indo, Hawaii), and tends to affect people who spend a ton of time outdoors without adequate eye protection.

Most of us are unlikely to get surfer’s eye — simply because we don’t spend a huge amount of time in the water. I’m not even sure if Laird Hamilton ever suffered from the condition.

But but but... if you’re going for 100 days in a row (👋 surf challenge folks), try this:

• 🧢 Surf in early mornings or late afternoons (lower UV exposure)

• 🧴 Use lubricating eye drops

• 🕶️ Wear sunglasses out of the water

• 🧢 Consider a surf hat in the lineup (yes, even if it messes with your vibe)

^{The WIPEOUT WEEKLY POD}

Why midlife is the best time to start surfing with Inessa Love ❤️

This week, we chatted with Inessa Love of Sassy Silver Surfers. The stories this girl can tell. Nothing like this ever happens to me!

We talk the slow burn of falling in love with surfing, being told she didn’t belong in the lineup, and creating a community of older women surfers. Follow Inessa for more stories and fitness tips on surfing when older. DM her for her free yoga routine that works hip mobility!

Listen to The Wipeout Weekly on your fav pod platform or here.

⬆️ Aaaaaaand that was the last wave of the week!
If a friend forwarded this and you liked it, hit subscribe & join us! We will see you all next week! 🌊

^HOUSEKEEPING

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