Why we reclaimed Surf-entine from Valentines

My kind of dinner date!

A Different Take on Self Love, Compassion and Choosing the Ocean

When Valentine’s rolls around, Surf-entine feels like a better fit than Valentine!

Because surfing doesn’t ask you to feel amazing. It just asks you to show up.

When you paddle out, you bring whatever state you’re in that day. Energy, nerves, confidence, doubt. Some days you feel strong and in sync. Other days you feel tired, distracted, maybe a bit off. The ocean doesn’t react to any of it. And after a while, you stop reacting so harshly to yourself too.

That’s usually where the compassion starts.

Surfing teaches you to listen in a very practical way. To your body first. You start to notice when it’s time to push and when it’s time to rest. When taking the wave feels right and when letting it go is actually the smarter option. You don’t always get it right. I still don’t. But over time, you stop forcing things so much.

Those lessons don’t stay in the water. They follow you into the rest of your life.

There’s also something quietly grounding about being reminded that you’re not in control out there. No matter how long you’ve been surfing, the ocean is always bigger. Some days it gives you great waves. Other days it gives you effort and not much else. You learn to accept both without turning it into a story about your ability or your worth.

For a lot of women, especially women over 35, surfing becomes one of the few places where the inner commentary finally softens. You’re watching the sets, timing your paddle, feeling the board move beneath you. Your mind has something real to focus on. That kind of presence is rare, and it does wonders for a nervous system that’s usually juggling too much.

Then there are the average sessions. Missed waves. Falls. Long paddles back out. Those are the sessions that really teach you something. They show you how to stay kind to yourself when things don’t go to plan. You laugh. You get frustrated. You keep going anyway.

That’s real self love. Not the polished version. The lived one.

Surfing also has a way of reminding you that you’re allowed to take up space. In the lineup. In the ocean. In your own body and your own life. You don’t need a reason to want time that feels good or to choose something that genuinely nourishes you.

Which is why Surf-entine works.

Because love doesn’t always look like roses and dinner reservations. Sometimes it looks like salt on your skin, tired arms, a shared smile in the lineup and choosing waves instead of expectations.

At its core, surfing isn’t about performance or progress. It’s about relationship. With the ocean. With your body. With yourself.

And every time you paddle out, even on the days you’re tired or unsure, you’re making a small, quiet choice.

I’m worth showing up for.