Rachel in Fiji: From “not a water person” to “I live and breathe surfing”

👋 Hey, I’m Rachel. I’m 33 years old and I live in Fiji. I first started surfing in New Zealand, on the east coast of the North Island.

The first time I went surfing, I was completely shocked. I’d never been that sore in my life—I didn’t even know I had muscles in some of those places! It didn’t click for me right away. I actually tried to surf a few times in 2018, but it didn’t really stick.

🌊 The moment it clicked

Then in 2020, I went surfing with a girlfriend. The conditions were terrible—I was on this really heavy longboard, it was the middle of winter, and just a mess of a session—but something about it made me feel amazing.

A week later, I met my partner, who is totally addicted to surfing, and everything kind of aligned. I started surfing more with him, and I got really hooked.

🏝 Surfing in Fiji

These days, I surf independently here in Fiji, usually near the breaks around Cloudbreak. I’ve only surfed Cloudbreak once though—I mostly prefer to watch it! I love gliding, dancing over the water, rather than feeling like I’m getting attacked by it. I usually surf some of the softer breaks nearby, and if the swell’s good—which it often is in Fiji—I’ll surf a couple of times a week. If I’m busy, maybe just once a week.

There’s also a beach break about an hour away that’s great for longboarding—perfect if I just want to cruise. I also still surf when I go back to New Zealand, and I feel really lucky to have amazing female friends I surf with in both places. One of my friends here in Fiji runs Salty Dog Adventures—she’s a boat captain and owns her own boat, so we get to go out with her and a group of friends to surf. It’s such a gift.

🧠 Challenges & comparisons

As for challenges… oh wow, there have been so many. I think the biggest one for me has been mental. Comparison has been a big hurdle—especially since I often surf with my partner, who’s been surfing since he was three. I didn’t even start until I was 28! For a long time, I didn’t realize how much I was comparing myself to him, which is ridiculous—he’s basically part fish!

And to be honest, I’ve never really been a natural water person. I grew up in a city in northern England, so becoming someone who feels at home in the ocean has taken time. But I’ve learned so much over the last five years.

😬 Sketchy situations

Have I ever been in a sketchy situation? Yes, definitely. One time in Raglan, New Zealand, I went surfing alone at Manu Bay. It was a cruisy day, I was chatting to a lovely woman in the water… and then I realized I’d drifted dangerously close to the rocks.

Suddenly, a huge set came in—eight waves in total—and I just kept getting smashed. I was being held under over and over. Somehow I managed to scramble up onto the rocks, completely shaken. Amazingly, neither I nor my board was injured, but it took me a while to recover from that. The next time I went back to that spot, I was so nervous. That experience taught me to stop chatting and start paying more attention in the water!

🐠 Favorite spot: Swimming Pools

My favorite spot to surf is a place called Swimming Pools here in Fiji. The water is crystal clear—like surfing over an aquarium. You’ll see so many fish, beautiful corals, sometimes even a turtle. It’s a right-hander and it’s just magical.

🫶 The Fijian surf vibe

One thing I absolutely love about surfing in Fiji is the vibe in the water. There’s no localism. The local surfers are so friendly—they’ll call you onto waves and even push you into them. It’s part of Fijian culture to share—food, clothing, homes—and that extends to waves, too.

They’ll shout "lako, lako!" which means "go!" and it’s just so encouraging and communal. When I surf without any locals in the water, I try to bring that same spirit because it’s so special and unique. I’ve surfed in England, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe, and nothing compares to the energy here in Fiji. It makes surfing feel like such a gift.

🌕 Surfing with my cycle

The kinds of waves I love totally depend on my cycle! If I’m on my period, give me a mellow, knee-high longboard wave. But if I’m in my ovulation phase, I’m much more daring—I’ll go for head-high waves on my mid-length twin fin and try to build confidence with bigger conditions. But really, I’ll take any wave that’s not too big.

🗺 Dream surf trips

I dream of surfing in so many places! I really want to go to Lombok. I’m also going to the Mentawais next month, which is a total dream. Mexico is on the list too—honestly, mostly for the food! I’d also love to explore longboard spots in the Philippines and get inspired by other longboarders. I’ve noticed that when I’m around great longboarders—like when I’ve surfed The Pass in Byron Bay—I learn so much just by watching and soaking in their style.

🎯 Surf goals

As for surf goals, I’d love to be able to cross-step and hang ten on my longboard. I’m not quite there yet, but I’m working on it. Lately, I’ve also started to feel this little spark about maybe getting barreled one day. That was never a goal before—I’ve always been more focused on style—but something’s shifted recently, and now I’m kind of building up to it.

💫 How surfing changed everything

How has surfing impacted my life? Oh man, where do I even start? It’s completely changed the trajectory of my life. I was born and raised in cities—first in England, then in New Zealand—and I worked in healthcare. But surfing led me to leave that career and start a surf retreat business here in Fiji. It’s taught me so much about patience and about the abundance of a life that’s built around simple, natural joy.

Surfing is such a primitive activity—people have been doing it for hundreds of years on planks of wood—and now it’s something I do every week. It brings me so much happiness. I honestly live and breathe surfing now, and I couldn’t be happier.

🌺 Kamica Retreats

Surfing means everything to me. It’s become such a huge part of my life, especially with my retreat business—Kamica Retreats. It actually started as a holistic health retreat concept, but I realized I wanted to build surf retreats so I could share with people how powerful surfing is.

It’s the one thing that consistently supports my mental and physical health. You don’t even have to try—just go surfing and your body and mind feel better. You can catch me on Instagram at @kamicaretreats