🏄‍♀️ Too old to get caught on the outside 🌊

👋 Happy Thursday & Friday! Did you hear this one? “If you haven’t surfed in over 3 days, you’re unhealthy.” — some kid. This is pressure! But hey… it’s also coming from a kid. What do they know? 😜

🏄‍♀️ Let’s surf:

• Too old to surf?

• Word of the week: Outside & how to not get caught

• Morocco’s must-surf spot for beginners

• Girl-Who-Got-Transformed-By-Surf

• Girls’ recs: Perfect surf hair

• Weekly popup ⚡🏄‍♀️🔥

^SURFODRAMA

😱 Too old to surf. Peahi. Mavericks. Nazaré 😂

Have you seen that video of a 7-year old surfing Pipeline and making it look like bath time? (It was a small day!)

Was your initial thought: what have I done with my life?! 😜 Yeah. Same.

Most of us will never surf Pipeline. Not because we’re not kids any more. Not because we’re not fearless.

But because we’re not so consumed by surfing that we’d dedicate the next decade to getting that good. And honestly? I don’t want to fight 200 guys for one set wave.

Originally, I planned to write a whole essay on how it’s never too late to learn to surf. And maybe this still is that. Just with a dose of reality:

• You can start late.

• You should adjust your expectations.

• You will get better.

• You don’t have to surf Pipeline.

Progress isn’t measured by the size of the wave—no matter how much the surf world glorifies it. It’s measured by how it makes you feel. And if the whitewash makes you grin like a 7-year-old at Pipe? You’re doing just fine.

^{WORD OF THE WEEK}

🌊 Word of the week: Outside

Two things I’m not keen on hearing in the lineup:

One—“Get off my wave, I’ll kill you.”
Two—“Outside.”

Honestly? I prefer the first. 😂

🌊 What does "outside" mean in surfing?
The "outside" is the area farther out to sea, beyond where the waves are breaking.  It's where the clean, unbroken waves first start to rise. Surfers paddle out to the outside to catch these waves before they crash and turn into whitewater.

🚨 Why it matters
If you're just learning to surf, you'll mostly hang out on the inside (closer to shore), catching whitewater and learning the basics. But eventually, you’ll want to head to the outside to catch "green waves"—the unbroken, rideable ones.

The outside is also where the bigger sets break. So when someone yells, "Outside!"—it means larger waves are about to crash farther out, and you might want to start paddling hard toward the horizon.

😬 Getting caught in the Danger Zone
To be caught inside means you're stuck behind where the waves are breaking, usually when a big set rolls in—and you’re not in a good spot.

You’re too far out to catch the wave, but not far enough to avoid getting smashed by it. So, you end up taking wave after wave on the head.

🏄‍♀️ What it feels like
You're paddling back out, thinking you're in the clear—and suddenly you see a wall of water forming farther out. You realize you're not going to make it over the top. Cue panic paddling and duck diving for dear life.

🧠 How to avoid
Know your break: where the takeoff zone is, how far sets break out. Always keep your eyes on the horizon for signs of approaching sets, and leave a little more distance than you think you need.

🐣 Beginner tip
Being caught inside is a rite of passage… and a core memory in every beginner’s surf journey.

I remember mine: I literally bodyboarded from the lineup all the way to the beach in Malibu—the same week Laird Hamilton shot Malibu Pier. (It was big!) I had no business being out there on a day like that.

Catching waves on the outside takes paddle fitness, good timing, and the ability to read the ocean. There’s no shame in hanging in the whitewash or catching smaller ripples on the inside until you’re ready.

^{SURF SPOT SPOTLIGHT}

Imsouane, Morocco where beginners and longboarders party

Imsouane is a quiet fishing village on Morocco’s Atlantic coast, situated between the cities of Agadir and Essaouira. It has plenty of scenic cliffs, lots of beaches, and great surfing spots for beginners. The village enjoys a mild climate year-round, with warm summers and cooler winters.

🌊 The surf
Imsouane is famous for The Bay—a super mellow, endlessly peeling right-hand point break that can dish out rides up to 800 meters long. It’s ideal for beginners thanks to the soft takeoffs, long open faces, and sandy entry. You’ll have enough time on a single wave to pop up, adjust, and start figuring things out.

🌊 Pro tip
On bigger days, beginners can stick to the inside section and still get great rides. If you’re looking for something punchier later, The Cathedral (on the other side of the village) offers a beach break setup with lefts and rights—better suited for confident beginners or intermediates.

🚿 Water quality
Usually clean, but can get murky after storms—especially around fishing activity.

👙 Wardrobe
You’ll want a 3/2 wetsuit most of the year, especially from October through April when the Atlantic can feel chilly. In summer, a springsuit or long-sleeve top might be enough.

☀️ When to go
September–April: Consistent swell season—perfect for learning and progressing. May–August: Smaller, slower waves—great for total noobs. Peak season (Dec–Feb): Popular with traveling surfers and yoga nomads, but still way less crowded than Taghazout or other hotspots.

⚠️ Hazards
Not many! Watch for rogue sets that break further out (especially at The Bay). The Cathedral can get heavier with rips and shorebreak on big days.

🏄 Rentals + lessons
Imsouane is packed with surf schools, surf houses, and camps. Whether you’re after private lessons, board rentals, or a full surf + yoga + couscous package, you’re sorted.

🍍 When you’re not surfing
Watch the sunset from the cliffs, explore the small souks, or eat fresh fish grilled right by the shore. Everything is walkable, slow-paced, and peaceful.

🧳 Solo friendly?
Totally. It’s a small, sleepy surf town with a very open vibe. Most people are either surfing, eating tajine, or watching the waves from a terrace. You’ll meet fellow solo surf travelers without trying too hard.

^{GIRL-WHO-GOT-LITERALLY-TRANSFORMED-BY-SURFING}

🏄‍♀️ Brand new person: How Kristy was transformed—physically and mentally—by surfing

🏄‍♀️ You’ve heard it before: surfing changes lives. But Kristy’s story hits different.

She went from never seeing the ocean to shredding Rockaway Beach, carving through New Jersey’s wave pool, and putting her brand new passport to good use.

If you read one transformational surf story today—make it this one.

Read her story

Missed any Girls Who Can’t Surf Good stories? You can find them all here.

^{GIRLS’ RECS}

The ultimate healthy surf hair guide

There are more posts about hair in Girls Who Can’t Surf Good than just about any other topic. Hair is—after all—universal. 😂

This guide pulls insights from over 40 posts and 190+ recommendation comments (all lovingly weighted and tiered), covering everything from pre-surf rituals to post-surf rehab, product reviews, and reef-safe recs.

It’s way too long to fit in the newsletter, so head over here to read the full thing.

Heads up: our group is global, so some products might not be available in your region—or worse, they are, but at premium prices. 🤢

If we’ve missed any truly revolutionary solutions to the “surf hair” problem, ping us and we’ll update it!

Read the guide

^{WEEKLY POPUP}

 😱 You’re doing it wrong… because you’re not doing it enough

This week’s pop-up advice comes courtesy of our fellow Girls Who Can’t Surf Good member Kyla Peterson—resident “get better at surfing” adviser and fearless leader of Surfin Fire Surf School in Oceanside, CA.

Kyla popped up for the first time when she was seven years old, so I’m not sure she fully understands our stuck-on-my-knees plight 😜… but she’s a surf coach, so let’s hear her out.

A few things you might already know:

• Start with the right board: The wider and longer, the more stable—which makes popping up significantly easier.

• Body mechanics matter: Hip mobility is everything for bringing that front knee through. If you’re stuck bringing your leg around the outside of your elbow, you’re already off balance.

Now for some hard truths from Kyla:

“If you’re only going out once or twice a week, you might not really ever see any progress—or it’s going to be extremely slow.”

I don’t like hearing this at all! 😱

Luckily, there are some on-land exercises to help with your pop-up, even when you’re landlocked:

• 🧘‍♀️ Seated hip 90/90s – Improve hip rotation and mobility

• 🏋️‍♀️ Squat stance drills – Build lower-body strength for stability

• 💪 Prone press-ups – Mimic the push-up part of the pop-up

• ⚡ Power push-ups – Build explosive strength for a quick launch

Kyla worked with The Nomadic Athlete (a physical therapist) using these exercises to improve her own pop-up—so we know they work. You can even download his free pop-up guide with video instructions from his website.

^{THE WIPEOUT WEEKLY FOMO}

⬆️ 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! 🌊

^{MORE HOUSEKEEPING}

Feedback: We do want to hear from you! Whatever is on your mind, drop us a line.
Amazon links: We earn from qualifying purchases—it helps us keep the newsletter running.
Your promos: We’re building the All-Things-Surf biz hub. It’s free to list your biz: https://forms.gle/hZaWJWHkhBjR8YDV6