Seventy Women. One Gigantic Surf
This weekend, we packed our wetsuits and headed west to join the legendary Mel from Rebelle Surf and her female army of surfer gals as they paddled out at Strandhill in Sligo.
We’re talking 70 women.
From all across Ireland!
Gathered to paddle, surf, laugh, connect, and scream into the Atlantic with pure joy.
Honestly? It was wild.
Beautiful. Windy. Slightly chaotic.
And absolutely unforgettable.
How it all happened?
Vans rolled in from all corners of the country—packed with surfboards, gear, dryrobes, five variations of tea flasks, and at least one human who definitely forgot their towel.
Women wriggled into wetsuits like Olympic-level contortionists.
Someone defintitely yelled “WHERE’S MY SWIM SUIT?” more than once.
And a few brave souls attempted to get a parking spot right on the sea front (we believe in you).
And then... we paddled out.
There we were: 70 women, side by side in the water.
The sea roaring.
The sky moody.
The vibe? Through the roof.
We surfed (some stood up, others made peace with the wipeout), and we felt it:
That unmistakable power of being in the water, together.
Camera's cant survive where only memories are meant to last. But in saying that thank gawd Mels husband Graham showed up to take one badass group shot of all of us standing tall and proud, and hanging onto our boards for dear life in the wind before we made our way down to the ocean.
Mel: the surf queen who made this happen
We need to talk about Mel.
Because this entire event?
This atmosphere?
This culture of women supporting women in and out of the water?
That’s her. That’s what she’s building with Rebelle Surf.
It’s not just about teaching women to surf—it’s about making the ocean feel like a space where you belong, whether you’re a total beginner or a saltwater soul.
She makes it safe, fun, empowering, and just the right amount of wild.
Mel, we see you.
And we’re grateful.
The surf. The sisterhood
After the paddle out, we yoga'ed. The amazing Rachel at Salt & Soul had read the room in advance and organised a luscious Yin & Restore class, which was just glorious. Especially for those of us whos arms could no longer function.
We had bolsters. We had blankets. And we rested into restorative twists.
Sore arms. Full hearts. Drool on the occassional bolster. Wouldn’t change a thing.
As if this wasn't enough, the entire day was topped off with delicious pizzas by Fire Dough Pizza Standhill who closed its cart early especially to feed our hangry mob. This pizza was devoured in 0.03 seconds. 
To the women who showed up...
To the 70 of you who travelled across counties and coastlines,
who showed up nervous, unsure, excited, bold, quiet, giddy, tired, fierce—
Thank you.
You made the sea feel like home.