Surfing is not something many women try. It is a very enjoyable and fairly safe water-sport that can be mastered with some training and effort. Traveling to a great surfing destination is best whether you are a newcomer or avid surfer.
There are no special precautions you need to take as a woman while embarking on a surf trip. However, there are few points to remember while traveling solo. Because traveling solo often involves making own arrangements.
Tips for Solo Female Travelers
Below are the 10 tips for solo female travelers going for surf trip
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Right Destination
Best surfing destinations are found in Europe, Australia and the Far East. Depending on where you live, traveling to a surf destination can cost a lot, especially if you are solo female embarking on a surf trip. Surf destinations in Europe tend to be pricey due to exchange rates of the Euro as well as the overall cost of living on the continent. Australia is a great destination provided you are willing to fly long hours. The Far East is excellent and economical too. And it is also safe for solo female travelers.
Selecting the right destination should be a top priority if you are female and traveling solo. Countries like Thailand and Malaysia offer the best value for money. The Maldives in south Asia tends to be a bit expensive yet worth the cost. Check if you need visas and vaccinations for the destination. Some important tips on traveling abroad before embarking as solo female on a surf trip. Also, make sure you do not carry more than necessary cash or credit cards while traveling abroad.
Another major factor to consider is weather at the destination. If you are traveling to surf, it is imperative to have the right weather for this activity. This also means you can meet dozens of other solo female travelers that have arrived there to surf. It is possible to learn a lot of tricks and tweaks of surfing through interactions with these surfers.
Beach Location
Some remote, far-flung beaches offer ideal conditions for surfing. But as a solo female traveler, avoid these. You will spend a small fortune commuting between the nearest city and the beach unless you team-up with others. However, if you have set your mind on a specific beach away from the din of cities, here are some things that can be done.
Find where other solo female travelers are staying. You would most likely find a lodge near the beach that saves money on travel and offers quality accommodation. Staying at such lodges or hostels makes sense because it provides you an excellent opportunity to meet women from different nationalities and places that also love surfing. It adds to the overall thrill of your solo trip.
Wet Suits
Tagging a wetsuit along can prove cumbersome. However, benefits of wearing a wetsuit while surfing as solo female traveler far outweigh the efforts. Understandably, a wetsuit will not do ample justice to your well-maintained figure or curves. Yet you would be grateful for carrying one.
The climate at popular surfing destinations can change without notice. You may have warm, sultry weather on a particular day followed by fairly cooler winds on others. Also, the sea breeze is essential for surfing. This means, your body would be exposed to winds for prolonged hours. A wetsuit will protect you against such breeze at sea while providing adequate insulation against cooler weather.
And do not worry about a wetsuit concealing your figure: you can stroll around the beach in your best bikinis after surfing. Remember, men that surf is barely concerned over beauty or appearances of their female counterparts. Nobody will comment whether you surf in wetsuit or swim gear.
Surfing during Menstruation
This is an unnecessary worry of most female solo surfers: what happens if they menstruate while traveling on solo surf tours. There are lots of myths related to surfing during menstruation. The first myth that needs to be busted is deadly man-eating sharks can smell and taste your blood. This is rubbish. The volume of blood you lose while menstruating is barely sufficient for creating any odors or tastes that would entice sharks.
Seawater is indeed great for your body if you surf during menstruation. It prevents blood caking and formation of microbes. High chloride content in ocean waters serves as antiseptic of sorts. Secondly, your body gets lots of physical exercises while surfing. This facilitates smoother flow of menstrual fluids and can help prevent pelvic or back pain.
Wearing a sanitary pad while surfing is useless: it will be soaked within a second and pointless. Try tampons instead, if you are inclined to wear some protection against menstrual drips. Wearing tampons can prove a bit uncomfortable while surfing but it will not be totally useless like a pad.
If you are worried about menstruating during surf trip while traveling solo, try and determine dates of your periods. Avoid traveling around that date. Invariably, you will find several female solo travelers at most destinations that would guide you on how to surf during menstruation.
Make Friends
Making friends with people from almost everywhere is an advantage you enjoy as a solo female traveler on a surf trip. Moreover, you get to share experiences with people that share a common hobby-surfing. You get to learn about newer surfing destinations, enjoy as a group and rid yourself of that humdrum loneliness typical to female solo travelers.
Further, making friends also provide you with some sense of security. You would know whom to seek advice or run for help, should such circumstances ever arise. Nowadays, it is easier to stay in touch with distant friends through Facebook and other social media platforms. The next time you travel solo- there is someone at the destination to guide you if needed.
In Conclusion
There are few more tips for solo female travelers embarking on a surf trip. Firstly, read something about the destination including crime rates and cost of living. If traveling abroad, the best thing to do is register or inform the nearest diplomatic mission of your country about your location. Nowadays, females traveling solo is fairly common. There is nothing to fear. As a solo traveler for surfing, you enjoy the more significant advantage of finding like-minded people and groups at the destination. Whether or not to tag a surfboard along is your choice. There are various restrictions placed by airlines on the carriage of surfboards. It may be a good idea to buy one at the destination.
