RACHEL MURPHY
FOUNDER + DIRECTOR
I was born and raised in Cornwall and loved the water for as long as I can remember. The beach was my playground. I started bodyboarding as a kid and joined a local surf life-saving club. I just loved being in the water; no matter how cold it was or what the waves were doing. As long as I got in the water, I was happy and I became totally addicted!
I started out dunking wetsuits at a surf school from the age of 16. I then continued to work within the surf industry; from being an activity instructor, centre management, surf shops to surf travel which allowed me to surf all over the world. In 2017, I combined my passion and knowledge and launched Women + Waves.
I started Women + Waves to unite all water-loving women together in a surf club environment. It didn’t matter how good they were, or if they just wanted to dip their toes in. It was just about getting in the water, washing the day away and having fun in a comfortable, non-pressure environment. A lot of my other friends and other local females wanted to join in too. They wanted all-female surf lessons, surf weekends + holidays, hints and tips, an extra confidence boost and a chance to meet like-minded women.
That’s when the Women + Waves ‘surf society’ really blossomed. We’ve created a welcoming women’s surf community where we all fully support each other.
The vibe’s contagious and I love seeing how stoked everyone looks after a surf session with us. Plus knowing that surfing may have just changed their lives forever!