There’s a trend going around right now where everything from repeating an outfit to taking a coffee walk at work gets called “kinda chic.” It’s playful, but it’s onto something real: the best decisions are often the ones that quietly go against what you’re “supposed” to do.
Here’s one that’s been happening for years, long before it had a name. Women turning 30, 40, 50, 60, are skipping the big dinner and booking a surf trip instead. Not as an escape. As a fresh start. It’s part of a bigger shift: more women are choosing a milestone birthday surf trip over a traditional party.
A Fresh Start, Not a Countdown
A milestone birthday has a funny way of feeling like a countdown, another year gone, another candle added. But talk to the women who’ve celebrated theirs in the water and the story is completely different. It’s not about what’s ending. It’s about what they’re proving they can still start.
Learning something brand new. Being a total beginner again, on purpose. Realising the version of you that’s capable, adventurous and a little bit fearless didn’t disappear, it was just waiting for the right moment.
That’s the shift. Less “another year older,” more “watch what I do next.”
The Trend, By the Numbers
This isn’t just a nice idea, the data backs it up. Solo travel, and specifically solo travel built around personal milestones, has become one of the biggest shifts in how women choose to spend their time and money.
“Am I Too Old for This?” (No. Here’s the Data.)
This is the question we hear more than almost any other, and it’s almost always followed by an age. Am I too old at 35? 40? At 50? At 60?
The honest answer, backed by both our own numbers and the wider research, is no.
If anything, starting later comes with an advantage most 22 year olds don’t have yet: you actually know why you’re doing it.
Not every milestone needs a passport either. If a full international trip feels like a big first step, our UK coaching weekends, in Newquay, Wales, Croyde and at The Wave, are a brilliant way to dip a toe in first.
Want more on this? We’ve written a whole piece on it: Can I Learn to Surf at 40?
Meet the guests who joined us on our Bali Island Retreat last year – we think you’ll be surprised of the age range!
Tamara’s Story: Celebrating 60 in Bali
Few of our guests capture this better than Tamara. A repeat guest who has now surfed with us across multiple countries, she’s returning to Bali to celebrate her 60th birthday in 2028, and her own words say more than we ever could:
“I am excited to go back to Bali not just to celebrate my 60th but to see how far I’ve come in the past couple of years. By completing the cycle of trips with Women and Waves after Morocco next fall, I knew I wanted to return to Bali with more skills and confidence. I’m excited for the next year: Portugal, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Cornwall, Morocco! What better way to enjoy 60 than Bali?
I think this is literally keeping me young. I love seeing all ages on the trips and I have never felt out of place at all. The more trips I do, the younger I feel. I am happy to bring all my life experience to trips and share it with all the women, I truly feel like I have friends all over the world now. Why not celebrate with them in Bali?
I plan on visiting old friends in Australia before the Bali trip and surfing at Byron Bay. Can’t wait.”
Read more about Tamara’s incredible story here.
More Milestones, More Reasons
Tamara’s story is one of many. Every guest arrives with a different reason, but the thread running through all of them is the same: this trip is entirely, unapologetically for them.
Claire joined us in Portugal after getting the all clear from cancer, ready to celebrate her body doing something joyful again instead of something hard. Priya booked as a reward to herself for stopping breastfeeding, the first proper stretch of time that was hers alone in over a year. Megan celebrated her divorce with a trip to Costa Rica, choosing to mark the ending of one chapter by starting an entirely new one. Mina joined us in Bali to mark her 50th and celebrate in the best way possible (with coconuts and champaign!) And Emma came to celebrate finishing her degree in her forties with a week at our Cornwall Surf Camp, proof to herself that it’s never too late to start something new.
“I’ve been on surf trips before but the Bali Surf retreat was something else! Extremely well organized, the staff is fantastic and the surf progression we all had was amazing. No matter age or prior surf experience, this is the trip if you want to go from curious about surfing to loving surfing!” – Mina
Different milestones, different chapters, same instinct. Somewhere along the way, each of them decided this moment deserved more than a passing mention, it deserved a wave.
Solo Doesn’t Mean Alone
Here’s the part that surprises people most. Almost every guest celebrating a milestone books solo. Not because they’re travelling alone, but because they’re arriving alone and leaving with a group of women who feel like old friends by day two.
You don’t need to coordinate a group of friends around your schedule, your budget, your dates. You book for yourself, and the group forms itself around you. For a milestone birthday specifically, that matters. This is your celebration, not a compromise between everyone else’s calendars.
We’ve gone deeper on this exact topic before: Can I Go on a Solo Surf Trip as a Woman? The Ultimate Guide
Kinda Chic to Choose Yourself
Maybe it’s a 30th. Maybe it’s a 50th, a 60th, or just a birthday that’s been sitting a little heavier than the others lately. Whatever the number, the idea stays the same.
Skip the version of celebrating you’re expected to have. Book the one that’s actually for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to do a solo surf trip for a milestone birthday?
Yes. Almost all of our guests book solo, and it’s genuinely one of the safest ways to travel alone. You’re with a small group of women and experienced coaches from day one, so you’re never actually navigating anything by yourself, you just don’t need to organise it around anyone else’s schedule.
What age is too old to learn to surf?
There isn’t one. We’ve taught women to surf from age 8 to 88, and over 40% of our guests are over 40. Adult beginners often progress faster than teenagers because they listen more closely to coaching and aren’t trying to impress anyone.
Do I need to be fit to go on a milestone surf trip?
No specific fitness level is required. Functional readiness, balance, flexibility and confidence, matters more than age or gym fitness, and all of that builds naturally with practice. Our coaches adapt every session to the group’s ability. We supply pre trip fitness plans as an option to follow, so it’s a great excuse to get in shape.
What if I don’t know anyone else going?
That’s actually the norm, not the exception. Most guests arrive knowing no one and leave with a group of friends they still talk to years later. The trip is built around bringing women together, not around who you already know.
Can I celebrate a milestone that isn’t a birthday?
Definitely. We’ve had guests celebrate all kinds of milestones with us, finishing treatment, a divorce, a graduation, a career change. If it feels like a moment worth marking, it’s worth celebrating in the water.
Thinking about celebrating your own milestone with us? Take a look at our upcoming trips, Bali, Costa Rica, Barbados, Morocco, Nicaragua, Portugal , Cornwall or a closer-to-home coaching weekend, or browse the full calendar. Drop us a message, we’d love to help you find the right one.
