Great Gidget Hayley

In our Great Gidget series we interview ladies from all walks of lives with a love for surfing and the ocean. I always love putting these interviews together. Every single Gidget is unique and inspiring in their own beautiful way.

Look at our latest Great Gidget Hayley for example. Her smile is contagious, isn’t it? She’s so full of joy when she’s in the water…reading her interview and looking at her smiley pictures in the water just makes me want to go for surf and hope you do too :-)

Here’s the interview with Great Gidget Hayley…

About you in a few words and how you got to surfing:

I’m a life coach who got into what I do by doing everything that scares me. When I was 14 my Dad pushed me onto a huge wave and told me “If you can surf this, you can surf anything”. I nearly drowned that day.

Local break:

Wategos Beach, Byron Bay Australia.

What I love about surfing:

That moment you drop into a wave, and you’re at the intersection of fear and flow. And you’re right in the present moment. It’s the best feeling in the world. But what’s even better is sharing it with my best girlfriends in the ocean. We squeal a lot.

What I hate about surfing:

Putting my big-ass board back on the roof racks. I’m a shorty. By my calculations that’s 15 minutes of extra surfing time wasted on packing!

What advice would you give to ladies starting out on their surf journey:

It’s taken me 15 years to learn to enjoy that I suck. I used to force myself onto a board that wasn’t right, and try to surf waves that were way out of my skill level – and I found surfing to be competitive and hard. Every day the ocean is different, so it takes a long time to get comfortable. Find a board that feels good for you, get into the water when it feels good, and surf waves a size that feels good. It’s all about having fun, and that’s how you get better. These days, I have nothing but fun in the water, I’ve made brilliant surfing buddies and my surfing has improved a long way – all from having fun. Who’da thunk it!

Favourite surfspot in Oz:

My Local, Wategos Beach Byron. Early in the morning before the tourists.

Favourite surfspot overseas:

Agadir, Morocco. So hot but so cold.

Favourite surfboard:

My McTavish Fireball. It’s the only board I’ve ever enjoyed riding and found easy!

Favourite surfer:

Kassia Meador is my favourite pro surfer, but honestly my favourite surfer is my dad. He goes anything, and always has a big smile on his face. Every time he’s about to catch a wave he says, “See you on the beach!”

Favourite surf movie:

Big Wednesday!

What you do when you are not surfing:

We go to our favourite local cafe, and drink hot chai and talk business. I love a bit of yoga, and I’m always plotting the next adventure. Or you know, taking a good nap.