Confessions of a Surf Lady | The First Women's Surfing Podcast™

By Laura DaySociety & Culture Sports Personal Journals

Confessions of a Surf Lady | The First Women's Surfing Podcast™ episodes

September 16Exploring the Extremes | The Messy Middle of Learning to Noseride - Week 2 inside The Noseride Blueprint
I'm injured so didn't surf this week but it was still one of the most productive weeks in my noseride progress.
In this episode:
My physical therapist told me to take a week off surfing, and how I felt about agreeing to that with warm water and good swell outside
How I hurt my shoulder doing something completely ordinary at the climbing gym, and why coming back from a long injury is riskier than it feels
The surf journal I've kept for a couple of years, and the trick of starting with one tiny detail to remember a whole session
A mentor reviews video of my best wave from last week and shows me the noseride that was sitting three yards behind where I stood up
Why noseriding means paying attention to what's behind you on the wave, not just what's ahead, and how a week on dry land made me a better surfer anyway
Send us Fan Mail! Be sure to put your contact info in the message :)
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
17 min
August 25The Messy Middle of Learning How to Noseride: My Brain Doesn't Have the Programming For that...Yet
Come Learn with Us! Join The Noseride Blueprint 2026
Week one of a twelve-week diary I'm keeping through the second annual Noseride Blueprint Challenge inside Surf Societe.
On Instagram you see the clip. Five, six, seven seconds on the nose, on someone's best day, on their best wave. You don't see the eighty attempts it took. So I'm going to show you my messy middle.
In this episode:
Why I was giddy going into round two, and what changed since the first time we ran it
What's different this year: twelve weeks instead of six, in-water drills, and two trips to Baja
Taking stock of where I'm actually at, including the health year that pulled me out of the water and had me wondering whether to sell my board
What it's like running a kickoff call, broadcasting into a screen of squares with no idea if it's landing
Two standout sessions this week, a crowdless inside section and a deep-takeoff experiment at high tide
Where my brain programming ends, why that's good news, and what I'm taking into week two
Read the written version: surfsociete.com/blog
The Noseride Blueprint: surfsociete.com/noseride-blueprint
Send us Fan Mail! Be sure to put your contact info in the message :)
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
20 min
August 10 Everybody Has a Tip. Nobody Shares a Process.
Join is in 💙 The Noseride Blueprint: Surfsociete.com/noseride-blueprint
Send us Fan Mail! Be sure to put your contact info in the message :)
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
14 min
July 31Ten Years of Wanting to Noseride, and What Was Actually Missing
🌊 Free Noseride Guide — the first thing I'd hand my 2012 self: https://surfsociete.com/noseride-guide
📍 The Noseride Blueprint — twelve weeks inside The Surf Société, Starting Aug 18: Surfsociete.com/noseride-blueprint
📖 Read the written version: I Spent Ten Years Wanting to Noseride
I wanted to noseride for over a decade and I couldn't do it.
Not for lack of wanting. I watched the one video that existed in 2012 — Kelia Moniz at Waikiki, toes over the nose — and I knew that was the thing I wanted. Then I spent the next ten years guessing at how to get there.
I bought the wrong board because I didn't know what to ask for. I practiced cross stepping on my bedroom floor next to my laptop. I collected kind, contextless advice from better surfers. I paid $250 for an hour with an instructor who told me "if you feel like cross stepping, take a step," and then spent the lesson talking to her friends in the lineup.
And then, slowly, I stopped saying the goal out loud.
This episode is the whole story — including the part nobody talks about, which is what it feels like to quietly get okay with not progressing at something you really want. It turned out it was never a talent gap. It was an information gap, a mindset gap, and a support gap, and all three of those are fixable.
If you've been saying you want to noseride for longer than you'd like to admit, this one is for you.
In this episode:
Why the board you were sold probably isn't a noserider, and what actually makes one
What length board you need to noseride, and why length is the smaller half of the answer
Cross stepping vs shuffling to the nose, and whether it matters
Why your nose sinks every time you get to the front of the board
How to get real value out of a surf coach, and the language you need before you hire one
What to do when Instagram stops being inspiring and starts feeling like a verdict
How long it actually takes to learn to noseride
Send us Fan Mail! Be sure to put your contact info in the message :)
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
19 min
July 27 I Didn’t Grow Up Surfing. Here’s How I’m Learning to Cross-Step and Noseride.
Working on your cross-stepping or noseriding? Join me at our Noseride Blueprint Open House 👉 Learn more about the Noseride Blueprint
Send us Fan Mail! Be sure to put your contact info in the message :)
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
15 min
May 1278. Surfer Susie: Meet The Gidget Era Surfer Turned Social Media Queen, Still Chasing Waves at 77
Working on your cross-stepping or noseriding? 👉 Learn more about the Noseride Blueprint
Watching Gidget as a little girl changed the entire course of Susie Terry’s life. What started with a surfboard strapped through the sunroof of her mom’s VW Bug turned into a lifetime of chasing waves, building community, and staying stoked well into her seventies.
In this episode of Confessions of a Surf Lady, The First Women’s Surfing Podcast™, I talk with Surfer Susie about growing up surfing in Ventura in the late 1950s, teaching herself how to surf before leashes or wetsuits existed, and what it’s been like watching surf culture evolve over the decades. We also talk about aging, fitness, social media fame, and why surfing still gives her the same excitement it did as a little girl.
Susie’s energy is infectious. She’s hilarious, grounded, wildly relatable, and a reminder that surfing doesn’t have to stop at a certain age. If anything, her story shows how the ocean can keep giving back for an entire lifetime.
🌊 Main Themes
Growing Up in the Original Gidget Era: After watching Gidget as a young girl, Susie immediately knew she wanted to surf. With no surf mentors, no wetsuits, and no leash, she taught herself at the Ventura Pier and became part of an early generation of women surfers.
Surfing as the Fountain of Youth: At 77, Susie still paddles out and says surfing keeps her feeling alive, connected, and young at heart. She talks openly about aging, staying active, and the gratitude she feels every time she gets in the water.
Unexpected Social Media Fame: What started as simple beach selfies with help from her granddaughter turned into viral videos, recognition in the lineup, and a whole new community online.
Follow Surfer Susie
Instagram: @surfersusie66
TikTok: @therealsurfersusie
Show Resources
📲 Follow Laura Day → @confessionsofasurflady
💌 Join my Newsletter here.

How to Support the Podcast
⭐ Leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
📲 Share this episode with a surf sister
🛍 Shop Surf Société → https://shop.surfsociete.com
Send us Fan Mail! Be sure to put your contact info in the message :)
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
30 min
October 04, 202577. Let’s Close This Chapter Together: Saying Goodbye to iaera surf
Let's close this chapter 🛍 Shop iaera surf w/ 20% off → shop.surfsociete.com
Deciding to close my first business wasn’t easy—but it was necessary. iaera surf began with big dreams, a mission to create surf wear for women, and the hope of shaping representation in the lineup. Years later, I find myself staring at 816 pieces of inventory and the necessity to finally close up the shop, for good.
This episode is about the reality behind that choice: the lessons I learned about running a product-based business, the gratitude I carry forward, and how iaera surf ultimately led me to this podcast and Surf Société.
If you’ve ever poured yourself into a project that didn’t turn out the way you imagined, I think you’ll recognize parts of your own journey here. And if you’ve ever wanted to own a piece of iaera surf, now’s the time—the shop is officially closing, and everything must go! Please help me close this chapter of my life by giving these beautiful pieces the homes they deserve.
Main Themes
The Vision of iaera surf – Why it started and what it set out to do.
The Challenge of 816 Pieces – Facing inventory and tough business realities.
Making Peace with Endings – What closing IAERA made possible for the future.
Resources
🛍 Shop iaera surf before it's gone → shop.surfsociete.com
Send me a Message! Be sure to leave your contact info.
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
14 min
September 28, 202576. 🏄‍♀️ Member Spotlight: How Chey Built Resilience and Confidence in Notoriously Aggressive Santa Cruz Lineups
Working on your cross-stepping or noseriding? 👉 Learn more about the Noseride Blueprint
What does it take to keep showing up—no matter what life throws your way? Chey’s story will leave you inspired. As a mother, a surfer living with MS, and a woman paddling out in Santa Cruz’s notoriously aggressive lineups, she reminds us that strength isn’t about perfection—it’s about choosing joy, resilience, and community.
In this episode of Confessions of a Surf Lady, The First Women’s Surfing Podcast™, I talk with Chey, a Surf Société member whose journey spans from growing up around lakes in Canada to raising a family that surfs together in Mexico and now living in Santa Cruz. Along the way, she’s navigated health challenges, learned how to read the ocean, and discovered the confidence it takes to hold her ground in one of the world’s most aggressive surf lineups.
Chey’s story is a reminder that surfing is layered, personal, and ever-changing. Through The Surf Société, she’s found not just skills and knowledge, but a supportive community of women who celebrate each other’s wins. From reflecting on tough sessions to choosing joy in the lineup, her perspective will inspire you to keep going, keep learning, and keep protecting your stoke.
Main Themes
Surfing as a Lifelong Journey
Chey shares her path from early water experiences in Canada to surf trips in Costa Rica and Mexico, and finally finding home in California.
Confidence in the Lineup
From Santa Cruz aggression to run-ins with entitled surfers, Chey explains how she’s learned to protect her energy and hold her ground.
“You can choose to paddle in—you’re not giving into them, you’re protecting your positive experience.”
The Power of Community and Knowledge
Chey describes how Surf Société gave her confidence, ocean knowledge, and a sisterhood where everyone’s progress feels like a shared win.
Show Resources
🌊 Join our global women’s surf community — The Surf Société — and start your free 7-day trial today → Join Now

Learn more first → Surf Société Overview

Follow Laura Day → @confessionsofasurflady

Follow Surf Société → @surfsociete

🛍 Shop Surf Société → shop.surfsociete.com

How to Support the Podcast
💙 Support our sponsors – They help keep this show going.
🛍 Shop Surf Société – Support women-centered surfwear and community.
⭐ Leave a Review – Help more women find us on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.
📲 Share this episode – Send it to a surf sister who needs to hear it.
Send us Fan Mail! Be sure to put your contact info in the message :)
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
29 min
September 23, 202575. Stronger Than Ever: The Joy of Surfing Over 50 with Sassy Silver Surfers
Working on your cross-stepping or noseriding? 👉 Learn more about the Noseride Blueprint
What does it feel like to paddle out in your fifties, sixties, or even seventies? For the women of the Sassy Silver Surfers Club, it feels like freedom. It feels like strength. And most of all, it feels like proof that surfing doesn’t have an age limit.
In this episode of Confessions of a Surf Lady, The First Women’s Surfing Podcast™, I’m joined by co-founders Lisa Alfano and Inessa Love, who started surfing later in life and quickly realized how few role models they saw in the lineup. Together, they created the Sassy Silver Surfers—a vibrant community for women 50+ who are showing up with courage, joy, and inspiration.
Through heartfelt confessions from their members, Lisa and Inessa share stories of women who started surfing at 57, became instructors in their fifties, and even returned to the waves at 72. These are stories of resilience, self-discovery, and the wisdom that comes from embracing life fully at every stage.
This is a conversation that will make you laugh, tear up, and walk away believing that your best waves may still be ahead of you.
Main Themes
Redefining Surfing After 50
Lisa and Inessa share their personal journeys—one from triathlons, the other from Hawaii—and how they built a thriving community that proves surfing isn’t just for the young.
Challenging Ageism in Surf Culture
The women of Sassy Silver Surfers are breaking stereotypes and pushing back against the idea that you’re “too old” to surf. Their stories show how visibility creates change.
The Power of Community
From laughter to tears, their group is living proof that women thrive together. Community provides encouragement, role models, and the space to grow at any age.
Guest Resources
Join Sassy Silver Surfers on Facebook → Sassy Silver Surfers Group
Instagram: @sassysilversurfers
Visit Ageless Adventures → https://www.tri2surf.com/about

Show Resources
🌊 Join our global women’s surf community — The Surf Société — and start your free 7-day trial today → Join Now
Learn more first → Surf Société Overview
Follow me, Laura Day → @confessionsofasurflady
Follow Surf Société → @surfsociete
🛍 Shop Surf Société → shop.surfsociete.com

How to Support the Podcast
💙 Support our sponsors – They help keep this show going.
🛍 Shop Surf Société – Support women-centered surfwear and community.
⭐ Leave a Review – Help more women find us on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.
📲 Share this episode – Send it to a surf sister who needs to hear it.
Send us Fan Mail! Be sure to put your contact info in the message :)
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
44 min
September 23, 202574. Dreaming of Noseriding? Here’s How We’ll Get There Together
Working on your cross-stepping or noseriding? 👉 Learn more about the Noseride Blueprint
This summer inside Surf Société, we wrapped up something truly special: our six-week Nose Ride Blueprint challenge. What started as an idea we’d been carrying for nearly two years turned into a program that brought women together, inspired breakthroughs, and created real progress toward nose riding goals.
In this episode of Confessions of a Surf Lady, The First Women’s Surfing Podcast™, I share how The Noseride Blueprint unfolded, the surprising ways our community showed up for each other, and why it was too good to stop there. From first-time cross-steps to vision boards filled with inspiration, the energy was undeniable—and it’s what inspired me to create the next step: The Noseride Collective.
If you’ve ever dreamed of gliding to the nose of your board—or you’re just curious what it really takes—this episode is your invitation. I’ll walk you through how the Collective will work, what you can expect, and how to grab your free Surf Lady’s Guide to Noseriding to start your journey.
Main Themes
What Made the Nose Ride Blueprint Special
How mentorship, assignments, and shared wins helped women make real progress toward nose riding.
Community Energy and Shared Wins
From first cross-steps to inspirational vision boards, the group lifted each other up in powerful ways.
The Nose Ride Collective
Why we’re continuing the journey with a six-month program designed for support, mentorship, and steady progress.
How to Get Started
Download your free Surf Lady’s Guide to Nose Riding and join the list to be the first to know when the Collective opens.
Resources
📥 Download the Surf Lady’s Guide to Nose Riding (free PDF) → https://free.surfsociete.com/noserideguide
🌊 Join Surf Société — start your free 7-day trial → Join Here
Learn more about Surf Société → Overview
Follow me, Laura Day → @confessionsofasurflady
Follow Surf Société → @surfsociete
🛍 Shop Surf Société → shop.surfsociete.com

How to Support the Podcast
💙 Support our sponsors – They help keep this show going.
🛍 Shop Surf Société – Support women-centered surfwear and community.
⭐ Leave a Review – Help more women find us on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.
📲 Share this episode – Send it to a surf sister who needs to hear it.
Send us Fan Mail! Be sure to put your contact info in the message :)
Support the show
Confessions of a Surf Lady, women's surfing podcast, is supported by The Surf Société, our unique digital women's surfing platform where we come together to Learn More. Surf Better. Live Happy. Learn more at Surfsociete.com
14 min

About Confessions of a Surf Lady | The First Women's Surfing Podcast™

From the publisher's feed

Hosted by Laura Day, this show gets into honest, thoughtful, and sometimes opinionated conversations about what it means to be a woman in the water today.

From women’s surfing and…