Swell Tips

India’s First Multi-Purpose Reef Goes Off from ASR Limited on Vimeo.

Make’s me want to go to India! Has anyone surfed this yet? It looks amazing and fun.

Please use your shopping dollars to help our waves!

Our good friends at Carve Designs , surf clothing for women, are at it again.  They are doing good and spreading the Aloha to our ocean and waves, yippee! How are they doing this? They are helping to preserve our Ocean and Save Our Waves by donating a whooping 15% of all orders placed on their website. All you need to do is shop and enter WAVES when checking out. It’s summertime and time to get your beach gear, why not help our ocean at the same time? This donation expires on May 19th so start looking for those awesome pair of surf shorts or beach cover up. We LOVE you CARVE DESIGNS!

Be the first to ever surf on a flying surfboard in Maui of all places. SwellWomen has just launched the first ever flying surfboard and will be using these surfboards during their women’s surf camps. “This is quite fun and a unique experience. It makes catching waves and getting back into the line up a breeze.” states owner, Me-Shell Mijangos. If you want to see what a flying surboard feels like, join SwellWomen at one of their retreats this year. Fly away!

Oh, did we mention that it’s April 1st today… a little April Fool’s Joke for you!

Surfing is one of the most enjoyable water sports. There is nothing more exhilarating for a surfer than to ride the biggest waves for the longest time. However, people who want to learn how to surf, draw back from the sports even before trying a session because of fear of sharks.

Indeed, sharks are seen as hostile predators of the sea. They are large, strong, have saw-like teeth; or to put it – fierce looking. In fact, of all the world’s sea predators, sharks are the most feared. But sharks are perhaps also one of the most misunderstood predators. Although it is true that there had been victims of shark attacks, there are a lot of misconceptions about these creatures.

If you are a surfing greenhorn, do not give up the enjoyment of surfing just because of an irrational fear of sharks. Here are 5 reasons why a fear of sharks should never stop you from learning to surf.

1. Men and Women do not form part of a shark’s diet.

There is no such thing as a man-eating shark. Men are not staple foods of sharks. Other than the fact that men and women are too bony for sharks’ tastes, these animals prefer rich fat-content meats to maintain its temperature and to give it more energy.

2. Most cases of shark attacks involve mistaken identity.
Data reveals that 90% or more of shark attacks are mistakes. From below the waters, sharks sometimes erroneously identify humans as their common food. That is why in most incidents, after biting a person, sharks let’s go of the victim after hanging on for a while.

3. Only a few sharks have the potential to be dangerous.
It is a wrong to generalize that all sharks are dangerous. Out of 360 species of sharks, only 4 of these are responsible for unprovoked attacks on humans: the Great White Shark, Bull Shark, Tiger Shark and Oceanic Whitetip Shark.

4. The odds of being attacks by a shark very, very low.
Sharks rarely attack humans unless provoked, making the risks of being attacked very little. In fact, only 15% of the shark species frequent the shallow waters or the coast, where anyone may possibly encounter them. According to the International Shark Attack File, a person’s odds of being attacked by a shark is only 1 in 11.15 million. The risk of dying is only 0 in 264.1 million. That is why, in majority of shark attacks, the victim always survives and gets to tell the tale.

5. The dangers of sharks as we know are exaggerated.
Sharks have been adjudged to be evil creatures by mere bad publicity. There are more animals that cause human deaths such as flies, mosquitoes and bees. Perhaps to be blamed for their bad identity is the media, which most likely sensationalizes every news of a shark attack. Other than the media, Hollywood must also take part of the blame for first giving the idea about the legend of “man-eating sharks” as portrayed in movies like the “Jaws” series.

Surf without fear – Leave your shark fear at shore

Image from ellenbarone.com

Sometimes we have sisters who come to our retreats and it’s always so fun for them to enjoy quality time and adventure. It’s often a time for sister’s to reconnect who live in different states. My sister and I decided to start doing a little getaway once a year, too. Ellen Barone’s article is perfect to check out for inspiration. Here is an excerpt:

Is traveling with your sister on vacation a recipe for disaster? It doesn’t have to be as long as you lay down some ground rules first. Here are a few travel-tested truths for keeping peace in the sister hood.

1)Leave the baggage at home.

2) Privatize.

3)  Get thee to chocolate.

4) Play well with others.

5) Money, money, money.

To read about her tips, visit Ellen Barone’s website here.

You don't want to feel like this after the holidays!

It’s holiday time and that generally means stuffing your face and laying around on the couch. I received these digestion tips from Peggy Hall at Yoga for Surfers. I hope you can use some of these tips over the holidays and everyday. Enjoy!

Here are a few things you can do today to improve your digestion by Peggy Hall:

1. Make sure to chew each bite of food until it becomes liquid.  This step
alone will help in most cases of indigestion.
2. Before eating, consider drinking a glass of water mixed with 1-2
teaspoons of apple-cider vinegar and 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup or
honey. This will help create the perfect pH balance in your stomach
for better digestion.
3. Focus on natural, healthy wholesome food.
4. Consider taking a digestive enzyme supplement with each meal.
5. Supplement with a high-quality probiotic, which is the “healthy
bacteria” we need in our gut.

Love the holidays? Love to eat? I think the majority of us would say yes to these two questions. What are some yoga poses that you can do to help your digestion.

Here what Peggy Hall has to say:
Any type of spinal twist is really beneficial to help keep your digestive system in shape. You can also lie on your back with your knees bent and wrap your arms around your shins. Keep your head on the floor and your chin slightly tucked. Stay for several breaths. The pressure of your knees against your abdomen helps to bring energy and circulation to the stomach, pancreas, liver and intestines.
Child’s pose is also good, as it stimulates and tones the digestive organs. But be sure to practice all these poses on an empty stomach! After eating, the best thing to do is to rest a bit and then go for an easy stroll, which will also help aid digestion!

Enjoy the holidays but take care of yourself by practicing yoga and not overdoing it! See you in the surf!

Just received some interesting Swell Tips from Peggy Hall at Yoga for Surfers. I’m a firm believer on the affects of food in our bodies, just down a fast food meal and you can notice the slugginess right away. Enjoy the excerpt and be sure to check out Peggy’s website here.

You see, different foods affect us in different ways. Some foods cause an inflammatory response in the body, which can cause stiffness in the joints, muscle pain, headaches, allergies, skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, sinus pain and congestion, sciatica, neck pain and a whole host of other ills.

Which foods cause inflammation? Well, it’s what you might call the “good stuff” — coffee, sugar, flour, alcohol, red meat, dairy products (yogurt is okay), deli meats, fried foods, foods high in
sodium, and most packaged, processed foods which are basically bankrupt when it comes to nutrition.

Foods for flexibility, on the other hand, are wholesome, nourishing natural foods like chicken, fish, beans, whole grains (not wheat or corn), raw, unsalted nuts and seeds, avocado, olive oil, fresh fruits and vegetables.

All green vegetables are considered very healing, so fill up on green beans, asparagus, broccoli, artichokes, zucchini, salad. Use lemon juice and olive oil for your dressing and stay away from any packaged food that has more than 200 mg of sodium per serving.

Your best bet? Drink up to three liters (100 ounces) of pure water daily. The first few days you’ll be getting rid of the excess built-up fluid, but in a matter of days, your body will self-regulate.