Simon Coverdale’s Post

We don't actually have to do anything, we choose to! I read a story online, of an unknown surfer, on a foamie, charging triple over barrels after necking fistfuls of mushrooms. The comments - legend, champion, etc, celebrated him. Surfing attracts mavericks, welcomes them, those who choose to live a different way! Watch WLS and you get a different version, clean cut athletes, towing the corporate line and throwing the odd tantrum for dramatic effect.  A version of surfing designed for a society it’s not traditionally been a part of. It may be where it’s going, the Olympics, mainstream, supported by non surf brands and now betting companies, or it may just be another version, less attractive to some, perhaps more attractive to more. But in its beating heart surfing's culture is built and thrives on stories of mavericks, outsiders, loners, who rebelled against society, its structures and rules, even its laws. It celebrates the individual, those who chose to live outside the norm. Because to surf, to be there when it’s good, to get the water time in, you have to rebel and push back, to some degree, to think and act outside of the norm. You can try and do it within the society’s normal structures, surf at dawn, after work in the summer, on weekends and holidays, but even that requires you to rebel and say no to commitments, chores, things others want you to do - and if the swell turns up, so does everybody else! You can choose and accept that, and still surf, still be a surfer, albeit perhaps a frustrated one, damn, you can move inland and not surf for 10 years and still be a surfer in your heart, but there are other options. You can choose to step away, and choose to find your own path. It doesn’t have to include drug fuelled chaos or wandering off into the desert, but you do have to realise it’s a choice, it’s all a choice. You can choose to do whatever you want, to skip work if its firing, demand flexitime and leave if you don’t get it, find an employer that suits you better, work for yourself, start your own business, to do it your way, to up the kids and move somewhere you want to live, how you want to live, to push back and rebel, to whatever degree you want to! It’s all a choice, sometimes we forget that, we don't actually have to do anything, we choose to! Surfer - Nat Young Photo - Unknown #individuality #choices #surf #worklifebalance #wsl

We need to red pill ourselves out of this money-worshiping matrix, but how? How do we activate the emergency brake? That’s where I want to make a radical claim you don’t often see in these kinds of magazines: What if surfing could be part of the solution? I know what you’re thinking. Sun-burnt beach bums covered in corporate logos with flying footprints the size of a small village. But that’s not the kind of surfing I want to talk about. Before the advent of wave pools, world tours, and tacky surfwear, surfing was a raging counter-culture. Swell seekers living on the margins of society, barefoot anarchists turning their backs on nine-to-five jobs and the consumerist mentality of their times out of a supreme passion for surfing. Who cares about money when you’ve got waves? This was a real-existing utopian lifestyle: work as little as possible to maximise time in the water; forget about careers and mortgages to live your life one session at a time. What if this fuck-you-and-let-me-surf philosophy was the very solution to our social-ecological predicament? The surf ethos is a prime example of voluntary simplicity, the revolutionary idea that less can be more. Work only what is necessary and keep as much time as possible for the activities that you actually value. It might be surfing or it might be something else. Art, science, politics, craft, erotic novels, bird watching or haikus. To do that, we need to tone down the artificial desires coming from advertising, the false needs manufactured via planned obsolescence, and the ridiculously high level of consumption imposed by positional competition. We need to remove all these unnecessary expenses that a constantly growing economy imposes onto ourselves and onto nature. Let us downshift needs in order to live the simpler way, free from financial dependency and the compulsion to work. Prosperity without growth: the art of sufficiency and idleness, an invitation to cultivate that blissful feeling of contentment that got us hooked on surfing in the first place. Nobody worries about the latest iPhone and the price of bitcoin while riding the barrel of a wave. The wave in itself is enough. Now imagine this as a whole economy. A post-capitalist, post-growth economy that stops worrying over money to prioritise what matters, whether you want to call it wellbeing, health, sustainability, or anything else. A grown-up economy that has matured into a stable steady-state where the efficiency gains from socio-technical progress are turned into more naps, longer holidays, and a luxuriant rewilding of nature. If we don’t need more stuff, why the hell are we still so obsessed about growing the size of our economy? Enough with the growth mania: let us dream of a 15-hour workweek and how much surfing we could do if we didn’t have to sacrifice countless hours just to “earn a living”.

How often do you reach your breaking point? A breaking point in human form is described as: 'the time when a person can no longer accept or deal with a situation because of too much pressure or stress'. A breaking point (or surf break), in terms of surfing waves is described as: 'at its peak, reaching a critical level at which linear energy transforms into wave turbulence energy with a distinct forward curve' (the perfect waves for surfing). Have you seen the classic film, 'Point Break' with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves back in 1991? That's where the title comes from, as it refers to a type of surfing wave, but also how humans can reach their breaking point too. There are 4 types of surfing waves, and each type can be compared to human beings, in terms of moods and personalities. Think about the times you've reached, or almost reached breaking point. Do any of these surfing wave descriptions seem familiar to how you felt? (match the wave environments to your characteristics) 👇 🌊 Beach break: not consistent, most have soft surfaces below (such as sand, but can vary), feature fast waves that take you by surprise or slow, consistent waves. 🌊 Reef break: a rock bottom surface below, that can be dangerous due to shallow waters and other potential hazards. They are challenging and really get you thinking. 🌊 Rivermouth wave: can break from either direction, and the surface is usually soft (like sand), but can also be rocks or pebbles. 🌊 Point break: the dangerous ones, often accompanied by a dramatic element (like a shark 🦈), to indicate this point could have a serious implication. This type of wave is one that surfers build up to, with experience over time. The Teahupo'o wave in Tahiti is considered to be the heaviest wave on the planet, and has claimed at least 5 lives since 2000, but surfers keep going there to try and ride it 🏄♂️ Maybe this shows we don't know (or fear), our breaking points? 🤔 What do you think? 💡 Looking to book insightful training for your team, that consists of creative visual representations and delivered by a deaf teacher? All customised sessions at Sound Training Solutions are one hour, or a combination of sessions can be blended and delivered for two hours or half a day, either in the day, evening or weekend, online or in person at your workplace! Here's the current list: 💡Transform, Adapt and Evolve as Leaders 💡The Art of Detachment 💡Unravel Your Rivalry 💡The Science of Communication 💡Sound in the Workplace 💡Inclusion 💡Mental Health and Wellbeing 💡The First Arrow Always Hits 💡Mindful vs Mind Full 💡Mental Diet 💡Abuse (domestic; mental and physical) 💡Suicide Awareness 💡The Science of Sound 💡Loneliness and Isolation 💡Deaf/Hearing Loss and Tinnitus Awareness 💡Mindset Detox 💡Talk the Talk For more information, please contact Vickie Deeks (deaf) at: soundtrainingsolutions@mail.com, or text/WhatsApp: 07447 294832 💙 #waves #breakingpoint #mentalhealth

This past weekend, I wanted to escape the routine and headed to the north of Spain to surf the waves (or, let's be honest, mostly the foam) of the Cantabrian Sea. During the week, remembering a conversation with the surf trainer there about the analogy of always having another wave for a second opportunity, and encouraging me to keep trying, I realized how surfing and navigating through life, career, or any type of change share some similarities in gaining perspective and resilience. 🌊 There's always another wave: Just as each wave in surfing presents a chance for excitement and progression, every change or challenge in life offers an opportunity for growth, learning, or advancement. Waves keep coming in surfing, and similarly, changes and opportunities in life are continuous. Missing one doesn't mean missing all! And maybe the next opportunity is better than the one that just passed. 🌊 Preparation is key: Like a surfer needs skills, balance, and the right mindset to catch a wave, preparing for changes involves acquiring the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitude. Understanding the currents and maintaining the right mindset are essential for success. 🌊 It's okay to fall: Falling off the board is a natural part of surfing, just as setbacks or failures are normal in dealing with changes. What matters is learning from them and having the resilience to get back up and try again. 🌊Not everything is about math, data, and calculations: surfing is about feelings and intuition. Similarly, some decisions and movements in life aren't driven by exact calculations but by emotions, instincts, and a sense of timing. That's okay as well, let your heart have its place. 🌊 Taking breaks to recharge: Stepping back from the routine and letting our minds wander for a while allows us to reassess, reflect, and recharge before tackling the next challenge or opportunity, or even retrying a prior project. Sometimes, it's good to lay on the beach and watch others surf! 🌊 Not every sea is for everyone: Just as I would never dare to surf the huge waves of Nazaré, it's important to recognize our limits and whether we're a good fit for a particular sea. There are battles not worth fighting, and saying no can also lead you to better landscapes. Remain patient, adaptable, and persistent. In the end, it’s a matter of keeping on riding the waves of life and not letting the waves and currents pull you into the dark depths of the ocean. 🏄♂️

Can you please the masses without upsetting the purists? As someone who has devoted their life to chasing waves, I feel I should be delighted that an image of X3 World Surfing Champion Gabriel Medina has gone viral. I should feel ecstatic that surfing has finally made it to the Olympics and is receiving proper funding. And, I should feel unbelievably fortunate that the event took place at one of the most impressive waves on the planet, with an average forecast somehow transforming into four hours of some of the best waves ever seen in competition. But here's the problem: the purist in me doesn't appreciate it; it's sulking and cynical. I worry about overcrowding, environmental reef damage, and commercialization, but most of all, the picture irks me. I've experienced the same response with my own surfing, albeit on a tiny scale. After years of devotion to my craft and thousands of captured moments, it is this simple 'fly away' picture (shown above) that is my grandma's firm favourite. It's nice to have that appreciation, but it feels cheap and trivial. As a surfer, I grew up mesmerized by waves. Every inch of my bedroom walls was plastered with pictures. I, like all others obsessed, can identify oceans by the colour of the water and surf breaks by the way the water curves as it rises. Here's the thing: Teahupo'o, where the competition is being surfed, creates a visceral reaction in every surfer. Just seeing a picture of an unridden mass of water creates nerves, passion, and admiration. The viral picture from Gabriel is 'nice', but it puts the surfer at centre stage and ignores the co-star; the perfectly formed, beautiful monster of nature is nowhere to be seen. The jump (or kick out) after the ride's completed is well-timed but trivial. The real skill of the surfer and uniqueness of the wave have already been demonstrated, and the moment is missed. Yet the masses don't care; they don't know. Its relatability makes it a hit. Bringing this back to my usual topic of AI - it made me reflect. I'm sure I'm guilty of the same offense I now scorn. AI teaches and simplifies and makes me an armchair expert in everything. Is this a problem? Well, if we put the expert's ego aside, I don't think so. A world of armchair experts is far better than a world of ignorants. But the hard-earned skills and knowledge created by a lifetime of devotion are far from irrelevant. More than ever, we need true experts; we need their passion because we need their cynicism. The cynicism of experts is what guides the rest beyond the superficial, crowd-pleasing, relatable 'nice' to ensure the real moment isn't forgotten, even if not fully appreciated.

Here we have the solution for large scale behavioral change needed for truly sustainable lifestyle. Find out and embrace our deepest passion. Technologies and materialism was meant to help us achieve more opportunities to reailze ourselves, not to make us slaves to unrelentless economic growth and internalise capitalism. We as humans need to grow up and behave like ones, not like some insecure teenagers that have insatiable appetite to consume to alleviate their commercially induced insecurities. We need to find what we want to contribute, find our core purpose, and spend efforts on that, like surfing. Soon we will see that travelling, consuming, buying new stuff, is not important but merely defence activities hiding our true needs. What is it that you want and need to do? #degrowth

Why Surfing is Therapeutic, But Not Therapy Surfing is more than just a sport; it’s a journey into the heart of nature that offers profound therapeutic benefits. While it’s not a substitute for professional therapy, surfing can be a complementary practice that promotes mental and physical well-being. Here’s why: 1. Embracing the Waves: The Calm of the Ocean The rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the shore can induce a meditative state, offering a unique form of oceanic tranquility that soothes the soul. 2. Balance and Focus: Riding the Present Moment Surfing requires intense concentration and balance, forcing surfers to stay rooted in the present moment, which can help clear the mind of daily worries. 3. Nature’s Embrace: The Healing Power of Saltwater Saltwater is known for its therapeutic properties. Immersing oneself in the ocean can have positive effects on physical health, from improving skin conditions to boosting circulation. 4. Community and Connection: Shared Waves, Shared Healing The surfing community is a tight-knit group that shares not just waves but also support and healing, contributing to an individual’s sense of belonging and well-being. 5. Challenge and Achievement: The Boost of Self-Efficacy Every wave caught and ridden is a personal victory. Overcoming the challenges of surfing can lead to increased confidence and a sense of achievement. 6. Flow State: The Zen of Surfing Surfers often speak of entering a ‘flow state’ where time seems to stand still, and they are completely absorbed in the activity, providing mental clarity and stress relief. 7. A Respite from Routine: The Freedom of the Sea The sea offers an escape from the mundane routine of daily life, providing a space for freedom, reflection, and mental respite. While surfing can offer these therapeutic benefits, it’s important to recognize that it does not replace professional therapy. It can be an excellent addition to one’s mental health toolkit, offering a natural and enjoyable way to support well-being. Have you experienced the therapeutic benefits of surfing? What was your experience like? Share your story in the comments below to join our wave of healing. #SurfTherapy #MentalWellness #HealingWaves #OceanTherapy #FlowState #Mindfulness #Resilience #CommunityHealing If you’re interested in learning more about surf therapy or want to join our community, visit www.resurfaceuk.com or reach out directly here on LinkedIn. Let’s catch some healing waves together.

Did you promise yourself you'd surf more, this year? If you are a surfer, and every year you promise yourself, this year, I’ll make the time, get fit, get in more, take a trip, start going regularly again but, you haven’t, yet again, because of work, responsibilities, commitments, kids, chores, health, location, conditions, Surfers Life Club’s NEW Surf More Program is specifically designed for you! The powerful tools and proven strategies of my highly successful, signature Work Less, Surf More one on one program delivered to your inbox, at a fraction of the cost. “It feels so good to be back!” “From not surfing for over 6 months because I thought I didn’t have time, I am now surfing twice a week. Thank you Steve!” “My life is different now, much better, and so am!” “The tools help me get in the water more and enjoy it more but, help me more at work and with kids just as much!” “I can't recommend Steve and his services highly enough!” 12 exclusive Surf Life Modules, covering topics such as Surf Strategy Planning, Effective Goal Setting, Building Confidence and Stoke, Overcoming Fear and Self Doubt, Changing Surf Life Habits, Solution Based Thinking, The 7 Levers of Surf Time, and more. All applicable in surfing, business and life, all specifically designed to help you overcome your challenges and start Surfing More, within 28 days! PLUS Personalised, 24 hour support, from myself, a life long surfer, founder, business mentor and coach, husband and father of 3 groms. PLUS Weekly accountability check ins, to help you to stay on track and taking the steps you’ve committed to, or overcome whatever is stopping you! PLUS Small, private, monthly Community Stoke Sessions, where we gather the crew, make connections, share our experiences, our surf life stories, and our support and stoke! PLUS A private, exclusive, one on one, 60 minute Paddle Out Session with me, via zoom, to get you set up and started! The Surf More Program is: - Self Paced, it can be taken over a 12 weeks, or more, as your life requires! - Guaranteed - if you’re not satisfied within the first 28 days, you get your money back, no questions asked. - A fraction of the price of my proven, bespoke, signature Work Less, Surf More Program! There’s payment plans available, and a limited number of scholarships available for those who meet the criteria. To celebrate it’s launch, i’m also offering a monster 50 % off the first 5 places! If you surf, and you want to Surf More, Type “Surf More” in the comments and we’ll get you started, before it’s too late! Surfer - unknown Photo - Jessie Loiterton #OvercomingChallenges #surf #surfing #changeyourlife

HOW TO THRIVE ON THE WAVES OF CHANGE You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. — Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor Emeritus of Medicine, University of Massachusetts By understanding the particulars of the change process and its impacts in the emotional and behavioral sense, we gain insight into what lies ahead and acquire the skills to guide others through change while providing them with the necessary support and encouragement. Hence, it is of paramount significance to acknowledge and respect the environment in which we find ourselves. Our acceptance of its operational framework is necessary in order to establish synergy and equilibrium. Parallel to cultivating restless oceans, this can only be achieved by subduing ego and fostering an openness to connect with the challenging milieu. The knowledge of experienced surfers conquering colossal waves resides in their self-awareness and understanding of the environment in which they surf. This comprehension encompasses the internal dynamics of their emotions and reactions, as well as the external dynamics and the events unfolding in this environment. The surfer must expertly navigate the succession of waves that continually present themselves. In the split seconds preceding each wave, he anticipates, carefully designs his approach, and finally, implements his riding prowess. The art of surfing, once limited to specific seas, has been made available across the globe through technological advancements, entrepreneurial thinking, and a needs-based analysis from the perspective of potential surfers. In the world of surfing, it is great Gareth McNamara who in 2010 innovated surfing on 30-meter wave and set a new challenge for generations of surfers to come. The emergent possibilities in the world of surfing serve as an inspiration in business.  ¥  The first surfboards were made of wood, and after various material re-innovations, wooden and eco-friendly boards are making a grand comeback. ¥  Surfers participated for the first time in the 2021 Olympics held in Tokyo. ¥  If you find yourself in a desert, you can surf on artificial waves in a pool or a lake. ¥  Drones provide surfers with information about the presence of sharks. ¥ Thanks to the neoprene material, surfers are conquering icy waters, which was previously unthinkable. ¥  The Mekong River changes its course every 6 months, providing surfers with unique river waves and urban views as they surf. ¥  Riding massive waves is facilitated by water scooters. ¥  Electric hydrofoil enables waveless surfing. ¥  Surfers can catch an infinite wave generated by an ocean liner. ¥  For the first time on giant waves, an airbag was used to protect surfers in Nazaré. ¥  Neoprene wetsuits, a new material in manufacturing, allow surfers to personalize their surfing gear. ¥  Kiteboarding utilizes both wave power and wind power. ¥  Monitoring surf competitions is conducted with the aid of drones. (Book Business Reinnovation by Tatjana Mamula Nikolić)

Have you ever imagined living a completely different life? Maybe you’re in a bustling, noisy city, and you’ve secretly promised yourself that one day, you’ll trade it all for the peace of a quiet village, where life is simpler and slower. For me, as life got busier, I found myself increasingly drawn to the surfing community. The laid-back attitude, free-spiritedness, courage, and playfulness of surfers intrigued me. So, four years ago, I took my first surfing lesson. Since then, I’ve dipped my toes into the surfing world—slowly, on and off—always fascinated by its rhythm and mindset. For the past week, I had the opportunity to live in a surfing village and immerse myself fully in this community. Here are a few key takeaways and a little reality check from my experience: 🌊Courage and playfulness come with hard work: Catching big waves isn’t as easy as it looks from your beach towel. It takes years of practice, countless falls, and perseverance. The game is far more complex than just watching it—there’s a lot of trial and error involved in truly mastering it. 🌊Surfing is as much about mental balance as physical strength: Whether you're staying balanced on the board or staying calm in the mind, surfing demands both. The physical demands are clear, but the mental challenge is just as important, as you learn to stay focused and present in the moment. 🌊Nature’s connection and a new kind of mindfulness: Surfing gave me a unique space to be fully present—almost like a meditation. One of my most memorable moments was watching a rainbow appear while waiting for the next wave after a heavy rain. It was a reminder of the beauty in simplicity. 🌊Self-improvement knows no boundaries: Whether in a bustling city or a tranquil surf village, my mind always seeks growth. This time, I found myself spending my evenings learning new surfing techniques or mentally rehearsing the steps for the perfect pop-up before falling asleep, eager for the next day’s session. Living as a surfer has been a joyful and eye-opening experience. And now, as I head back to the hustle and bustle of London, I feel a little more balanced, a little more at peace—ready to take on the challenges of city life with a fresh perspective.