Confessions of a Surf Lady | The First Women's Surfing Podcast™ – Détails, épisodes et analyse

After spending over 30 years chasing waves and documenting epic California swells, Mattson Culbert—a surfer, photographer, and filmmaker—faced one of the biggest challenges of his life: a thyroid cancer diagnosis. 🌊 But instead of letting it hold him back, Mattson embraced vulnerability, rediscovered gratitude, and deepened his connection to the ocean.

To me, though, he’s more than just a talented photographer and lifelong surfer—he’s like a big brother, a kuya, the surf uncle we all wish we had, full of wisdom, humor, and the kind of perspective only decades in the water can bring.

In this episode of Confessions of a Surf Lady: The First Women’s Surfing Podcast™, Mattson and I talk about the evolution of surf culture, the resilience we learn from the ocean, and how his cancer journey reshaped his outlook on life. This conversation goes beyond the epic swell—it’s about family, gratitude, and the lessons we take with us both in and out of the water.

Resilience Through Challenges: How Mattson’s journey with thyroid cancer reshaped his perspective on surfing, life, and legacy.

Cultural Shifts in Surfing: A deep dive into surf culture in the ‘90s and how it compares to today’s more inclusive scene.

Respecting the Ocean: The importance of knowledge, humility, and community in and out of the lineup.

Resources:

• Follow Mattson: @mattsonculbert
• Try a membership at The Surf Société with 7 days free.
• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership

Confessions of a Surf Lady, is a women's surfing podcast that is supported by our amazing partners and listeners like you. This means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you make a purchase through the links provided. Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the podcast.

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

Try a membership at The Surf Société with 7 days free.

Join us as we celebrate the 50th episode of Confession of a Surf Lady Podcast, and nearly 50k downloads! Tune in to hang out with me, Host Laura Day, and longtime listener, Surf Société Member, and surfy friend Diana Zalucky. Together, we reflect on the podcast's journey and our mission to empower women in the lineup through the pillars of knowledge, culture, and sisterhood. I, Laura, share my experiences building the podcast while Diana shares highlights of building confidence through her surfing journey.

We also explore the challenges of social media, body inclusivity, and representation in the surfing world and emphasize the significance of curating your social media feed to foster personal growth in and out of the lineup.

Grab your favorite post-surf snack and tune in to this heartfelt episode filled with insights, laughter, and reflections on the journey so far!

Highlights:

• Embracing the Unpredictable Nature of Surfing: "I am not in control of anything. The ocean is not linear at all. So why the hell do I think that I can be in charge of this one sport in the world where you're moving and your playing field is moving, and it's never the same ever again." — Diana Zalucky
• Confidence in Surfing and Life: "At the core of it, having confidence in surfing, in life, that confidence is built when you show up for something that is hard, when you show up for something that you don't know how to do, when you show up for something that you're unsure about. You show up for it, you do it, and confidence the byproduct of you showing up for yourself because you took the leap on yourself. You took a gamble on yourself. So to me, confidence for surfing is that moment when I'm having butterflies in my stomach and I show up and it doesn't matter what happens in the water. But I kept that promise to myself." — Diana Zalucky
• The Power of Community in Surfing: "It's sharing with others and getting that stoke back from them and that encouragement, the surf society and the women in it are the people that I want to hang out with. — Laura Day

Resources:

• Try a membership at The Surf Société with 7 days free.
• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership

Confessions of a Surf Lady is supported by our amazing partners and listeners like you. This means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you make a purchase through the links provided. Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the podcast.

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

The connection you have with your surf community directly shapes your surf experience. While being part of a surf group is important, it's even more crucial that the community aligns with your personal goals, motivations, and personality.

In this episode, I, your host Laura Day, share my personal journey in finding the right surf family. I discuss my experiences with toxic surf clubs and unhelpful friendships, and how I ultimately discovered a positive and supportive community in The Surf Société. These stories underscore my core message: it’s perfectly okay to move on from groups and friendships that don’t enhance your surf experience. It’s healthy to seek out communities and friendships that support and inspire you.

Whether you're struggling to find the right surf group or searching for a supportive community, this episode offers encouragement to make your surf journey as enriching and joyful as possible. Tune in to learn why finding and nurturing the right surf community is essential for you.

Main Themes:

• The Heart of Surfing: Community and Connection: "The number one component that makes surfing really special is the community, the people that you get to surround yourself with. Whether they're friends or part of a club, finding a group of women that you can surf with and go out to brunches or dinners with after sunset is part of what makes a surf journey so soul-filling." — Laura Day
• Toxic Surf Club Impacting Mental Health: "It started to feel, frankly, really toxic and not fun. There were a few instances where I was outright bullied online and in person, and I began to really dislike surfing. I hated how it affected my mentality toward surfing. It made me feel really bad about wanting to get out in the water." — Laura Day
• Navigating Your Surfing Journey: "It's okay to go and find a better fit for yourself. You don't have to feel guilty or ashamed. You don't have to feel like you're leaving people in the dust. It's okay to find a group that works for you and makes you feel good about your surf journey." — Laura Day

Resources:

• Try a membership at The Surf Société with 7 days free.
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership

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

Growing up in Orange County, Ben loved to spend time in the water. However, as he grew up transgender, the revealing nature of swimwear eventually made him uncomfortable and led him to give up his time in the ocean. It wasn’t until he moved back to Orange County from San Francisco in 2010 that he was encouraged to get back into surfing.

In San Francisco, Ben found a strong sense of acceptance within the LGBTQ+ community. The freedom to be open and authentic about his identity was transformative, and it inspired him to reconnect with surfing and begin shaping his own boards.

Ben is passionate about inclusivity and accessibility in the surf industry. By sharing his story, he inspires others to pursue their passions, regardless of perceived limitations.

Main Themes:

• Transgender Experience in Sports: "So it's weird that it was something that I wanted to do, but being transgender, when I hit puberty, like, that wasn't cool with me. Swimming things that I loved. You wear things that are rather revealing. Wetsuits, bathing suits." - Ben Soto
• Sacred Surfboards and Economic Disparity: "There was a reason why the Hawaiians thought, is something sacred when they made surfboards. Not just anyone could make a surfboard. You had to be a priest. And there were rituals and ceremonies, there were launching parties, and it was a special thing. And it's gone from this wholly sacred thing that we took from these people and now make millions while they live in poverty." - Ben Soto
• Surfing and Spirituality: "When I go surfing and when I'm in the ocean, that is the closest I truly feel you can get to God's energy and the energy of the universe that flows within everything. When you catch that wave, that sensation, that feeling, there ions flying and atoms swirling around you in this energy that is coming from thousands and thousands of miles and the energy is what you're riding. This thing that's created and it comes all this way and at the very last moment of its energy, you get to play with it." - Ben Soto

Resources:

• Try a membership at The Surf Société with 7 days free.
• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership
• Follow Ben on Instagram @sotosurfcraft
• Visit Ben's website sotosurfcraft.com

Confessions of a Surf Lady is supported by our amazing partners and listeners like you. This means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you make a purchase through the links provided. Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the podcast.

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

Whether it's navigating a competitive lineup or dropping into steeper waves, every surfer is bound to face fear in the lineup.

But what happens when that fear becomes so debilitating that you can no longer enjoy your sessions?

Meet Kim Chareonbood. Hypnotherapist, sports mental trainer, and Surf Guide at The Surf Société Community. Kim specializes in helping surfers overcome fear and trauma holding them back in the water, and in life.

In this episode you'll hear about Kim's personal journey of managing fear and self-doubt to push herself to surf bigger waves, we'll share relatable stories of feeling intimidated in the surf but build confidence anyway, and you'll learn the brain science behind fear, as well as, how to utilize fear to your advantage in the lineup.

If you've ever struggled with anxiety about bigger waves or crowded lineups, this episode is a must listen.

Main Themes:

The Impact of Traumatic Experiences: "When you have a traumatic experience, it's in our body, in our system, in our mind, and it kind of has its own life. The information of the experience is so overwhelming it can't be processed by your brain in the normal way, and it leaves kind of an imprint of an unfinished story.'" - Kim Chareonbood

Embracing Incremental Progress: "You can really do mini-step by mini-step. People usually say, 'Now I have to go there and I have to take this wave.' No, the first step is to go closer and then go a little closer. Then maybe the next day you try to take the wave and you pull back, it's fine. It's like the next step, right? So that is one thing you can do. Go really mini-step by mini-step and be fine with it." - Kim Chareonbood

Risks in Surfing: "If you're not willing to take risks, you can't go surfing. There's just no point in you going surfing, even not small waves, because in the small waves there's more incidents, I would say, than in the bigger ones." - Kim Chareonbood

Resources:

• Try a membership at The Surf Société with 7 days free.
• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership
• Follow Kim Chareonbood on Instagram: @fearless_surfer
• Visit Kim's Website: Surfmentaltraining.com

Confessions of a Surf Lady is supported by our amazing partners and listeners like you. This means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you make a purchase through the links provided. Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the podcast.

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

Have you ever experienced the poetry of surfing? The saltwater molecules enveloping your body as they break your fall from a wipeout, the energy of a wave curling up to greet you, propelling you down the line for a mere 10-15 seconds. The natural components of your local break that set the stage for play and connection with your best friends.

In this episode you'll take a sneak peak into an exclusive Surf Société event. Follow along as our members meet Easkey Britton, Irish big wave surfer, marine scientist, artist, poet, and author of Saltwater in the Blood.

Together we explore the profound connection between women and the ocean. How our bond with water and the cycles of our local ecosystems is reflected within our own cycles in womanhood and life.

Easkey shares her journey from professional surfer to marine scientist, highlights the best surf spots in Ireland, share's her mindset shift from big wave surfing to motherhood and so much more.

Tune into this episode to celebrate your innate connection to the ocean and your saltwater in the blood.

Resources:

• Try a membership at The Surf Société with 7 days free.
• Follow Easkey on Instagram @EaskeySurf
• Purchase Easkey's Book Saltwater in the Blood
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership
• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com

Confessions of a Surf Lady is supported by our amazing partners and listeners like you. This means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you make a purchase through the links provided. Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the podcast.

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

Join our community The Surf Société with your first 7 Days FREE

Improving your surf skills is no easy feat and learning from others is critical part of the process, but when does unsolicited surf advice cross the boundary from helpful to condescending? And are newer surfers listening to advice that concerns safety in the lineup? OR are they brushing off tips and claiming the advice from experienced surfers as ugly localism?

In this episode, we'll talk about the importance of communication in an evolving surf culture and growing lineup and how we can maintain and encourage community and camaraderie when crowded lineups lead to frustration. 

We'll also hear your confessions to this episode's prompt "What's the most memorable piece of unsolicited surf advice you've ever received."

Join me, Laura Day and Surf Société Member Danyelle Carpenter for a critical conversation balanced with laughter and fun surf sister stories.

Main Themes:
The Good and Ugly Sides of Localism: "I think the differences between, between that good local and that ugly local is are you focused on getting yours or are you focused on community?" — Danyelle Carpenter

Generational Knowledge and Respect: "How do we get more access to that generational knowledge? How do we give more access to that generational knowledge, especially with, like, the lineup becoming so much more crowded and it's less of a conversation of numbers of people out there, because you can't stop that. And how unfair is it for you to be like, well, I started way earlier than you, so you shouldn't be here." — Laura Day

The Responsibility of a Surf Coach: "I volunteer and I teach people, new surfers, and, when I'm pushing them in, when I'm choosing a spot for this to sit, we're picking those spots that's our responsibility. To keep them safe, to make sure that it is a fun time."— Danyelle Carpenter

Resources:

• Try a membership at The Surf Société with 7 days free.
• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership
• Follow Danyelle Carpenter on Instagram @babelrose
• Shop Danyelle's shop: BabelRose original products.

Confessions of a Surf Lady is supported by our amazing partners and listeners like you. This means we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you when you make a purchase through the links provided. Thank you for being a part of our community and supporting the podcast.

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

Free Shipping: Shop Dip's after swim (and surf!) detangler bar and get FREE shipping when you use the code confessions at checkout.

Finding plastic nurdles on the remote beaches of Sri Lanka left Kate Assaraf heart broken. Having grown up in New Jersey where seamlessly going from beach to nightlife was a part of summer culture, Kate never left home without a bottle of conditioner to treat her hair after a day in the saltwater. Now a surfer and long term hair-care enthusiast, Kate hated the fact that her post-surf hair care contributed to the world's growing plastic problem. After dozens of iterations working with a chemist, Kate created an eco-friendly solution in her company called Dip! An environmental awareness company parading around as a damn good hair care company.

In this episode you'll learn all about Dip and how this badass entrepreneur combined her love for hair, sustainability, and surfing into a haircare line fit for surf ladies who love the environment (and are tired of those post-surf tangles!)

Main Themes:

Plastic Pollution & Kate's Inspiration to create Dip!
"When I was in Sri Lanka, they already had like a bit of a plastic problem. A ship had spilled plastic nurdles all over. It broke my heart. Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful, untouched places I've ever been and nurdles just mimic food for so much wildlife there. It's heartbreaking". - Kate Assaraf

Accessible Sustainability
"Sustainability is a weird subject, right? People want to care about it. But they either don't feel included or they feel disenchanted because they don't think that they can do much about it. For me, like the little emotional thing in my day, is my hair. If I'm having a bad hair day, I'm miserable it affects my confidence. So I thought why not make something amazing that that tapped into doing something good? Something you use regularly that reminded you about reducing your plastic instead of like finger waggled you into it." - Kate Assaraf

Greenwashing & Beauty Products: Reef Safe vs. Reef Safer
"Surfers want their their heart and soul in reef safety and understandably so. And I'm also on that on that team. When you're in the cosmetics industry, and you know that this term doesn't mean anything but consumers hold so much weight with it. It's tricky. You see consumers going back and forth on brands on reef safety. The term that I've seen that is most appropriate is "reef safer". It's very easy to put reef safe on anything right now there's no one there there no police it." - Kate Assaraf

Resources:

• Shop Dip and get 15% OFF with the code "confessionsofasurflady" at checkout at Dipalready.com
• Follow @Dipalready on Instagram here.
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady ti

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

Access the Read the Break Lesson  👉 HERE

Here's why experienced surfers are catching more waves than you...

While you think that crusty old guy is just taking his sweet time to sip his coffee, he's actually reading the break so he can create a game plan for his surf session.

Spending 10 reading the break before you paddle out will allow you to observe the ocean and the lineup and plan for a productive surf session... aka More Waves, More Fun!

But what do you look for in those 10?

Tune into this episode to hear about our new exclusive lesson inside The Surf Société: How to Read the Break and Your 8-Point Checklist for Having the Most Productive Surf Session.

Resources:

• Access the entire Read the Break Lesson for only $17!
• Become a member of The Surf Société at surfsocite.com/plans
• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership

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

At just 3 years old Reid Van Wagoner caught her first wave. She was hooked! Now 14, Reid is a surfing prodigy competing in both shortboard and longboard competitions, sometimes even in the same day! In this episode you'll meet the future of women's surfing. Reid shares her journey of growing up in a surfing family, how she balances life with being a young competitive athlete, and her excitement in being part the revolution of women's surfing.

Main Themes:

• Mindful Surfing in Competition: "Everything happens the way it's going to happen." — Reid Van Wagoner
• Resilience in Sports: "Just kind of push yourself and get over those obstacles and not let them get you down too much. If you let them get you down, then you're not going to be able to improve or to push past those." — Reid Van Wagoner
• Inspirational Figures in Surfing: "I look up to basically all of them. I met most of them and they're all so sweet. I have a couple local surfers like Katie Simmers and all of them like the youngest, like surfers on tour right now. I like surf with them and I always looked up to them when I was a little girl and then now they're on like the WSL tour and I'm like, wow, like I could do that one day." — Reid Van Wagoner

Resources:

• Follow us your host Laura Day: @confessionsofasurflady
• Follow The Surf Société: @surfsociete for surf lady tips from #thesurflab inside the membership
• Follow Reid on Instagram: @reid_v_dub
• Become a Member at The Surf Société at www.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