There's a moment just before you paddle out when you decide you belong there. For a lot of women, that moment takes more courage than the wave itself.
On 1 November, I joined around 150 women and men at Clarkes Beach in Byron Bay for the No More Excuses Paddle Out. Organised by Ruby Southwell, Pauline Menczer and Lauren Hill, the community came together to end the culture of excusing and enabling harmful behaviour towards women and girls in surfing. We were there to back the people who speak up, and to push for safer, more equal surf spaces for women, girls and anyone who's ever been made to feel they don't belong.
Paddle outs are usually held to honour someone we've lost. This one was about change.
On the sand
Before we paddled out, we gathered on the beach. Stories were shared, some brave, some heavy. Then we were asked a simple question: who here has ever experienced intimidation or violence?
Every woman raised her hand.
I wasn't surprised. That was the painful part. Nobody needed it explained. Standing on that sand, I realised how much of this survives on silence: the quiet shrug, the "that's just how it is", the not wanting to make a scene.
In the water
Then we walked into the ocean and paddled out together, carrying everything we'd just heard. We formed a circle, and the chant began: "No more silence, end the violence.
The bigger picture
Surfing has made progress. Equal prize money at World Surf League events is real. But in everyday line-ups, plenty of women still feel they have to prove themselves every time they paddle out, and some are genuinely frightened by the aggression they meet.
That fear doesn't come from nowhere. In Australia, one in four women has experienced violence from a partner or family member, and one in five has experienced sexual violence. An aggressive line-up is intimidating for a reason. Excusing it ("that's just localism", "boys will be boys") is what keeps it going. Calling it out is how it changes.
Taking up space
This is bigger than surfing. Taking up space looks like:
Paddling for the wave even when your heart is racing
Speaking up in the meeting, at the table, in the group chat
Backing the person who speaks up, instead of staying quiet
Cheering loudly for the woman next to you
Breaking silence and taking up space are the same muscle. You build it one small moment at a time: in the water, in the friendship where someone needs backing up, in the room where nobody else is saying it.
The ocean is where I learned it. Once you've caught a wave you were scared of, you start to wonder what else you're allowed to say out loud.
I left that beach empowered, emotional and more sure than ever why I started Kamica.
At Kamica
Everything we do is built around women feeling safe, supported and ego-free in the water: small groups, knowledgeable surf guides, and a crew that celebrates every wipeout and every win.
If that sounds like your kind of community, we've got two retreats coming up in 2027:
No more silence. Keep showing up. Keep taking up space.
With love, Rachel x
If this story brings anything up for you, support is available. In Australia, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
