The last thing on your mind when you’re booking a surf trip is work, which is fair enough.
Surfing is after all a form of escape. A way to recalibrate our minds and bodies away from the office, counter or job site.
What we don’t often consider though is that beyond just being a holiday from routine, surfing regularly can also help us be more productive, well-rounded and ultimately more successful in our careers.
In this article, we explore how that can be. We also provide a frame of reference using the history of surfing culture, which existed for many years in spite of having a career or even working a part-time job.
Enjoy!
The surfing lifestyle OR a 9 to 5 job?
It seems amusing to write this article and see how far surfing has come since its inception into the wider sporting consciousness.
From the 50s to the late 80s, living the surfer lifestyle and having a career sat on opposite ends of the spectrum.
If you dedicated your life to surfing and by extension the beach, you were perceived to be actively avoiding any work-related responsibilities. Likewise, career-minded professionals had no time or inclination to surf.
Beach culture was considered a hobby or simply a pastime. A trivial distraction from the real world and strictly the realm of work-dodgers, high school dropouts and beach bums.
Funnily enough though, this gap between living the surfing lifestyle and working a traditional 9-5 is responsible for some of the surfing culture’s most formative periods.
Where would Australian surfing be without Bob Hawke’s Surf Team? Oz wouldn’t have world champions like Tom Carroll, to be sure.
What about the rebellious 60s surf scene in the United States? The Beach Boys could never have reached the heights they did without it. And how about the infamous Biarritz Surf Gang? France’s surfing identity was born from this association, regardless of how troublesome these surfers were.
The truth is that up until the 21st century, surfing and having a professional career were mutually exclusive. You either pursued one or the other.
But times have changed.
From the ocean to the office
Nowadays, surfing has become so ingrained in our society that it’s no longer seen as a frivolous and unproductive hobby it once was.
Surfing as an industry is worth in excess of $10 billion USD. Very little of that has to do with surfing as a sport. The biggest drawcard to surfing, and the main vehicle by which its wheels turn, is the accompanying lifestyle.
Being immersed in nature. Travelling to exotic destinations. Meeting new people from all walks of life. Eating healthy.
No longer are surfers seen as society’s fringe dwellers shirking responsibility for the pursuit of waves (although truth be told, we’re still kinda guilty of that at Xanadu).
The modern surf crowd is now a rich tapestry of individuals from all walks of life.
Professionals, entrepreneurs, artists and scientists are just some of the people who now share a passion for surfing — a lifestyle and pastime that not only naturally coexists with their careers or chosen professions, but also enhances them.
6 ways surfing makes us better at our jobs
This brings us to our main topic. Can surfing make us more successful in our careers?
After talking with past guests, it seems that returning to work with a renewed sense of focus and vigour is the norm. How much of that is due to the positive effects of a holiday and how much is due to surfing though?
It’s hard to say.
What we do know from personal experience is that surfing definitely does make us better at our jobs in the following ways.
You learn to trust the process
Every part of surfing, from popping up to turtle rolling, positioning yourself in the lineup and riding a wave to completion, is a process.
The end result is of course feelings of freedom, elation and being in tune with nature. But you’re never actually focusing on those outcomes. Only the steps that take you there.
The same can be said for any project or task we undertake in our careers. It’s easy to get caught up in the final product, but it’s the process that truly matters. You have to take your time. Focus on the details. For lack of a better phrase, get into a flow state.
Then and only then can you produce your best work… and maybe catch the best wave of your life (so far)!
Surfing is the ultimate workday de-stressor
Missed the train to work? Had to skip lunch due to a tight deadline? Dealing with an irate customer?
Work puts us into direct contact with daily stresses that can quickly pile up. And the more stressed you are, the more distracted you are — two things that are not conducive to good work.
These stresses are felt all the more acutely in a work environment too, given that your livelihood depends on your ability to handle them.
Fortunately, surfing is like a pressure release valve. It takes you out of that environment and into the ocean. Away from cortisol-spiking triggers and stressful situations.
Just entering the water fosters a mental state called the Blue Mind, but even if you don’t have access to waves, you can sharpen your mind, body and surfing skills with at-home training sessions from The Salty Club (Sign up for our newsletter and get a 30-day trial to their app here!)
The physical act of surfing then builds on that. The combination of endorphins, sunlight, sea air and the rhythm of the ocean all work together to relax our minds and bodies in a way that few other activities can.
The result of this is that you return to work the next day feeling refreshed and ready to tackle whatever comes your way.
It’s scientifically proven to make us more productive
According to a 2023 study by Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, surfing has the potential to provide a 10% boost in workplace productivity.
Researchers found that it not only improved participants’ cognitive functions, including concentration and decision-making abilities, but also enhanced overall sleep quality.
Based on this discovery, surfing could lead to better mental sharpness whether you’re in the office or at a job site.
After all, show us the person who doesn’t work better after a good night’s sleep and we’ll show you a real life tuselak.
Surfing gives us respite from runaway screen time
Ever find yourself caught in a trance, doom-scrolling your way through the latest news and social media feeds?
We all do this from time to time. It’s a product of our fast-paced, digitally-driven society. But despite repeated messages warning us about the detrimental effects of too much screen time, getting away from your phone or computer can be damn near impossible if you work in a digital-based industry.
Surfing is the antidote to artificial light, over-optimised images and algorithms designed to keep us hooked.
It’s just you. Your surfboard. Maybe a few friends. Bobbing around in the ocean being connected to nothing but your breath and the waves.
It’s a complete break from technology. A chance to disconnect from the constant barrage of screen time that permeates our daily lives.
It may also be the one thing that helps you avoid digital burnout and helps you refocus when you return to work.
It combines play with physical activity
Creative inspiration and physical activity are two things that you can never get enough of. Funnily enough, surfing combines both of them.
Surfing a wave is a creative endeavour, first and foremost.
You’re using your brain to solve problems, such as when to paddle, where to position yourself and how to stay on the wave, in a creative way.
Do you drop down low and cruise around the section? Cross-step to the front of the board and hang five? Turn gracefully off the top and ride out the wave?
You’re confronted with an almost infinite set of scenarios when surfing. By approaching them with an open, playful mindset (essential to a successful career), you’re flexing your creative muscles in the process.
The dual benefit here is that while you’re doing this, you’re also flexing your real muscles!
Carrying your surfboard. Navigating the lineup. Springing to your feet and paddling back out. All of these actions engage your body in ways that are hard to replicate outside of surfing.
From increasing core strength to improving balance, surfing can be a fun and active way to stay physically fit. And as we all know, being a creative problem solver and maintaining good physical health are crucial for success in any career.
Final thoughts
Coffee, comfortable shoes or a powerful laptop are all things that can undoubtedly make our jobs easier. Perhaps what we should be adding to this list is surfing?
It may not seem like an obvious choice, but when you consider the combination of mindfulness, stress relief, productivity and physical activity that it provides, it becomes clear that surfing can greatly benefit our work lives.
So, the next time you’re feeling overworked or overwhelmed, consider booking a surf trip or (if you’re lucky) heading out for a surf at your local break.
It might be the best thing you can do for your career.
