Aberdeen women are making waves at female surf club

The Wavy Wahines are a super friendly surf group for all women based at Aberdeen Beach.

By Rosemary Lowne

May 2 2024, 11:45 am

Rosie Payne, pictured, hopes to inspire more women to try out surfing. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Women are making waves and breaking stereotypes as they take to the water at Aberdeen Beach as part of a female surfing group.

Determined to turn the tide on the predominantly male dominated sport, the Wavy Wahines are keen to encourage more women to take up the sport and feel confident in the water.

From beginner surfers to those with more experience, Rosie Payne, one of the group’s founders, says they want to make the sport as accessible as possible for women of all ages and backgrounds.

From left, Rosie Payne, Frankie Alcock and Jess Peppercorn are part of the Wavy Wahines, a women’s surfing group based at Aberdeen Beach. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

“We formed the group after we saw there was a big surge in women starting to surf and there was also lot of surfers who had been around for a while but there wasn’t really a place for everyone to go,” says Rosie, 23, from Aberdeen.

“So we wanted to create a safe environment where women would feel welcomed and be nurtured into better surfers or feel more confident in the water.

“It’s a really exciting time for the Scottish women’s surfing scene as there’s some really inspiring young female surfers which is great as it shows that it’s not just a sport for the boys.”

From New Zealand to Aberdeen

Despite spending most of her childhood in New Zealand, Rosie’s deep love of surfing and its amazing benefits only bubbled to the surface after spending summers in Devon.

“I was born in Scotland but I was brought up around the world because my mum and dad were in the RAF,” says Rosie.

“We spent most of our childhood in New Zealand which was great as we were brought up outside.

Rosie Payne wanted to create a safe space where women can surf at ease. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

“Most people assume I must have got into surfing in New Zealand but we actually stayed in the suburbs so it wasn’t until we moved back to the UK when I got into surfing.

“We used to go down to Devon in the summers and that’s when my dad just threw us onto the surf boards and hoped for the best.”

Women’s surfing at Aberdeen Beach

Moving up to Aberdeen for university, Rosie trained as a rower before re-discovering her love of surfing.

“I was actually a rower for four years while I was at uni so I totally dismissed surfing for a while until I got into it again in my last year of uni and I’ve been doing it ever since,” says Rosie.

Picking her surf board back up again, it wasn’t long before Rosie realised there were plenty of other female surfers in Aberdeen.

“Me and my friend Cat noticed that there were a lot of women surfing so we started the Wavy Wahines as we wanted to build the female surf community within Aberdeen,” says Rosie.

“We wanted to start something that people felt they could come to and share interests and meet new people.”

The women’s surfing scene is growing in Aberdeen. Pictured are Rosie Payne, Frankie Alcock and Jess Peppercorn. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

Monthly surfing at Aberdeen Beach

Just two years on and the Wavy Wahines now boast 80 members.

“We have women aged between 18 and 50 so it’s a great mix of people,” says Rosie.

“We aren’t really a club as such, everything is free or super cheap to make it as accessible as possible.

“I try and run a monthly meet up, usually the last Sunday.”

For Rosie, who works as a digital engagement officer for the Open Seas Trust, the benefits of surfing are endless.

Once a male dominated sport, the tide is turning as more women take to the waters. Image: Kath Flannery/DC Thomson

“In terms of physical health, you’re using those core muscles, your shoulders, your back and your core,” says Rosie.

“Recently there have also been lots of studies about how it helps your cardiovascular system.

“A lot of people also talk about the blue mind state of mind which basically means that surfing is meditative.

“I think most people surf because they enjoy being in the sea and how it makes them feel.

“It’s about having your own head space and enjoying a stress free environment as people have lots going on so it’s really important to have that space.”