Sarees, Surfboards, And Sisterhood: Indian Women Claiming The Waves

Women today, the world over are turning to a panoply of hobbies instead of dating. In an era where centering our lives around ‘a man’ or having a boyfriend is embarrassing, pursuits like surfing become a welcome escape from an otherwise bleak dating culture. Whether pathetically worn down by the current dating scene or merely in search of a hobby beyond pickleball, the shift feels both intentional and liberating.

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Surfing is definitely not for the faint hearted, it requires crazy dedication, balance, and a hell lotta courage to get back on the board after falling multiple times and getting hit by the waves. It’s facing your fears headstrong, taking risks in the water. As you slowly begin to trust the water, you also slowly begin to trust yourself.

Experiencing it first hand in Srilanka for myself was one of the most thrilling experiences in my life. Surfing is complex enough on its own, but we found a fearless group of women who take it a step further, riding the waves in sarees.

For each of these women, surfing began as a mix of curiosity and quiet rebellion. None of them grew up seeing women in their communities ride waves, yet each felt an instinctive pull toward the ocean. 

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Lawyer-turned-businesswoman and the founder of a wellness centre in Varkala, Aparna Sathianathan first fell in love with open water as a child in the Andamans. Entering Kerala’s rougher sea as an adult, however, came with caution and a sense of breaking unspoken rules. For Aparna Harikumar, the journey began with childhood memories of dipping her feet into the water under her father’s watchful eye, long before she ever imagined surfing.

“The ocean has been my medicine since I was seven. Some days it’s a friend, some days a mother, some days a terrifying monster but it fixes me no matter what. My relationship with the sea has shaped who I am more than anything else,” says Sathianathan.

Just like many others, Nitisha Sethia’s entry point into surfing began with simple internet research and a spontaneous decision to book five days of lessons, a leap that would eventually change the course of her life.

“It began in 2015 when I signed up for five days of surf lessons. I didn’t personally know anyone who surfed, but I had heard about it through the media. I simply googled ‘surfing India,’ contacted a surf school online, and travelled to Pondicherry to learn the sport. In my initial years, I was still living in the city and could only surf for a few days each year. Over time, surfing took on such a central place in my life that I eventually relocated to Varkala, just so I could surf every day,” she says.

Today, that early curiosity has evolved into a career- Sethia is now an Adventure Travel Professional and the Female Athletics Lead at SurfKerala, shaping pathways for more women to enter the sport.

And for Josephine Amber, surfing was second nature from her Australian upbringing, but learning to surf alongside Indian women in Kerala was like starting over, with new culture, new community, and new meaning. Their early days were full of awkward wipeouts, fear of the unknown, and the quiet joy that comes from doing something you never imagined you could.

As beginners, they discovered that surfing demanded not just skill but surrender, learning to read the ocean, respect its moods, and build confidence one wave at a time. What surprised each of them was how deeply the sport transformed their relationship with themselves. 

“Surfing completely changed me. I used to be a mountain person, but now the sea feels like home. Wherever I travel, I can’t wait to come back to Varkala. Surfing has become my happiness, my peace, the place where I feel most myself,” says Aparna Harikumar.

Their beginner years were not just about technique, they were about freedom, resilience, and finding a sense of home in the ocean. Together, their stories show how learning to surf can quietly, radically reorient a woman’s life.

How did Saree Come In The Picture?

Surfing in sarees became an act of reclamation of water, identity, and agency. Rather than conforming to international surf aesthetics or borrowed dress codes, these women chose to create something distinctly their own, grounding the sport in cultural familiarity and personal expression.

“Catching a wave in a saree felt like claiming my womanhood in a way I’d never experienced before. It held tradition, joy, strength, and rebellion all at once, an achievement I never imagined for myself,” says Aparna Harikumar.

For those watching, the impact was immediate and electric. “Walking onto a busy beach with Indian women surfers dressed in sarees was unforgettable. People were smiling, filming, asking questions, everyone could feel the shift. It was more than a shoot; it felt like a moment that sparked a new kind of excitement for women in surfing,” recalls Josephine.

At its core, the act was about ownership and self-definition. “Bringing the saree and surfboard together was the perfect way to connect our femininity and Indianness with the sport. It showed us that we don’t need to mirror male surfers or international female surfers. As Indian women, we can meet the ocean in our own style, on our own terms,” says Nitisha.

The Sarees, And The Response They Sparked

More than a hundred people were on the beach, watching as they first stepped onto the shore with their surfboards and sarees, as though they were something extraordinary. Everyone wanted photographs; strangers smiled, filmed, and lingered. The male surfers from the community cheered them on, making them feel not only visible, but beautiful and strong.

For Aparna Sathianathan, the choice of what to wear was deeply intentional. She chose a Kerala saree, the traditional attire of women in the state, as an invitation for local women to see themselves in the water. “We are blessed with such a vast, beautiful coastline, yet the space remains dominated by men, usually fishermen. Women are so strongly discouraged by society from engaging with the ocean, and it pains me,” she says.

She adds, “We are blessed with such a vast, beautiful coastline, yet the space remains dominated by men, usually fishermen. Women are so strongly discouraged by society from engaging with the ocean, and it pains me.”

From the sheer volume of positive responses the post received alone, it was clear that this moment had sent out a ripple of excitement and possibility. What began as a visual statement quickly evolved into something larger, a call for community. 

This led to the creation of @surfingsisterhoodindia, a women-only collective designed to carry this spirit forward through supportive surf retreats across India. 

Led by incredible Indian women surfers, these camps aim to make the ocean feel more accessible, less intimidating, and deeply communal. And for those who feel drawn to the symbolism of it all, saree-surfing photo shoots will continue because sometimes, reclaiming space begins simply by showing up, dressed exactly as you are, and riding the wave anyway.