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Each year on World Oceans Day, we’re reminded of the vastness, beauty, and power of the sea – and of our deep connection to it. At NOMB Changes, we believe that surfing is more than a sport. It’s a teacher, a mirror, a friend. The ocean doesn’t just shape waves – it shapes us.
Here are three life lessons the ocean has taught me – through salt, stoke, and surrender.
Let Go of Control – and Stay Open
Out in the lineup, you quickly realize: the ocean doesn’t care about your plans. The forecast might call for clean, shoulder-high waves, but the swell can suddenly drop, or a rogue set can catch you off guard. You learn to read, to react – but never to control.
In the sea, I find it easy to be open to what’s coming – because I know I can’t change it.
The waves teach me to adapt. To paddle when it’s time. To turtle-roll when necessary. To sit, to watch, to wait, to feel.
Strangely enough, it’s harder to do this with people. I try to steer conversations, manage outcomes, anticipate reactions. But the ocean shows me: when I let go of control, something more authentic can flow in – whether it’s a perfect set wave or a surprising connection.
Lower the Expectations – Raise the Joy
There are days when the forecast looks bad: onshore winds, small swell, grey skies, cold water, heavy rain. But I paddle out anyway. Not because I expect a miracle – but because I know: it’s always worth it.
Maybe I won’t score the wave of the day, but I’ll feel the salt on my skin, laugh at a wipeout, or share a peak with someone who’s just as stoked as I am.
When I let go of high expectations, joy becomes easier to access.
In surfing – and in life – this mindset changes everything. Instead of focusing on what should be happening, I start to notice what is happening: the dolphin jumping in the distance. The sunlight dancing on the surface. The rainbow painted across the sky by rain and sunshine. The stranger smiling in the lineup. And the quiet voice inside that says: this is enough.
Face Your Limits – and Try Again Anyway
The ocean is humbling. There are waves I can’t catch. Currents I can’t beat. Moments I panic or doubt myself. I get frustrated. Tired. Small.
But the ocean always gives me another chance.
The next session. The next paddle-out. The next breath.
It reminds me: limits aren’t failures – they’re feedback. A chance to pause, reflect, and keep going. In surfing, as in life, growth comes in layers. One ride at a time. One attempt at a time.
And sometimes, the biggest win is just showing up again.
This World Oceans Day, take a moment to listen to what the sea is telling you. At NOMB Changes, we’re inspired every day by the ocean’s lessons – and by the transformation that happens when we meet the waves, people and life with an open heart.
Happy World Oceans Day 🌊
