Surfing Through Pregnancy and Trusting Myself

By Amanda Murray

Pregnancy is wild. It’s beautiful, transformative, disorienting, and deeply, deeply personal. For something so universal, it’s so profoundly unique. We hear a lot of narratives about what it should look like: soft lighting, gentle prenatal yoga, avoiding lifting heavy things, maybe a craving for pickles. But for me, and for a lot of women I know, pregnancy didn’t feel like a time to slow down or disappear into the background. It felt like a time to stay in my life. To keep moving, keep playing, keep trusting. And lots of pickles. 

Although I don’t live in San Diego anymore, I still managed to surf through my pregnancy during various trips to the coast. Not as some sort of rebellion, but because I, 1. had the desire to, 2. it felt right, and 3. it made me feel like myself at a time I also felt like I was losing a part of myself. Salt in my hair, sun on my face! Surfing didn’t stop because I was pregnant; it evolved with me.

In the early months, nothing really changed. I’d paddle out and pop up like I always had. If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know. In those moments, I didn’t feel like “a pregnant person”; I felt like a human, a surfer, a woman connected to the ocean and to herself.

But as the months rolled on and my belly began to grow, things started to shift. I started paddling out on my long board on my knees and then by seven months, navigating my board began to feel awkward and uncomfortable, but it was like my body was asking me to adjust, not stop. So, I switched to stand-up surfing. It wasn’t a step down; it was a lateral move. It still gave me the joy, the play, the motion I craved, but in a way that honored the changes happening inside me. [It’s worth noting, I have been stand up surfing since high school and this was not me picking up a new extreme sport, it was me pivoting to a different version of a sport I am very comfortable with.]

What surprised me most wasn’t the physical adjustment, it was the internal clarity that came with it. That came with listening to my intuition. I wasn’t surfing to prove anything. I wasn’t trying to be a “cool pregnant lady” or show off. I just knew that when I moved my body in the ways that felt natural and alive, I felt more connected to myself, and, in turn, to the little life growing inside me.

There’s a narrative that began the moment I got pregnant. People would say, “you’re not still -enter sport here-, are you?” Sometimes it was well-meaning, sometimes it was intrusive, but either way, it’s often based on fear, not fact. Yes, there are things to be mindful of. Yes, every pregnancy is different. But what if we trusted women to listen to their own bodies? To tune in instead of opt out?

Because here’s the truth: billions of women have been pregnant before, but none of them have done it exactly like you. Your pregnancy is yours. Your decisions are yours. And you don’t owe anyone an explanation if you choose to keep surfing, biking, climbing, dancing, lifting, or doing whatever it is that makes you feel powerful and whole.

What I learned out there in the water, pregnant belly and all, is that empowerment doesn’t have to be loud or performative. It’s quiet confidence. It’s saying, “I know myself.” It’s making space for your intuition to rise to the surface, and letting that guide you more than any rulebook.

And I think that confidence in your own intuition ripples outward. I felt it from the women in my life who were pregnant before me. Other women see that. They feel it. It’s not about whether you should or shouldn’t. It’s about expanding the narrative to say, “You can, if you want to.” When I was halfway through my pregnancy, I came across an Instagram post from Carissa Moore (US Olympic surfer) announcing she had surfed in the Olympics while 12 weeks pregnant. It was so insanely powerful to me to see Carissa Moore posting about her experience surfing while pregnant after that. It took watching her (through Instagram) for me to realize that before her, I had literally been the only person I knew or had ever heard of to surf while pregnant. To me this is what The Mothership is at its core. A community of like minded women who help each other feel seen and heard. 

Pregnancy doesn’t have to be a retreat from your identity. It can be a deepening of it. And motherhood? It’s not the end of adventure…it’s just the next chapter. One where you bring your kid along for the ride, board strapped to the roof, eyes wide with wonder, ready to show them that strength can look like joy, play, and presence.

The experiences shared here are personal, not medical advice. Every body and every pregnancy is different. Please consult your healthcare provider before beginning or continuing any physical activity while pregnant. We encourage you to listen to your body and do what feels right for you.