It's official: summer swells are right around the corner, ushered in by this weekend's summer solstice, warm waters, and sun-seekers of all sorts.
In this summer solstice edition of the Ripple Effect, we polled a few of our sunniest waterwomen to shine a ray of light on their summer rituals. Read on for their frothy tips on how to wring the most out of the longer days that lie ahead.
1. The Season of Light
The solstice marks the day that the sun is at its highest point through the year—a bit like the Superbowl for sea-dwellers. We like to use the start of the summer season for some New Year-style reflections, taking the time to celebrate growth and focus on renewal
When the 2021 summer solstice hits the Northern Hemisphere at precisely 8:32 pm PST, we'll be ringing in all the light showered on our little planet with a moment of reflection (some of us have made a habit of solstice journaling) on the strides we've made this past year and our dreams ahead, of summer waves and otherwise. (A slight aside—but if those dreams include a new summer suit, we think our new summer swim collection is pretty rad.)
2. Salty Hair, Self Care
Long summer days of surf and swim and sand work wonders for our soul, but wreak havoc on our skin and hair. Since we're definitely not giving up our beach days, we've learned to make a summer ritual out of self care. (Plus, we all know that nothing kills a summer buzz like a sunburn and straw locks.)
Our Oshan Collaboration is packed with summer remedies like the Hoku After-Sun Bliss Balm and the Holokai Restoring Hair Oil. And, it probably goes without saying ... but we never, ever head outdoors without a nice thick lather of reef friendly sunscreen. Manda Naturals is one of our latest favorites, and this Surfrider article is handy to check for reef safe ingredients when we're trying anything new.
3. These are 'Frothecy' Times
The Solstice has been celebrated by civilizations as far back as we know—Ancient Egyptians, California's Chumash Indians, the Aztecs of Mexico—all had their own take on solstice celebrations.
Through our years on shorelines around the world, we've picked up a few solstice traditions of our own (don't worry, they don't include any barns or bears, thanks Midsommar). Fire has long been a symbolic way for people to praise the sun and ward off darkness, and we've found that there's nothing quite like a beach bonfire with the folks we love the most on a solstice weekend.
Spirals, too, feature heavily in historic solstice traditions. Inspired by a few of our local Southern California beach artists like Sharon Belknap, we've been trying our hand at sand mandalas as a meditative way of mirroring the Sun's spiral and strengthening our bond with our surroundings.
4. Surfy Schedulin
Not to bring the rain to this parade, but here's the truth: rolling summer ankle-snapper waves bring the crowds. Which, sometimes, is a delight—and other times, even for the most zen of us, can be a frustration.
We have friends—you know who you are!—who have simply sworn off weekend surfing during the summer, waiting for the crowds to thin and the water to cool before returning to Saturday and Sunday sessions. Personally, we prefer to just pay a little bit of extra attention to the timing of our dips, taking care to head out extra early, or for later sunset sessions, on weekends and warm weather holidays.
5. Look (Fruit) Forward
One of our most recent—but mostly highly recommended—summer rituals is packing away some fruit preserves for the cooler months. While the sun is high and the fruit is juicy, we've taken to jarring up plums (from our friend Beth's backyard) and peaches (from the farmer's market), plus anything else we can get our hands on (we've had an eye on trying this strawberry vinegar jam recipe).
Practically, a few hours spent preserving is a deliciously easy indoor afternoon that gives our skin a break from the sun. But best of all, it's also a means of packing away a little summer time capsule—popping open a little jar of apricot jam on the gloomiest day in January transports us right back to July, when the sun was high and the waves were cruisey.
To fully gear up for a beachside summer solstice, take a peek at our Seea surf suits and bikinis. And, have any summer rituals of your own, surf-related or otherwise? Clue us in @theseea!
