Photo @siriwanchmprn
Danni Unway is a Surf Confidence Coach, we find out what that means and how it can help you navigate the roller coaster of surfing.
Danni, when did you get into surfing and what do you love about it?
I discovered surfing in my early 30’s at a surf and yoga retreat in Portugal and was hooked immediately. I’ve always been a water baby and knew surfing would be something I’d enjoy, but I had no idea how much it would transform my life!
After being landlocked for a few years, only surfing occasionally at weekends, I decided to train as a yoga teacher in Bali and ended up staying there for 9 months. Being able to surf more consistently helped me build my confidence in the water and I started to see some progression – albeit slowly and with lots of ups and downs.
On returning to the UK, being landlocked just wasn’t an option for me anymore. I had NO idea how I was going to move to the sea, but my longing for the ocean and surf and its positive effects on my mental health were my driving force. A year later I was lucky enough to fulfill this dream and have now been living in Cornwall for almost 4 years.
I genuinely feel so much gratitude being able to live so close to the ocean, surfing is my ultimate bliss and has changed my life in ways I can’t even explain. It’s allowed me to live a life of such fulfillment I truly never thought was possible and in finding my way to the ocean and surfing, it’s allowed me to find myself as well.
Photo @siriwanchmprn
What inspired you to become a Surf Confidence Coach?
Two years ago I decided to train as a Surf Coach. Through this work, and my own surf journey, I found that so much of what holds us back is mental / emotional. On the short walk to the beach, people would often bring up fears and anxieties but there never seemed to be enough time for them to be heard in their struggles. A friend also suggested I should run some surf confidence sessions for the surf club she runs (Newquay Women’s Surf Club) and from that the seed was planted. It took me a little while to pluck up the courage to go for it, I struggled with my own self doubt and anxiety around only recently having qualified as a surf coach myself, but after delivering the first workshop which was well-received, there was no doubt in my mind this was something I wanted to pursue further.
I’ve now run workshops in Cornwall, Devon, Sri Lanka as well as online and have more planned this year. Following some of the workshops there were enquiries about one to one sessions, so I now also work with people individually. I feel so present, aligned and connected when I’m doing this and my therapy work. It all comes directly from my heart and as cheesy as it sounds, it is a dream come true as this combines my two biggest passions in life, surfing and human behaviour.
How would you describe what a Surf Confidence Coach is?
I would describe my work as empowering intermediate women surfers to better understand and embrace their emotions in the water, by teaching them tools and techniques for increased confidence and emotional safety.
I like to see it as offering intermediate women surfers a version of what Sports Psychologists offer surf pros. With one slight difference though – rather than winning world titles, the main objective is getting the most out of – and enjoying surfing as much as possible.
In this work I draw upon my psychotherapy training, tools and techniques I have learnt from my own healing, experience participating in and assisting numerous group workshops, my own surfing journey and my intuition. In this work I never really know what people are going to bring but that’s also the beauty of it. Meditating before each session helps me feel completely present, engaged and connected with the person or group.
Especially within group work, as the focus is on the sharing and what each individual brings, it’s a wonderful way for any group to connect on a deeper level whilst discussing something they are passionate about.
All workshops that I have hosted so far have had some recurring themes, but no workshop has been the same and each group dynamic has been very different, this is what makes this work so special and fascinating.
Why do surfers need this support?
Specifically with surfing our emotions can be so heightened because it gives us such incredible highs. With the highs also come equally intense lows. In just one session we can feel like a legend and completely ecstatic to feeling like a complete beginner again, totally crushed feeling ashamed or embarrassed.
Surfing is a roller coaster of emotions and often what we are feeling and experiencing in the water can be a more exaggerated version of what is playing out in our ‘real lives’. These intense emotions, which can sometimes also be related to a scary incident in the sea, can be confusing and might not make much sense. When we aren’t able to process our emotions properly in the moment (which a lot of us have never learnt), that is precisely what can cause us to become stuck. This then creates mental blocks and barriers. With the right tools and techniques, we can better manage our emotions and therefore be more free and present to enjoy our surf sessions more.
I often like to compare surfing to a relationship, it has lots of different stages which are not necessarily linear nor mutually exclusive. The stages I’ve identified, although I am certain there are many more, are; the first date, then the honeymoon period at the start where you’re totally obsessed and head over heels in love, to your first fight / scary incident, breakthroughs and breakdowns stage where you can experience some turbulence, the 3 year itch where you just plateau what feels like for ages and eventually you can sometimes reach a place of acceptance!
In my work I help people to normalise these stages in surf and general life, especially the less pleasant ones. As the ocean has tides, we too have phases and stages, it’s perfectly natural. We have just been conditioned to reject and fight the lows. The highs, however, would not exist without the lows. So we can either resist the lows (which ultimately keeps us stuck there longer) or we practice acceptance towards them. This is a choice we can make that allows us to move through those stages more smoothly.
JOIN A SURF CONFIDENCE MASTERCLASS
Danni is doing Surf Confidence Masterclasses at SurfGirl Premium this September to overcome fear and increase your confidence level in the surf.
Check out Danni’s tutorials on SurfGirl Premium:
Tips for Dealing with Anxiety in the Surf
Struggling with fear and anxiety in the sea? Or maybe you’ve had a scary surf incident / accident that is holding you back? These top 5 tools and techniques can help you check in with- and calm yourself in the sea, help you prepare for sessions by shifting your mindset and take it back to basics by rediscovering your joy for surfing and the ocean.
