Aloha! I’m Lantana, the new Executive Director of Surfing Moms. It’s an honor to be in this position, and I’m so stoked to come into this role to support you all. I can’t wait to see where we will take this organization together!

I was born and raised on Maui, with my home break being Ho‘okipa. I joined my local Maui Surfing Moms group in 2023, when my son was two and I realized I hadn’t been surfing in months. I have been so inspired to see the way our community has rallied for each other in and out of the water. I’m a true believer in the role of community and the power of the ocean to humble us and guide us, and I see so much potential in the vision of Surfing Moms to connect and uplift us.

Prior to this role, I worked for the non-profit Pacific Birth Collective and taught writing at the University of Hawaii Maui College. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uganda and had various jobs before that, including waitressing, working on a lychee farm, and running adventure programming for kids at the Pāʻia Youth & Cultural Center. Of all the things I’ve done, my very favorite is being a mama to Gus, my silly, loving 4-year-old.

In the coming weeks and months, I’ll be reaching out to coordinators to see how we can better support you. In the meantime, if you want to connect, my email is executivedirector@surfingmoms.org. Feel free to reach out!

Surf With Amigas + Surfing Moms Retreat: Come Surf With Us!

We are so excited to announce that Surfing Moms is partnering with pro surfer Holly Beck and her company, Surf With Amigas, to offer a Surfing Moms surf retreat in Nicaragua! Holly is a former professional surfer and a mother of two, and her international, women-focused surf retreats are known worldwide. This retreat will be held in her eco-lodge in Northern Nicaragua. Come join this supportive event, which is specifically designed for mothers of all skill levels, to connect and rejuvenate, improve your surfing, and put the demands of motherhood to the side for a whole week, all while supporting Surfing Moms through this unique fundraising retreat.

The retreat will will also include some fun Surfing Moms exclusive perks:

Surfing Moms Swag Bag with SM gear, towel, & surf goodies
Mom Peer Support Circles to discuss the highs and lows of parenting
Mindfulness & meditation for moms
Arts & crafts
and more!

The retreat will be limited to 15 mamas - first come, first served - so sign up now! All participants must be a Surfing Moms member.

Dates are July 4-11, 2026

Cost (all-inclusive, excluding airfare):

Base price for room for 3: $2400
Room for 2: $2500
Private room: $2750

Sign up here!

*Please note that this link won’t reflect the final pricing, which will be calculated on checkout. It’s a quirk of the system, but the prices above are correct.

See you in Nicaragua!

Introducing Rising Tides: Surf Access Series

Funds raised from the surf retreat will be used to support new programming that’s currently in development. Rising Tides will provide surf lessons to underserved moms as a way to bridge the gap and reduce barriers to entry to our Surf Swap programming. We plan to pilot this program on Maui, but it will be designed to be replicated any place Surfing Moms swaps happen. We’re currently writing grants for funding and planning fundraising around this, so stay tuned!

New Chapters: Hilo & Treasure Coast!

We’re growing! A huge welcome to our Big Island and Florida surf sisters. Thank you Mariel for coordinating Treasure Coast surf swaps, and to Delila, who coordinates for her Hilo crew. We are also working on adding Kona to the mix, and we’re so stoked to see the growth. Anyone you know interested in opening a chapter? Send them here!

Surfing Mom Highlight: Elizabeth Leytem!

Elizabeth Leytem is a surfing mom whose dedication to both the waves and her community shines through her role as Treasurer, a position she took on when she joined the board in March. Surfing has given her an outlet for balance and resilience, helping her navigate motherhood with clarity and strength.

Nominate a Surfing Mom!

In each newsletter, we’d love to highlight a Surfing Mom. Please fill out this form to nominate a mama who inspires you! Self-nominations are welcome!

We Need Your Help!

Finally, a request. Surfing Moms has a problem I’m hoping someone in our network may be able to help with. You may have noticed that our once very active Instagram @joinsurfingmoms has gone quiet. Unfortunately, our login details were compromised. We’ve been trying for the past few months to recover the account, but we also know that having an inside connection to Instagram/Facebook/Meta can streamline the recovery process. If you or anyone you know might be able to help us, or have successfully navigated this process and have advice, we’d love to hear from you. Please email me at executivedirector@surfingmoms.org if you think you can help. Thank you so much!

Mighty App

Just a reminder, with our social media accounts down, using our Mighty app is more important than ever (download for Apple and Google). I know there are a million apps and ways to communicate these days, but this ensures the security of our locations and children, will help us collect data on meetups, and it's a fun way to peek at what other groups are up to (and join them if you travel!). We’ll also be posting updates there on all sorts of things, so definitely stay tuned!

Thank you!
Feel free to forward this newsletter to anyone you think might benefit from being a part of Surfing Moms. Remember, members don’t have to surf - they can take a walk, meditate on the beach, binge Netflix, or whatever brings joy and peace for those precious 45 minutes, all while their children are being taken care of. Here are the links to Join Surfing Moms, Supporting a Surfing Mom with an annual membership, and Donate to Surfing Moms.

See you in the water,

Lantana & the Surfing Moms Board

New Executive Director, Surf Retreat, and More!