Bonnie’s first wave at 65—and why she’s still surfing at 75

Hey, I’m Bonnie.

I’m 75, and I live in Oakland, California.

I tried surfing for the very first time on a solo trip to Costa Rica, where I went to celebrate my 65th birthday. I had always wanted to surf, but the time never seemed right, and I didn’t feel like I had the resources or support to make it happen.

🌴 the first wave

I arrived in a small beach town, Puerto Viejo, and saw a sign for a surf school. I signed up for a lesson.

The instructor ended up taking me all over, looking for the perfect (small) waves—and I was able to ride them. I got hooked.

But back in Northern California, surfing meant wetsuits and big waves. I took a few lessons in Pacifica, but I didn’t enjoy them as much as Costa Rica. I also went to Carpinteria and took a couple of days of lessons. Time went by, and I had a few lessons here and there.

🧭 finding my way back to surfing

I started following Girls Who Can’t Surf Good and some other Facebook groups. I wanted to go to a surf camp, but I felt like I was too old.

I told a friend who owns a house in Puerto Escondido, and she suggested I go there. I did—and I found a teacher I took lessons with every day for six days. I was so sore I thought I broke a rib, but I learned a lot.

Then I went to Hawaiʻi and took lessons in a few different places.

🎂 surfing into my 70s

I decided I wanted to celebrate my 75th birthday by surfing. It makes me feel young and alive. I love the water.

I started learning when I was 65. I’ve surfed maybe 15 times since then. I just surfed on my 75th birthday, I’m getting better—and I’m completely hooked.

🏄‍♀️ how i surf now

I still don’t surf very often. When I’m somewhere warm on vacation—this year it was four times—I feel lucky.

I mainly take private surf lessons. I haven’t tried surfing on my own without an instructor yet. That’s also one of the reasons I don’t own a surfboard. I use the boards provided by instructors, and they’ve all been longboards.

💪 challenges (and wins)

My surfing journey hasn’t been without challenges. I finally got my pop-up, but I can’t really stay up yet—not in the right position to hold it.

On the positive side, I haven’t found myself in any dangerous situations. The worst thing that’s happened so far was the sore rib after six days of surfing.

🌊 favorite waves & and goals

I love small waves and warm water—Hawaiʻi, Costa Rica, and Mexico have all been great.

One day, I’d love to surf in Australia.

My goals are to learn how to read the waves, surf without the help of an instructor, and stand up longer before coming off the board. I’d also love to find a surf buddy.

I should probably mention one of the other reasons I’m persisting in learning to surf at age 75. I’m the founding director of the East Bay Dance Center in Oakland, California, where we encourage kids to be confident, resilient, and to try hard things. I want to set a good example—by doing exactly that myself.

💙 community & why it matters

When I posted photos from my 75th birthday surf adventure in Girls Who Can’t Surf Good, I got over 1,600 likes. People told me how much I inspired them, sent birthday wishes, and encouraged me to keep going.

That meant so much to me.

Surfing makes me feel young, free, and happy. It means I’m still able to learn something new—and do something hard.