Women friendships (and the shared passions that go with them) are an untapped power source in our industry. These types of friendships can spark some amazing things, and going forward, Kassia and I are ready to put those to good use. Thank you Rise Up Surf Retreats, we are forever thankful for your magic.
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Even for a beachlover, it’s hard to be an island in the environmental world.
It’s one thing to see the “big guns” in this industry talking on social media; it’s quite another to get up close and personal with the underdogs in their shadow. I know firsthand that us “little guys” are the ones actually turning the tide, bit by bit
Sustainability is kind of like music: it’s most alive when it’s a shared experience.
It’s like when music lovers share their favorite finds in a record store (and after all, refill is the new record store in sustainability!)
So this is the meet-cute story of how Dip was built with human connection, and not corporate emails, conference tables, & phone-tag. We invented a new kind of "board meeting". We met with surfboards in the wild: your friendly neighborhood Dipette, Kassia Meador, and the badass crew from Rise Up Retreats.
Kassia and I first met through the surf community.
In a series of happy events, the word-of-mouth from happy Dip users and our fellow surfer Lisa Peterson (a talented artist in her own right so check her out) brought Kassia and I together eventually.
That’s when I was first introduced to Rise Up Surf Retreats as a sanctuary for those in the surf community to get back to what’s important.
Kassia & I spoke, and she said that she hosts surf retreats and would love to include dip after surf conditioner bars in the swag bags– a dream come true!
Still, I knew that this special opportunity needed something more. I decided that this was a sign to get back on the surfboard and hand-deliver them myself.
Reaching New Shores
Oh yeah–did I happen to mention that this particular Rise Up retreat happened to be in Nicaragua? With beautiful volcanic black sands and sea shells and sea quartz as far as the eye can see.... a long way from home!
I’ll admit–I was a little nervous at first; even though I am not a travel-rookie, you hear horror stories about traveling to remote areas abroad, and the Nicaragua travel advisory notices put me on edge at first...
But of course, you don’t become a better surfer by avoiding the waves. Eventually, you have to take a breath and dive in.
Thankfully, Rise Up offers a ton of pre-trip information and white glove door-door pick and drop off services, so I felt incredibly safe every step of the way. I showed up on Coco Loco's front door excited, nervous, and itching to get out on the water.
Our retreat was at Coco Loco Eco Resort, which quickly became our home away from home. We felt like we were the only people in the world, which was a nice break from laptop life in Sparta, NJ.
You quickly get swept away in these fellow surfers’ infectious energy.
I also got to try some amazing food, including fresh fruit, freshly caught fish, garden-grown vegetables–my mouth waters just thinking about them now!
When I arrived, we wasted no time getting started. The team had some locally-sourced coffee brewing by 4:45 am, and we were ready to start the day by dawn and get out on the water.
Every moment of this retreat was amazing, but as I reflected upon this community on the way home, a few moments stuck out to me the most.
For one, it had been 10 years since I had last surfed. It would have been easy to get intimidated and back out, but thankfully, the surf instructors were the epitome of both patient and fun as I got my sea legs back. It’s incredible what we can do when we’re willing to stick our neck back out there!
Women who genuinely support other women:
There was a beautiful moment when Kassia took it upon herself to organize all of the women on the trip to take a hair photo. I was too nervous to ask for it myself, so the fact that she took the initiative left us with a heartwarming memento that I’m always going to treasure now.
Photo credit: Gabriella Zagni
Beyond the surf, the entire Rise Up family were a joy to be around.
Not a single humbug in the mix When we weren't surfing, we were doing restorative yoga, hiking a volcano, making chocolate truffles from scratch--or my personal favorite, being treated to one of Kassia's famous sound baths.
Kassia and I have this thing in common: we feel a romance with the moon and the ocean.
There’s just something intangibly special that happens when two people get together and share their passions straight from the heart. It’s a whole other language, and it’s one that some people fall out of habit with sometimes.
The more Kassia and I talked, the more we were sure that the universe was telling us to join forces. So now, we are—and good things are brewing (much like that Rise Up coffee). .
Looking towards the Horizon
Our Rise Up Surf Retreat in Nicaragua was a dream trip. I arrived a stranger & made many beautiful friendships there.
Women friendships (and the shared passions that go with them) are an untapped power source in our industry. These types of friendships can spark some amazing things, and going forward, Kassia and I are ready to put those to good use.
What will that look like, you ask?
Follow our socials to find out first or and keep an eye on both the Kassia's and Dip's websites. We are hesitant to provide a hard launch date in the world of missed deadlines and supply chain unpredictabilities! Spoiler alert, but the terms “limited quantities” and “exclusive deals” are both involved. I can’t wait for you to see it—this is one you do not want to miss!
If you need something to help you pass the time until then, don’t forget to check out our our TikTok @dipalready!... it gets weird over there sometimes, and we like it.
Photo credit: Gabriella Zagni
- Check out your next Rise Up Surf Retreats Here --trust me, you never know where your next adventure will take you. You might just meet some really really amazing people who rock your world.
- Check out Kassia's incredible, built-to-last wetsuits & cool stuff Here.
- See you on your next adventure & welcome to the Dip Crew everyone!