Those within my close circle and peers that I go to school with are aware of my ongoing venture into photographing the surf environment along the Lower East Coast, with aspirations of (spoiler alert) releasing a book in the very near future. A struggle of mine while working on this project has been the lack of abundance of female surfers at my local beach. Whether due to discomfort, wave conditions, or the absence of a supportive community, I’m not 100% sure. Yet, amidst the rise in women's surfing worldwide, (I’ll specifically quote Caity Simmers “Pipeline is for the f***ing girls”) it's imperative to me that my work reflects that.

Recently, I've been actively seeking out where these female surfers gather. A friend pointed me towards an all-female surf club in Jacksonville, whose Instagram page gave off the welcoming character I’d been searching for. After observing for a while, I reached out to inquire about photographing their next meetup. While much of my project has involved spontaneous visits to beaches photographing whomever graced the waves that day, I yearned for a more profound connection to the essence of womanhood in this sport.

Whether due to my age or gender, in an industry dominated by men, it's not unexpected for doubts to surface about my capabilities as a documentary photographer. However, when I approached the Sisters of the Sea, neither aspect was once a topic of concern. Last Sunday morning, I immersed myself in their world, documenting their 1st Sunday Surf Sesh of April, and I can confidently say that it was one of the most inclusive and embracing communities I've encountered.