Women of all shades riding waves.

Textured Waves is an online platform designed by four surfer friends, who are women of color  to serve underrepresented demographics and normalize diversity in the surf world.  We want to offer an inclusive space for every woman to feel accepted and seen.  -Textured Waves

The visual nature of Instagram has served Textured Waves well, where they are shattering racial stereotypes through an abundant gallery of technically proficient, radiant, powerful, graceful and unapologetic black and brown women asserting their rightful place in the line-up. 

Which is exactly where we came across this collective for the first time.

Last October I was on social media and I came across Texture Waves. My heart jumped of joy to have come across a diverse collective of women surfers, so I sent them a message introducing myself and Seea and letting them know that we would love to collaborate with them in any way they would be interested in.  We met the next day, it was lovely, and a friendship was born. - Amanda Chinchelli, Seea Founder

"Last year, when Seea reached out to us, an organic relationship developed. It was born out of a shared desire to seek sustainable change in surfing. In a true display of sisterhood, they opened a space for our stories and experiences to be heard." - Chelsea Woody Of Textured Waves

This collaboration has been long overdue.  We knew prior to these current events we could use our platform in a powerful way.  Our mission has always been to connect women to themselves, their community, and the planet.

I was honored to bring this project to life with them so we started to discuss logistics. It took us several months to nail down and we had many bumps across the way, but we did it, and we finished filming a week before we went into quarantine.  We came back from our trip and then we didn’t leave our houses for 3 months. - Amanda Chinchelli

And now here we are.

What feels like a lifetime away from the making of this film, the forming of these friendships and traveling to surf.  It gives us goosebumps to release this project now and yet we feel it is a necessary offering to the world.  To get in touch with our shared joy and momentum to diversify the culture of surfing, and the highest ideals of humanity.   We look forward to paving the way in the lineup and daily life with "the same grace and opportunity the ocean extends to every single person who dares to take the chance to ride her waves."

Don't miss our live premiere of the film June 16th, and your chance to submit you questions to the for a live Q/A here.

This intense movement that all of humanity is experiencing is much like our relationship to the ocean; we can only truly master it with long-term love and commitment.

For our 2020 Collection, we flipped the cameras to face our behind-the-scenes family, featuring the women who make Seea come to life every day and care relentlessly. Now, we shine a spotlight on the girls and kids in our extended family! 

A lot has changed since we piled into our VW vans and played in the shorebreak at SanO here at home and collected party waves galore on vacation in Waikiki in Hawaii. But some things stay constant: being grateful for our health, staying connected with our community, and that sunny beach days with friends will come back soon. 

We caught up with two of our favorite Seea Girls: Madeline (Maddie) Miller Rubalcaba and Luluhia Leleo Babe Blomfield Kane, both 14-years-old, to reminisce about Hawaii and how they are keeping their grommette fires stoked through the summer—even if it looks different this year. 

Maddie wears the Maddie One Piece for Girls in Neo.

"Hawaii is a really special place for me and my family. My grandma has been going there since she was my age, and my mom started visiting there when she was 17 to surf. I just love the waves, there are so many different options to surf! Also the beautiful water and weather!" - Maddie  

 Luluhia wears the Lido One Piece for Girls in Neo.

This season we are celebrating our Seea community, like you! Tell us about your best surfing friends and why you love them. 

Maddie: What I love so much about surfing is that I have made so many friends of all ages that surf. I like to go to different spots around San Diego and I love that there is much community. You can paddle out anywhere and have a friend in the lineup! It’s amazing how surfing can bring everyone together. I really love the Club Coalition contests that are held all throughout California. It’s a fun time to surf with friends I normally don't get to surf with.

Luluhia: My best surfing friends are my family and close friends. I surf with my brothers and sisters which is so much fun! It’s great to all be in the line up together, catching waves and having fun. I also surf a lot with a crew of girls who are like my older sisters, Brooke Dombroski Berry, Malia Murphey, Ari McNamara, Kehau Ai, Melissa Jasiny, Mahina Garcia and Roxy Facer. I love surfing with them! It’s such a good vibe! Encouraging, and full of cheering for each other, lots of aloha! When I surf with my cousin Honolua Blomfield, and my Uncle Kolohe Blomfield, I feel like I really gain confidence in my surfing.

 From left, Maddie wears the Lido One Piece for Girls in Mesa and Luluhia wears the Lido One Piece for Girls in Neo.

Tell us about your style! Who inspires your surf style and what you like to wear?

Maddie: I really like vintage and thrift shopping. My favorite thing to find is old Hang Ten shirts or high-waisted vintage shorts, like Levi's. I am lucky to have a mom who is really good at finding cute vintage items that fit and I love. I am really inspired by the '60s and '70s eras especially the clothing and music. 

Luluhia: My style is a mix of beach vibe, Hawaiian vintage sprinkled with bling. My mom inspires my surf style and what I like to wear. Love rocking her clothes :)

From left, Hazel wears the Chimi Jumpsuit in Neo and Annabel wears the Chimi Jumpsuit in Mirage.

Because we are trying to help save lives by reducing the spread of COVID-19, the beaches were closed for the past few months. How did it feel to be restricted from surfing? 

Maddie: It was definitely hard not being able to surf but I took the time to practice guitar, listen to music, and ride my skateboard. It has really given me a new perspective to not take anything for granted. 

Luluhia: In Hawai’i we can surf, swim and dive. The beaches and parks are closed, you have to go straight to the ocean and then leave. No being on the beach at all. The surf breaks have been extremely crowded and it feels pretty sketchy and weird to be in the line up with a lot of people during this time when we need to social distance. I have only surfed twice in the last 7 weeks because I don’t feel comfortable and can’t really practice social distancing in a crowded line up. 

Has this experience changed the way you think about being able to go to the beach freely, being healthy, and the health of your community? If so, why? 

Maddie: Yes, I feel like this has taught me to not take anything for granted, especially your health, surfing and all the little things that make up daily life, like getting a burrito at my favorite Mexican restaurant with friends! I also realized how important it is to work together as a community and support small businesses!

Luluhia: It has made me even more thankful to be from a family of watermen/women, with the lifestyle we live. The ocean and surrounding mountains are so much a part of our daily life, it feels surreal to not be able to be at the beach freely. During this time we are all trying to stay healthy, by eating healthier and staying at home.

Annabel wears the Chimi Jumpsuit in Mirage.

Are you worried about climate change? Why are a clean beach, clean ocean, and clean air important to you and what do you think you can do about it? 

Maddie: With COVID-19, I feel like the one positive outcome is that the earth got a little time to heal. We only have one earth, one ocean. The ocean is the largest ecosystem on earth, it is our planet's life support system. If we do not start taking better care and thinking responsibly, what will be left for my generation and generations to come? I hope that the one thing people can take away from the Covid-19 is how important our Earth is and if we work together we can stop the worst effects of climate change. 

Luluhia: I am concerned about climate change. I have been raised to always be appreciative of our islands, ocean, mountains, and nature overall. I have been taught to malama (to take care) of our environment. A lot of our North Shore community is about sustainability and protecting our oceans so there is a lot of awareness and the community is implementing eco-friendly alternatives to things like take-out plates, no plastic, beach clean-ups, composting, farmer's markets, etc. I come from a family of 12 and we try to do our part by recycling, limiting our plastic use, composting, growing vegetables and fruit trees and we also make sure to pick up opala (trash) at the beach or in the ocean when we see it.

Annabel wears the Doheni Rashguard in Mirage.

This summer might look different, but it will still be summer! What are you looking forward to? 

Maddie: I am definitely sad that there is a possibility summer may be different, but I am looking forward to the day that I get to hang out on the beach with friends and surf all day! I will never take a cloudy, windy, not-so-great beach day for granted ever again! 

Luluhia: This summer I am looking forward to diving, surfing and hopefully hanging out with friends and family at the beach.

Shop the Seea Girls Collection and Mini Seea Collection! 

Finding hope in things that seem impossible, that is a mothers special courage.  This installment of The Ripple Effect is for you.

Seea ambassador Lauren L. Hill reframes cultural shame about periods into a reclamation: a portal back into women's intuition, wisdom, and power of our bodies. 

Lauren L. Hill reunites with friends to voyage along the East Coast of Australia, relishing in the joy of slowness.

For our 2020 Collection, we flipped the cameras to face our behind-the-scenes family. The women in these photos make Seea come to life every day and care relentlessly. 

We care about every human we work with, from our inner circle to our manufacturing family to our retail customers. We care about where things come from, how they’re made, and their impact on the planet. We take it all personally because we’re not just making suits. We want to help bring the supply chain in harmony with nature. And we want to inspire women come into harmony with themselves, with their communities, with the earth. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the tunnel vision of to-do lists and details. But when we slow down, we come back to ourselves and feel our connected power with the earth. We feel the magic that’s hiding in the great underneath.

We departed for Hawaii and Mexico to spend a few days together in the sand and saltwater, reminding us why we do what we do. Running deeper than surfing itself, we reflected upon the common values that unite our spirits in ways that bleed into everyday life. Here’s what we learned about each other and we hope through sharing, we feel connections with you too.

Humble Optimism

We are guided by humility. Always learning. There is no final version. 

“We need each other to make change happen. We need to break the rule that women need to compete with each other, to look better, to be better. We need to cheer for each other because it’s too hard if we don’t.” - Amanda Chinchelli, Founder

“I was very fortunate to grow up in a very out-of-the-box household. We saw the Dalai Lama speak and attended meditation retreats. I grew up hearing Mahatma Gandhi quotes as our guide in our lives. There is one that I always think about and that is, ‘Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.’

I started to travel the world at a young age. This taught me so much and I grew up a lot faster than kids my own age. After high school, I didn’t feel the need to go to college because all I wanted was to travel and grow more by seeing the world. Eight years later I found myself living in Puerto Rico, still needing more. At 25-years-old I decided to enroll in college because if we stop learning we don’t grow. I wanted to push myself beyond being self-taught, to educate myself with a degree and set an example for my future children.” -Carly Rabjones, Sustainability Sourceress

Rhythm of One

When we act like we’re connected, we become more connected. There is no progress without collaboration.

“I have a new-found appreciation for the family that we’ve grown at Seea over the years. I’ve always felt very connected to all of the girls but traveling together really highlighted our care, concern, and admiration for one another. Traveling with these girls while pregnant was particularly special, as their constant check-ins on my water consumption, help with heavy lifting and genuine concern for min (and the baby’s) well-being were so comforting and heartwarming. So much love for these ladies!” - Sydney Trigg, Inside Sales and Shipping Manager

“I like working in an environment of creative female minds that all share the same love for the ocean. I feel most happy when I was catching waves. My heart was exploding in my chest, and my level of energy was rising up!” - Giulia Bacci, Graphic Designer

“I see a lot of inspirational quotes about how women need to support and uplift one another. I am fortunate to be part of this small community where those ideals are built into the company culture. The dynamic between all of us ladies in the company is so overwhelmingly positive that we couldn't really imagine it any other way; It’s our “normal.” - Summer Nelson, Wholesale Accounts Manager

Wabi Sabi 

Beauty in the imperfections. This creates diverse expression, inviting diverse perspectives to join us.

“This whole trip was 24/7 bonding with amazing women. We got to have deep conversations and share hilarious memories that we will always remember. I love surfing. It takes away the pressure to be perfect while doing what I love most.” Kaila Patterson, Warehouse Babe 

“It was inspiring to be around different people on this trip because it introduces you to new ideas and new mindsets. It makes traveling very exciting because it becomes a different experience and broadens your horizon. Surrounding myself around different people I have learned a lot about how I handle situations. I have learned that you need to be patient and understanding when around new people with unique attitudes. I learned that it is very important to listen and allow people to feel respected and understood, before speaking your mind in order to get the most out of a conversation.” - Kennedy Cusato, Social Media Coordinator

Confidence

We know who we are and we wear it out loud. This means confidence on the journey and making products that enable you to be in the moment, connected.

“I learned the real meaning of ‘good team.’ I learned how good energy and good thoughts can reflect on your body too and make you feel better. With positivity you can realize and face everything.” - Betta dal Bello, Stylist

“I felt most vulnerable being photographed. I felt happiest surfing. A big confidence boost came from our nightly sessions of going through the photos and having everyone hype each other up. Hearing Betta say "Wow" was a huge confidence boost.” Piper Graber, Warehouse Worker

“I find that the days that I am most confident mentally, I surf my best, and have the most fun. Gaining confidence in the ocean is what helps you make those sections that you wouldn’t make if you doubted yourself. Being comfortable and happy in what you are wearing totally affects how you surf, too. When I first starting surfing, I would alter and wear my little brother’s wetsuits, because the selections of wetsuits for women use to be SOO bad. I personally was never into those old suits with floral designs in turquoise and hot pink colors, LOL. This is why I am so grateful to be part of a company that provides great options for women surfers.”  - Sonja Andersen, Production Coordinator

Shop the 2020 collection!