SeaSisters Season 7: Our Biggest One Yet!

From December 2024 to April 2025, we hosted the 7th edition of our Swim and Surf Programs in Weligama. This season marked a milestone, as we empowered over 100 women and girls through swimming, surfing, and community events. With 114 lessons and events, it’s been our biggest season to date! Read on for the highlights and unforgettable moments from Season 7.

Moments we will cherish forever!

Riding Waves, Changing Lives

What started as a small initiative has grown into a vibrant movement, now offering a range of Swim & Surf Programs tailored to the individual skills of our participants. At our Original Swim & Surf Program, we welcomed 24 young women from villages along the South Coast as they took their first steps into the ocean. Alongside learning to swim and surf, they gained vital knowledge in ocean safety and environmental responsibility.

This season, we also launched our Junior Program, welcoming 18 girls aged 10 to 16. With growing confidence, they quickly improved their swimming, and by the end, fearlessly explored the ocean - surfing waves and spreading so much joy!

Happy Juniors!

Our Swim & Surf Academy also continued to thrive, supporting 12 committed young women in advancing their skills. These women show that swimming and surfing can be more than hobbies - they can lead to real economic opportunities. We’re incredibly proud of Ishi, our first Academy girl now working as a surf instructor, and of Udani and Himaya, who have officially become certified international swimming teachers.

Left: Surf instructor Ishi - Right: Swim instructors Udani and Himaya

Another highlight of the season was the launch of our Surf Buddy Program, where our SeaSisters and volunteers explored new spots outside of lessons and built lasting friendships beyond the waves!

We wrapped up the season with a joyful celebration, where we came together to honour the ocean and make a collective promise to protect it. Weligama beach had likely never seen so many Sri Lankan women in one place - we definitely received plenty of surprised looks and warm smiles! The day ended with a certificate ceremony, spontaneous karaoke, and a super fun dance session!

Our community promises to protect the ocean (swipe to see more)

Empowerment through the Ocean

To measure our impact, we conducted a detailed survey before and after our Swim & Surf program, and the results speak for themselves: our SeaSisters do not only feel more connected to the ocean - the ocean truly has the power to transform lives. All participating women and girls reported feeling empowered in several ways - on a personal, relational and collective level.

"Now, the ocean feels just like home to me. The sense of peace and relaxation I feel when I’m there has grown stronger. I believe my connection with the ocean has deepened, and it has brought a significant change to my life." (Haniska)

At the start, 90% shared that they felt strong societal expectations tied to being a woman. After completing the program, 90% said that their perspectives on gender roles and expectations had shifted and 100% expressed a stronger belief in themselves and their own values. Equally inspiring, 95% formed new friendships, feeling supported by a like-minded community to pursue their dreams. These numbers are more than just data - they’re a reflection of real, lasting change!

"I see new possibilities in my life. Swimming and surfing have opened up opportunities for adventure, personal growth, and new challenges in the water that I never imagined before." (Sachini)

In total, 54 women and girls felt empowered through our Swim & Surf Programs - and even more joined us for our community events, impacting over 100 women altogether!

From Sea to Summit: A Community with Purpose

Our movement continues to grow beyond the lessons, and we came together for a series of meaningful community events: We hosted our popular Discover Your Inner Surfer event, the much-loved annual snorkelling trip to Hikkaduwa, an empowering talk by women's rights activist Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala (she's the first Sri Lankan who climbed Mount Everest!), as well as an eye-opening session on menstrual health with We Flow.

Impressions from our community events

The snorkelling trip to Hikkaduwa was a true highlight. This season, we teamed up with the Hatay Surf Project, a non-profit in Turkey empowering young people through surfing. Together with the surfer boys and girls from Hatay, we explored the vibrant underwater world of Hikkaduwa Marine National Park - a truly magical experience! Intercultural moments like these remind us that the ocean connects us all.

Connecting across cultures (swipe to see more)

A heartfelt thank you to Deniz Toprak, founder of the Hatay Surf Project and Mellow Hostel, for making this event possible. Mellow Hostel is also our Gold Sponsor this season, and we highly recommend checking it out! Located in Ahangama, the hostel is named after the soft, slow, glassy waves - a perfect reflection of its gentle and welcoming atmosphere!

Launching SeaSisters Connect: Where Locals & Tourists Ride the Same Wave

This season, we also opened up our SeaSisters community to tourists. Our goal? To create meaningful connections between locals and visitors, empowering each other through shared perspectives and experiences. From sunset picnics and Cultural Waves workshops to women’s circles, Sinhala lessons, surf meetups and temple tours - we shared stories, laughter, and many beautiful moments!

We're striving for more inclusive and responsible tourism.

Raising Voices, Celebrating Women

SeaSisters is all about raising voices and inspiring others. Whether on the shores of Sri Lanka, on international stages, or through powerful digital storytelling, we amplify the message of inclusion, equity, and connection.

At the beginning of the season, our Program Director Kalpa and Program Manager Udani proudly represented SeaSisters on the global feminist stage, traveling to the AWID Forum in Bangkok, Thailand. It was their first trip to another country!

"It was one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I felt so inspired meeting incredible women from the Global South who are driving change in their countries." (Udani)

A few months later, we celebrated women's voices on March 8, International Women’s Day, as we teamed up with Ceylon Sliders to host a SeaSisters fundraiser at their oceanfront venue. The night featured five incredible female DJs, an art auction with works by 12 women artists, and powerful speeches by our local leaders Udani and Kalpa - all in support of a more inclusive surf culture. Thank you, Ceylon Sliders!

Photos by Saajid Luenzo

Furthermore, we launched a powerful online campaign with videographer Jana Otte, sharing SeaSisters’ transformative stories through the ocean. Our posts reached over 350,000 people - raising significant awareness for women’s surfing in Sri Lanka. One reel even went viral featuring our amazing allies at Yaka Surf Club. Because true equity? It’s something we build together.

Our Youtube Channel

Meet The People behind Season 7

To make this season happen, it took a village coming together - our team, volunteers, partners, sponsors, and donors. Without them, none of this would have been possible!

First of all, a big thank you to our dedicated team: our leadership team Kalpa, Udani, and Martina; event coordinator Sashika; head surf instructors Ani and Fay; head swim instructors Gerdien and Sabrina; our instructors team Anna, Cristina, Emsee, Evie, Fitzi, Hannah, Himaya, Ishi, Julia, Lucy, Nethmi, Romy, and Sara; videographers Jana and co-founder Amanda; professional volunteers Chloe, Ema, Isis, and Thien; and community facilitators Omaya, Prathibha, and Rashmi.

We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our amazing sponsors and partners, whose support brought this season to life:

Space Partner: The Surfer
🌟 Gold Sponsor: Mellow Hostel
🥈 Silver Sponsors: Soul & Surf Sri Lanka, La Point Surf Camp
🥉 Bronze Sponsors: Solid Surf Camp, Thema Collection & Connaissance De Ceylan, The Doctors House, Mari Gold Gedara
Venue & Event Partners: Outpost, Senses, Hangtime Hostel, Yaka Surf Club, Ceylon Sliders; and Food & Coworking Support: Salty Swamis, The Kip, Nets Cowork

To our grant partner FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund - thank you for your continued support and trust. And to all those who helped raise funds, hosted donation-based events, donated to our GoFundMe, or contributed in any way - thank you for being part of this ripple effect!

To our beautiful online and offline community - thank you for riding this wave with us, helping spread awareness, and showing what collective change can look like.

So once again - Thank You, Stuti and Nandri!

A Moment to Reflect, and Exciting Plans Ahead

As the Sinhala and Tamil New Year approaches, we take a moment to pause, reflect on all that we’ve accomplished in Season 7, and enjoy a well-deserved break.

But the journey doesn’t stop here. We’re already dreaming up what’s next! During the off-season, we’ll continue with community events, launch exciting new initiatives, refine our strategy, and share a few surprises along the way. So stay tuned - there’s more to come, and we can’t wait to take you with us on the next wave.

With love,

Your SeaSisters

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Written by Martina Burtscher

Photos by Amanda Prifti - Prifti Studio and Jana Otte - Mood Studio Agency