Crew Catch-Up: Indo Adventures

Bali Bliss and Surfing Sumbawa

SaltyLips Womens Surf Bali Indo Surf Girls Salty Lips

Sumbawa Sunset

Never one to stay put for long, SaltyLips’ India and her dream-chasing partner in crime, Carly, set off on an Indo adventure for work, play and most importantly surf! Taking their business, Papaya Wellness, on the road for a Bali Bliss retreat, to spread their passion for surf, yoga, adventure, and all round healthy living. They managed to squeeze in some solo surf time in Sumbawa to kick the trip off, hunting for birthday barrels to celebrate India’s 30th! Continue reading

Feature: Meet Skye Ventura

A Surfers Journey

SaltyLips Womens Surf Mexico Surf Girls Salty Lips

Surf Love

I met the inspirational Sydney-born Skye in the more tranquil, much less chaotic corner of Mexico’s Puerto Escondido, La Punta Zicatela. She radiated happiness and her positivity and zest for life was mesmerising. A travelling surfer, with a child, making all her dreams come true, all at once. But it was the stories of how she came to be there that really blew my mind. The Cancer, the self-healing, her spiritual and surf-filled journey and becoming a mother against all odds. Continue reading

Feature: Meet Carly Chivers

Surf, Smiles and Sun Salutations

SaltyLips Surf Nicaragua Carly Chivers Salty Lips

Breathing Space

Whilst visiting SaltyLips’s India in her Nicaraguan home, Playa Gigante, I was lucky enough to meet Carly, the second half of India’s yoga-surf business, Papaya Wellness. A creative and inspiring soul, always smiling and full of positivity, Carly is an advocate for womens’s empowerment and health and actively works with the community of Playa Gigante to promote  these messages.

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Cruising in Canada

Summer West Coast Style

SaltyLips India Reinartz surf Nicaragua Salty Lips

View from the lip …

Temporarily leaving the fun waves and easy living of her Nicaraguan habitat, India has returned to her Canadian home for the summer.

“I’m home to get reconnected with the surf and yoga culture here, make some new friends and promote Papaya Wellness. The aim is to build some fresh business relationships, get things ready to expand and prepare for the addition of more destinations for our surf and yoga retreat map.” – India Continue reading

Going Dark in Indo

Barrels, Friends, and More Barrels

SaltyLips Rosary Walsh Indonesia surf Salty Lips

Getting some shade.

After two months of radio silence on an Indonesian Island, Rosary finally reappeared for just long enough to share her surf stories and photos before heading off again to another spot. And it certainly looks like she has been having all the fun! After leaving the cold waters of Ireland she returned to some of her favourite Indo waves, catching up with SaltyLips’ crew member Shannon, along with some old friends, and collecting a few new ones. Continue reading

The Trip: East El Salvador Replay

Fruits of the Forest

SaltyLips Emma Gibbons El Salvador

Snagging a wide one!

Escaping the ever-increasing crowds of West El Salvador’s right points we headed east to another of El Salvador’s dream waves. Needing a change of scenery after almost a month in a bustling fishing village, this new spot could not have been more different. A favourite wave of mine from the journey north, we returned to the same tiny homestay in the middle of the forest only a five-minute walk to the wave. Learning from my previous experience, we brought all our own food, timed the trip with a swell and prayed for afternoon glass-offs to avoid the hordes of morning boats. Continue reading

Mexico Sessions Quatro

Fickle Paradise

Heading out

Heading out

With Rosary bee-lining it to the next super heavy Mexican beachie, I headed off on my own to another spot that was less likely to break my boards or my back. After 3 weeks in a tent I decided to treat myself to an actual bed…my own room on stilts with a concrete platform to do yoga and a view of the wave, with stray dogs & a parrot for company…heaven! Meeting some cool people, including a likeminded surf chica from Switzerland, Prisca, living cheap and getting fun waves, this was a spot I wanted to put some time in. Continue reading

Pumping Waves and New Friends

Playa Gigante Sessions

Yoga time!

India’s yoga time!

The surf has been pumping in India’s little piece of paradise that she calls home, Playa Gigante, Nicaragua. With huge waves, light off shore breezes, the conditions have been pretty much perfect for the advanced surfer. Even with the crowds to contend with there have been plenty of waves to go round. With a lot of new people moving through the town, India has made some great new surfer girlfriends to get out their & play in the ocean with . Taking up Zumba in her free time, she is now contemplating adding this to her repertoire of teaching skills. Continue reading

Surf, Yoga, Play

Playa Gigante, Nicaragua

India ripping!

India ripping!

With a life that’s better than most people’s vacations, India is never short of stories of surf and fun times from her home in Playa Gigante, Nicaragua. Running her Papaya Wellness yoga retreats, holding raw chocolate workshops, helping the local community, playing in the sea on flat days and most importantly surfing, this chica knows how to live dream.  Thanks for making us all smile India. Continue reading

South Nicaragua

Semana Santa, sun-scorched walks & surfing closeouts!

Girl Time

Girl Time

First stop on the three month trip was the beautiful South Nicaragua, where I met Rosary and we caught up with SaltyLip’s crew member India. We stayed in a vibrant little fishing village surrounded by some of Nicaragua’s best beach & point breaks…the perfect first stop for the trip. Apart from the mildly excessive drinking on my part in the first week during Semana Santa (Easter), it was more like a fitness bootcamp….over two hours a day walking to and from the surf breaks, yoga, and India’s amazing healthy cooking and mind blowing smoothies. Continue reading