Leah Dawson

Uncategorizable and one-of-a-kind, Leah Dawson smashes preconceived notions. She speaks with the wisdom and humility of an elderly soul, yet has a childlike wonder, awe and hope of the world. Back in the 2000s, she became known for her career as a women’s longboard division competitor, but today the all-around waterwoman is addicted to getting barreled while riding weird vintage single fin boards that would confuse thruster devotees.

Originally from Florida, Leah now calls the North shore of a Oahu and a mermaid-shared “hen house” her home. When she's not surfing uninhibited and championing for environmental and health causes relevant to the islands, she goes where her passion for creating music, visual media and experiencing new waters takes her.

Lives in: North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.

Home Breaks: Rocky Point, Sunset, Lani’s.

Seea Quiver: “The Leah bodysuit is my favorite suit I have ever worn, namely because its effective warmth, trustworthy sun protection, and when worn out in the surf or on the river, the suit never needs to be re-adjusted, allowing me to fully focus on my activities.

As a woman with fair skin, covering my body is essential for me to live my life with the sea. The bodysuit not only saves me a ton of sunscreen, it also allows me to never have to adjust my attire while I am playing in the sea. The bodysuit is the most comfortable surf outfit I’ve ever worn!  

The Leah surf suit is ideal for warm climates like Hawaii, where there is always a bit of a wind chill.  I love this suit for surfing in powerful waves because I never have to worry about it getting out of place, allowing me to fully focus on my dance with the waves."

Passions: Surfing, playing music, filmmaking, writing, practicing yoga, practicing bodywork. "I am pursuing a dream to positively impact the world around me. Our global environment is screaming out for help.  We live in a time when awareness is critical, and change is mandatory. I feel responsible to be an agent for that change.”

Surf Rituals: “My surf routine changes all the time but the two things that always remain consistent is that I have to drink water and I have to stretch before I surf. The few times I have gotten injured, I've forgotten to stretch before I paddled out and so I've made a commitment to myself to always use the time right before I surf to unite myself with the ocean, ask for permission, and get my body in tuned with the water in front of me. I love putting my feet in the sand and doing a series of five stretches or so that warm my shoulders, hips, knees up.  But more so it connects my soul to the ocean and gets me ready for the dance. 

If I'm home at the henhouse with my roommates we have a surf routine of always dancing in our living room before we go surfing. It's our way to get our spirit ready for the ocean; to unite ourselves and our sisterhood. It always reminds us that surfing is our celebration.”

Click HERE to go to Leah Dawson's Full Q&A Interview talking about her signature suit!

Click HERE to follow along with Leah's travels on the Seeababes Blog!

Photos by Ashley Barker, Nick LaVecchia, and Jianca Lazarus. 

Mele Saili 

Lives in: Pacific Beach, San Diego

Home Breaks: Tourmaline, La Jolla Shores for fun logging waves. Pacific Beach Point and Sunset Cliffs in the winter.

Seea Quiver: Hermosa Surf Suit

Passions: Music, drawing and painting

Surf Rituals: “I wake up, sometimes after pressing snooze on my alarm about three times. I’ll play some Bob Dylan before I get dressed then sort through my Seea bathing suit quiver. I think it’s harder for me to settle on what I’m going to wear in the water rather than actual clothes. Then I’ll make some coffee while I wait to get the surf report from a friend. I’ll surf for 1-3 hours depending on the waves. Afterwards I’ll usually stop by a café for some breakfast. Then ride my bike to work.”

Click HERE to go to Mele's Full Q&A! 

Click HERE to follow along with Mele's art and travels on the Seeababes Blog!

Photos by Luki O'Keefe.

Makala Smith 

If only we could bottle Makala Smith’s particular flavor of stoke and gain a zap of her electric superpowers. Whether it’s charging bombs at the Point at SanO, trimming in little ankle biters, or wiping out with panache, her carefree attitude can uplift and unwind the most uptight of personalities.

She’s our favorite wild card that will drop everything to go on a last minute surf strike mission — like that time she went with us across the border to chase swell, and then again when she bought a ticket and was paddling out with us in Sayulita, Mexico within 24 hours.

A fellow retro style junkie, Makala used to wear vintage swimsuits in the water — despite the non-stretch fabrics with too-big bullet bras and too-tiny waists. That’s dedication. Thankfully she doesn’t sacrifice comfort any longer and you’ll most often see her in her own Makala Bikini. 

Makala grew up in a creative surf family in Dana Point, California, where her summer vacation routine was to play in the waves and sand from breakfast to dinnertime. In her world, the beach is not a place — it’s a lifestyle.

Lives in: Dana Point, California

Home Breaks: Doheny, SanO, Churches

Seea Quiver: “The Calafia leggings! My first suit was a Riviera One-Piece and it fit like it was made for me.”

Passions: “I have a passion for vintage clothing and swimwear — collecting buying selling and trading it! When I’m not surfing I love to spend time with my friends listening to music and taking my van on camping trips.”

Surf Rituals: “My daily surf routine is to wake up get a cup of coffee, some toast and fruit, like a banana. Drive down Golden Lantern St. and do a drive by on the Doheny jetty. Then usually pick up all my babes on the way to SanO. Depending on the swell and how it looks when you come off the freeway we either surf Four Doors and The Point or do the walk to Church. Kim Hamrock, a legend in women surfing, taught Hallie, Lola Mignot and I this routine that she does before surfing also known as a type tai chi. It involves stretching and meditation to find the energy. It's so awesome.” 

Click HERE to go to Makala Smith's Full Q&A Interview!

Click HERE to follow along with Makala's travels on the Seeababes Blog!

Remember that slow motion high of your very first wave? Gliding on the ocean’s energy and smiling so hard you thought you’d break your face. As a private surf instructor on the North Shore of Hawaii, Rosie Jaffurs vicariously re-lives that experience almost every day through the stoked eyes of her clients.

“It just brought me a feeling I didn’t know about,” says Rosie about the happiness she gains while teaching surfing. Born and raised on Pupukea, the mountainous region above Waimea Bay in Oahu, Rosie Jaffurs talks about her paradise home with as much awe and gratitude for her lucky lifestyle as tourists passing through. She didn’t have any “locals only” attitude about her favorite spots, instead openly guiding the Seeababes with the utmost hospitality during our many visits to Oahu, where we’ve stayed on her couch too.

“When I travel to another place, I want to hang with the locals and get their experience. For me to be able to return that, that makes me stoked,” Rosie explains. Drawing upon the teachings of her mentor Montgomery “Buttons” Kaluhiokalani, the famously stylish Hawaiian surfer that passed in 2013 — or as Rosie calls him, “Uncle Buttons” — the vibe around Rosie is always surrounded by fun and stoke.

Lives in: Oahu, Hawaii

Home Breaks: Chuns, Waikiki, Diamond Head, Barbers Point/ White Plains

Seea Quiver:  Capitola Bikini, Lido One-Piece

Click HERE to go to Rosie's Full Q&A!