Seeababe Mele Saili drops in on "Big Wednesday" Hurricane Marie swell. Photo by Nick LaVecchia. 

Last Wednesday, Hurricane Marie generated the kind of rare fantastic swell to Southern California that had frothing surfers and photographers from Hawaii booking next-day plane tickets to LAX to ride Pipeline-worthy barrels at Newport Beach and longest point break rides at Malibu. No swell has this big and perfectly positioned for certain breaks has happened since, forever ago.

The attraction was mutual - I loved her style & grace, and she had heart shaped eyes when she first saw Seea in person! Her favorite suit is the Hermosa, shown below in some great shots taken at Leo Carrillo State Park.

We are so happy to have met Jenayl, and are excited to welcome her to the Seeababe family!

Photos by Trent Siggard

Introducing pretty Seeababes Linn Lundgren from Sunshinestories and Margaret Yao Calvani from Bing Surfboards.

We couldn't not re-post these magic shots from Linn and Peter's blog - They represent everything that Seea is about: surf, fun and lots of smiles! 

Can it get any cuter? Airi & Naki - our friends and representatives for Seea in Japan!

Airi and Naki are two very unique people we are happy and lucky to have met. One of the first Japanese professional surfers to compete in California in the 80's, Funaki Mitsuhide, aka "Naki", has been surfing for over 30 years. With cat-like grace on any size board, Naki's sense of style can only be matched by his beautiful fiancee Airi, a former Japanese news reporter and newcomer to the surfing world. Together, they are an inspiring duo - a true intersection of culture & experience, blending the best of California with Japanese style and flair. 

Naki waxes up his "kook box"- a hollow wooden surfboard modeled after boards from the 1930's

Trimming out parallel on a small day at San O

Stylish bottom turn on a not-so-small day

Naki's is also an excellent water photographer. His shots are coveted by collectors around the globe.

When did you start surfing, Naki?

I started surfing in Japan when I was 18. I would surf 6 or 7 hours a day back then – even if there was no surf, I would still go out and just paddle! There was no internet then, no surf report, nothing - it was like discovering a new world!

Later on I became a professional surfer in Japan – I moved to the US when I was 28, and was one of the first Japanese surfers to compete on the PSAA circuit. I took competition pretty seriously back then, but through my travels, I began to explore new places and new waves. The spirit of surfing here on the coast of California is very free in comparison to Japan, and eventually, my attitude towards surfing began to change. I learned to surf for myself and be happy, even when things aren’t perfect.

Your name means “smile” in Japanese, right?

Well, “Naki” is my nickname. It’s short for my last name, Funaki, which was easier for most people to say than “Mitsuhide”. I wanted to bring the same sense of joy and freedom I discovered in California back to surfers in Japan, so when I started my company, I named it “Smile Surf”, or “Nikorin Surf” in Japanese. It made perfect sense since “Naki” was already my nickname. Smile - Surf!

So what’s Naki Surf all about?

My purpose is to help others get to know the ocean, and to enjoy happiness through riding waves. I encourage my friends to discover surfing on their own terms – not just when the surf report says “good”.

What is your favorite place in Japan?

Amami Island, for sure. Usually, you go to islands, people can be unfriendly, and have a tendency to be protective of what they have, particularly with waves & surf spots. But everyone in Amami is so open and kind. The waves, food & weather are all very good, and it never seems to get crowded. The ocean is so blue & beautiful - it's a true paradise!

Just one of over 200 different surf breaks in Naki's favorite paradise, Amami island.

When did you and Naki meet?

3 years ago. At the time I was living in Japan and was a member of a traditional Japanese surf shop. There were many rules, and Japanese guys don't always make it easy for women to learn to surf, either, so I was very scared to surf! Then I met Naki, and he taught me to go beyond this small way of thinking. He gave me different boards to try, taught me to understand the waves, and showed me a new vision of surfing. Meeting Naki definitely changed my life!

What do you like the best about surfing?

I just love to be in the ocean. I don’t even have to catch any waves - I’m just happy to be there. I feel like I’m cleansing my soul... I need to go there, for my heart!

What is your favorite spot to surf?

I love San O very much. The waves are good, people are so nice. I can feel the history of surfing in the atmosphere there. Hamburg is a small town by the ocean, but really it is a very spiritual spot for surfing - so many artists and legends have lived and surfed here - it's an exciting, original surf town.

What did you think when you first saw SEEA?

I was so excited!! I was always so unhappy with the suits I found before in Japan. Finally suits that look amazing and still stay on - just what I had been looking for and could never find!! That is why I feel the need to tell everyone about Seea - because I know many other Japanese girls feel the same way I do, so I have made it my mission to let them all know!

Airi in the Seeaside rash tank, coming this June!

What would you the two of you like out of the your lives in the future?

Airi: Our lives are so fast and busy – so many things come and go. I am a full time student, while Naki is an artist, a surfer, a business owner. We love the freedom our lifestyle provides, but sometimes we would like to unplug from it completely and live more simply – 

Naki: I would like to go shoot photos just for me, instead of shooting for an article, or just go score a great day of surf alone, or with friends - no cameras or blogs. A slow life with no wind, that is what I would like...

It's been a real pleasure getting to know Airi & Naki, and we couldn't be more please to be working together. For more information on becoming a Seea dealer in Japan, contact [email protected].

We stopped by Forward Screen Printing last week to pick up a new batch of Seea Lady T's, and to check out their new digs. With a steady stream of orders and a trustworthy crew, owner Sean Tully recently moved to expand the business, locking down a larger facility, complete with a retail space & showroom.   

Brian and Sean show off the goods in the new front office

Ever wonder how screen printing works? Check out this KTV video as Sean walks us through the process!

Seea Lady screen on the left - printed shirt on the right. See the machine in action in the video below.

One pass through the oven, and we're done!

In business for nearly ten years now, Forward's quality work and environmentally friendly approach has really paid off. Sean still maintains the "customer first" principle on which his business was based, and it's inspiring to see him succeed. 

 

Thanks to Sean & the entire crew at Forward for letting us take photos and film - we are stoked to be working together, and are happy to offer our 100% organic cotton Seea lady T, now back in stock!

Meet Esther. Daughter of infamous style master Brian Bent, it's no surprise that Esther has great style herself. Sun and fun waves were on tap for our San O surf date this weekend, and I just about flipped when she showed up in this sweet 62 Mercury, which she calls "Baby Blue"!

Rolling through Dana Point in style

It's almost summer - no wetsuits required!

Sun & swell = lines at San O

A story like that deserves a good shaka!

& so does Esther! What a fun day!

I am so happy to have met Esther - with a couple sewing machine, good music and weather like this, who knows what we will dream up...
All I can say is that "Baby Blue" is now the official Seea Babes San O vehicle, and that Neon Indian will be our Summer soundtrack.

1) 1" wide roll of your favorite color stretchy spandex

2) Old school elastic strap machine, AKA "the pasta maker"

3) Ruler & scissors

4) Good tunes!!

Mint green spaghetti - our favorite!!

As you can see, the process is pretty simple: Cut and unroll the fabric in an empty box, feed it into the machine, and out comes your pasta! This ingenious little device has a separate pickup in the back for the actual elastic strap, and in one smooth motion, the machine wraps the spandex around the elastic and sews it in place - pretty neat! All you need to do afterwords is measure and cut the straps to the right length, and you're done!!

Spaghetti comes in all colors - another factory fun fact brought to you by SEEA!

Last month we were lucky enough to receive a visit from star fashion photographer Jana Cruder. Sent by the fashion editors at Orange Coast Magazine, Jana stopped by Seea HQ to snap a few shots of Amanda. Seeababes Meredith & Heather were on hand as well, so laughs were guaranteed and we all had a great time!

 Jana is a pretty awesome photographer, and we really enjoyed working with her this time around. The product shots were amazing, and she captured some great images of the girls in the suits.

The girls, looking good.

If you are in California in late July, then we would like to invite you to stop by the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica to say hello. Launch LA is a new tradeshow, catering specifically to young, upcoming brands who aren't afraid to shake things up. We're proud to announce our participation in the show, and look forward to meeting an expanding group of independent retailers and fine purveyors of cool. 

This is an exciting time for Seea. Come see what's in store for Spring 13 - We'd love to see you there. 

The sun is out and the surf is good - so why not make someone's day, and giveaway the perfect surf bikini? That's exactly what's going on right now with our friends at Liquid Salt!

Check out the interview with Amanda and find out more about Seea and the inspiration behind her designs!

Extra bonus giveaway!! Be the 500th like and score a Seea x Mollusk rashguard!

1) Head over to Liquid Salt Facebook page and tell them which Seea suit is your favorite

2) "Like" Seea on FB

3) 500th like scores a Seea x Mollusk rashguard as well. Stoked!!

Once again, thanks to all of you who have sent in photos of yourselves in Seea gear! The rashguard / bikini is the ideal surf trip combo, so if you're headed somewhere tropical and just can't wait, the suits are available at Mollusk Surf Shop in Venice / SF, and also through their online store.

Ready to rip!!

Shaka muchachas! Ashely, Emianna, and Amanda share some afternoon aloha.

Although Stewart's Surf Shop has been around for over 30 years, Bill's daughter Ashley has recently become more involved in the family business, and is the driving force behind The Oasis, a new section of the store dedicated to women's clothing. An original Seea Babe, Ashley also moonlights as a model for Seea, and is an amazing friend, businesswomen, and mother.

Next time you're in Hamburg, stop by Stewart's and say hi! You may get lucky and meet this little ripper, too!

After a quick trip out to the junkyard in Orange, CA, we headed home with a load of old fence boards with some intriguing graffiti, broke out the sander, and got to work...

Before and after shot. The cream colored paint underneath was a surprise bonus!

From concept to completion, the display starts to take shape!

The final product, complete with thrifty monitor and DVD player from the second hand store.

Not bad for a day's work! Where will this display end up, you might ask? Check back soon to find out!

Created by master illustrator Simone Massoni, the Seea Lady exemplifies Simone's comic, cartoon-like style, and his penchant for distressed, colorful prints. Originally a creator of children's books, it's easy to see the magic in Simone's whimsical images and storybook design. 

With the manifesto "Original, push the visual", Simone has explored illustration, photography, art, graphic design, and music for a large list of international clients. Intent on "defending and spreading passion" for everything visually stimulating, Simone has created an impressive body of work, including recent projects for Nokia, Guess Kids, & Wired Magazine.

Instrumental in creating a visual voice for our brand identity, we are forever grateful to Simone for bringing the Seea Lady to life, and we look forward to seeing whatever comes next!! 

Moral of the story: Don't be afraid to look Simone up, if you every need to "Sketch This Out"!

Back at our LA factory, we never imagined that our fabrics would need a break, too...

Strechy fabrics like spandex need to be laid out flat to "relax" before being made into suits!

Amanda looking relaxed while planning her next crazy color combination. Love the neon zippers!!

Turns out that when using stretchy fabrics, you need to let the fabric relax a bit before starting to sew. When in large rolls, all fabric is under tension, and laying it out flat allows the fabric to loosen up and return to it's original state. Giving our fabric time to "relax" is in your best interest - and will assure your Seea suit fits fabulously from day one.

We hope you enjoyed this fun-filled-factory-fact.

Now just relax & catch some waves this weekend - TGIF! 

Our friend Darren at Black Duck Ding Repair is a pretty busy guy, but he sure stepped up to the plate when we presented him our latest project. The challenge: convert a thrift store lamp into an amazing piece of custom POP, built for our friends at Surf Indian. Check out the photos - he did a "bang up" job!

Initial planning with the Surf Indian & Seea logos printed out on rice paper

Darren lays down a "logo sandwich" - the rice paper disappears as the resin soaks through the fiberglass

After the resin cured, we cut out the "window panes" to fit the lamp. They slid right into place!

Darren, amazed at the final product!

Looking for a new rashguard? Want something that fits, without pink flowers or a million logos?

Don't worry - Seea's got you covered! With the arrival of the new navy polkadot Doheny Rashguard, you can stay protected from the sun and feel stylish, too!

Burgundy sleeve with contrast silver cuff

Spice it up with contrast print bottoms!

The polkadot print works great with any solid color bikini, but really comes to life with the contrast waterstripes print (pictured above). The Solimar Bikini top and bottom are sold as separates, so with black, olive, and waterstripes all in stock now, you can mix & match to your hearts content!

Like the popular Seeaflower color before it, this version is limited and will likely sell out before summer arrives, so snap one up today!!

That's why I called our favorite style editor crying for her help.

Here are Kelly's top 9 gift ideas for your surf-crazed boyfriend, husband, dad or brother.

1. Homebrew Kit
2. Danny Hess Handplane
3. Poler Duffalufagus Duffle Bag
4. Lomo Underwater Fisheye Camera
5. Subscription to Surfer's Journal
6. Rosewood Folding Knife
7. Mollusk Money
8. Jambox Wireless Speaker
9. Vers Bamboo ipad 2 Case