Surf Instructor's Daily Routine and Wellness Tips

Casey Flaherty, a surf instructor, shares her 24-hour beauty and wellness routine, emphasizing hydration, sunscreen, and surf coaching techniques.

### A Day in the Life of a Surf Instructor's Beauty and Wellness Routine
* 🌊 Casey Flaherty, a surf instructor in North Carolina, starts her day at 6:15 a.m. with **water and organic green juice** for a **body reset and stress support**.
* 🏄 Before surfing, she applies sunscreen and colorful zinc, puts lemon juice in her hair, and uses a hair mask for **protection**.
* 🍽 ️ Casey has a small breakfast before surfing, then spends **2-4 hours in the water** with her team, coaching and filming their sessions.
* 🚿 After surfing, she uses Selsun Blue to combat acne and bacteria from her wetsuit, then has a **real breakfast** and reviews surf film with the team.
* 💪 During the day, if not surfing, Casey does **high-intensity training** or **relaxing yoga** to stay fit.
* 🌅 In the evening, she checks the waves, applies **leave-in conditioner and moisturizing sunscreen**, and heads out for a **second surf session**.
* 🌙 Casey's night routine includes hydrating her hair and body, using a healing aloe mix, and doing **Wim Hof breathing to improve breath holding for surfing**.
* 😴 She tries to go to bed early, as surfing requires **constant mental focus**, and she uses CBD oil for **pain relief from bruises and falls**.

- Hi, my name is Casey Flaherty. I'm a surf instructor,
and this is how I work it. I'm gonna take you through 24 hours of my beauty and wellness routine. I'm a surf instructor
coaching an advanced surf team in Avon, North Carolina. We live in a house together. We eat, sleep, surf, train,
everything together. I started competitively surfing when I was about 16 years old. I probably spend about two to
four hours a day in the water. The biggest wave I've
probably surfed was about 15 feet, double overhead. - Good morning. It is currently 6:15 a.m. here on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. When I first wake up, I
usually chug a bunch of water. If I don't have any water, I can feel myself so much more exhausted and not being able to stay out as long or perform at my best. And I use this organic green juice.

because it helps just heal my gut, and it's good for a body reset and stress support. So usually surfers like to surf on a lower tide. So sometimes if we wake up at 6:30 and we're aiming to get in the water at 7:30, but low tide isn't until 10, we're gonna snooze our alarms a couple of times and wait until 10. I have my bikini on, but since it's a little cloudy today, I just have my staff shirt on. And now I am just gonna put on some sunscreen, and I'm ready to hit the beach. I will wash my face kind of just with cold water. I usually will put on a sunscreen. I use this Pacifica vegan one. If I'm not wearing a wetsuit, I will put a little bit on my shoulders. I probably should wear more sunscreen, but if I'm in a wetsuit, I won't put any on my body.

I use zinc, and I always use a colorful zinc because I don't really like how it looks when your face is white. And I don't wear makeup much, so it kind of makes me think I'm putting on my makeup before I go surfing. In the morning, I won't put any acne treatment on because it will make me burn and honestly break out a little bit more throughout the day, since most of the day is spent in the sun. Before I go surfing, I usually put some lemon juice in my hair because I refuse to get highlights, but I wanna stay blonde. I'll put a hair mask in my hair, Trader Joe's Shea Butter and Coconut Oil. This just helps my hair have a little extra coating, layer of protection from the ocean. Usually before I surf, I like to have a small breakfast, nothing major, 'cause I don't wanna look or feel bloated when I'm out there. So I'm just sitting out here on my deck.

and I'm eating a peanut
butter and jelly. Yum. Okay, before I leave my house, I make sure I get my wetsuit since the waves are a little bit cold. A towel, granola bar, some
water, some extra sunscreen. I'll bring a hairbrush. 'Cause usually when I
get out from surfing, my hair's super knotty. I will bring a big thing of water and then we head out the door to go surf. Before I get in the water and I try to make the
[indistinct] do this, but they usually don't want to, I try to do some foundation breathing, which is where I take my
fingers and put them in shakas and I have it from my rib cage to my hips and I just breathe in and out. And this is just to activate my core because surfing is all from
your core and your hips. And this will also fire my
legs up for the waves as well.

We'll just do some basic stretching that you would do at any practice. Sometimes I'll do some dynamic
work like jumping jacks, a couple surf popups,
actually on the beach. A surf popup is when
you feel the wave push. You put your hands under your chest. You slide one foot up,
whichever one's your front foot. For me, it's my left foot. And then your back foot,
which is my right foot. And then you're standing up. And then we will paddle out right where we see a rip current. In a camp like this where
everyone is on short boards and they're excited to surf, they're pushing you to
get into the water first. They want the first wave.
They want the lineup empty. Sometimes there's some
stragglers on the team who are a little bit younger,
or are not as experienced, and will help time them. I'll be like, Duck dive,
three more duck dives.

Which is when you go under a whitewater wave with your board. Hey guys, just got back from a quick 30-minute surf sesh. Waves are super fun. I am, once again, filming the grounds, getting my tan on, just reapplied some sunscreen, and feeling good. I would say the shortest amount of time we would surf is two hours to four hours. Really, I like to surf with the kids and coach them into waves. I like to get someone or myself to film them on the beach. Just tell them, Go out there, catch as many waves as you can. And then we'll spend some time reviewing the film after the session. So after our first surf, we'll get out as a team, wait on the beach for everyone, and then we'll head back to the house. Okay, so I just got back from surfing, and I'm gonna take a shower. I use Selsun Blue. Yes, it's an anti-dandruff shampoo.

but I get so much acne and bacteria from my wetsuit. So whenever I wear a wetsuit, I put this lightly on my chest, my shoulders, my arms, and then I rinse it off with cold water. But after I use it, I make sure to put a bunch of lemon grass oil on my chest and shoulders. I'll be starving after I surf. And this is when we'll have our real breakfast. I will have cereal or avocado toast, a lot of water. Then we will sit down and we will go over all of the film that we took from that day. And when we do that, we break down each one of the waves that the kids were on. Surfing is all about your eyes and where you're looking and show them exactly where they should have been looking, where their hands should have been, how they should have placed themselves on that wave. If I'm not surfing during the day,

I will do a high-intensity
training workout. If I'm feeling super
sore, I will do a slow, relaxing yoga workout. And then I will get ready
for my second evening surf. Okay, so I just did a quick
yoga routine, got a snack. And now I am going to check the waves. When coaching kids, I definitely like to assess
the conditions even more than if it was just myself, just because sometimes I'm not really sure of their abilities. For this surf session, I usually won't put the
lemon juice in my hair just because the sun isn't as strong. So I'll just put in a leave-in conditioning and detangling spray. I will still put on a
moisturizing sunscreen. We go out for the second session, usually around 5:30 or six. Go down to the beach,
again, wax up our boards. And paddle back out for another session. So I don't like to push the
kids the second half of the day.

as much as I did the first half. I think it should be more fun. We feel more comfortable with each other by the end of the day. Whenever I'm teaching surf lessons, I make sure to tell people to paddle hard, be committed in every move that they make, keep their hands under their chest when they paddle up, stay low and look towards the beach. Okay, so I just got back from surfing my last session. And I hope some aloe will help the spots where I got burnt. So after I get back from that second surf session, this is when I will take a shower and do my night routine. So at night, sometimes I'll double wash my hair. I definitely try to use hydrating shampoos and conditioners. I kind of do it, my nighttime routine, the same as I would on a day that I'm not surfing. I like to put this healing aloe mixed with the coconut lemon grass body oil

all over my body from shoulders down. And then I will just put some bonding oil on the tips of my hair
right before I go to sleep. This helps with the dryness
and preventing the salt from damaging my hair. The last thing I do to seal everything in is put on this Aquaphor. It seals my face, keeps the moisture in, and all the products that I put on my face. After everyone's showered, ready to go, we will go eat dinner. We usually have big
self-serve family style dinner and we'll sit around and
talk about everything between surfing, friends, school. Usually next to my bed, I
will have this CBD body oil. When you're surfing, you're
constantly getting bruised. You're falling on your board.
You're falling on your fins. So, I will usually massage
hemp butter into it or the CBD oil to help relieve the pain and make sure it looks a little bit better.

for the next day. At night, I will do Wim Hof breathing. It has helped me so much
holding my breath in surfing. You do fast breathing for
a certain amount of time, and then you hold your breath
for a certain amount of time. So the fast breathing helps
you kind of get endurance and your body mentally
and physically ready to hold your breath for
a longer period of time. I think I can hold my breath
for like a minute and a half, maybe two minutes. I try to go to bed as early as possible because I'm usually waking
up early to go surfing. Surfing is not just a sport
where you can go out there and you can just surf. My brain is in it the entire time. And if I turn my brain
off and the waves are big, I'm usually gonna pay for it. Whenever I'm having a tough time, I usually try to go surfing and kind of be away from everyone else

and just taking a couple deep breaths and knowing that it will get better. Thank you so much to Allure
for following me around today. I'll see you guys in
the lineup. Goodnight. [upbeat music]

A Surfer's Entire Routine, from Waking Up to Catching Waves | Work It |  Allure

Allure

A Day in the Life of a Surf Instructor in North Carolina

Casey Flaherty is a surf instructor coaching an advanced surf team in Avon, North Carolina, where she spends 2-4 hours a day in the water.

Her morning routine includes drinking water, using organic green juice, putting on sunscreen, and doing a cold water face wash.

Before surfing, she applies lemon juice and a hair mask, and has a small breakfast to avoid feeling bloated in the water.

Before hitting the waves, a pre-surf routine is essential, including breathing exercises and stretching.

The surfers also practice dynamic movements like surf popups on the beach.

During the surfing session, they help coach and film each other, aiming to catch as many waves as possible.

A surfer shares their daily routine, including skincare after wearing a wetsuit and a breakfast of cereal or avocado toast.

They also emphasize the importance of coaching and training for both themselves and kids, with a focus on assessing the waves and providing guidance.

The day typically ends with a second evening surf, with a different approach to hair and sunscreen application.

After a day of surfing, the individual uses aloe to soothe sunburned skin and then follows a specific nighttime routine.

The routine includes double washing the hair, using hydrating products, applying healing aloe and body oil, and using bonding oil to prevent hair damage.

The individual also uses Aquaphor to seal in moisture and has a self-care routine for relieving pain from bruises caused by surfing.

The day ends with a family dinner and discussions about surfing, friends, and school.

The Benefits of Wim Hof Breathing for Surfing

Wim Hof breathing helps improve endurance and mental preparedness for holding breath while surfing.

Early bedtime is crucial for the surfer to wake up early for surfing and stay mentally focused.

Surfing serves as a therapeutic activity, providing a mental break and the opportunity to reset.