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Gema Diaz

@essentiallygem

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Sharing the struggles of learning to surf as an adult
while working a corporate 9–5 🏄‍♀️
📍Portugal
Join my Surf Retreat in Morocco🇲🇦↓

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Let’s surf together in Morocco 🤍🏄‍♀️

I’m so happy to share this little dream I’ve been putting together.

Surfing changed my whole life. And as someone who started at 30, I know what it feels like to love it so much… while wondering if you started too late, feeling stuck, or never getting enough time in the water because life keeps getting in the way.

So I created the retreat I wished I’d found: a week with other women who get it. Time to surf, learn together, celebrate the little wins and hopefully leave with new friends for the next surf trip.

There’ll also be sunsets, sandboarding in the dunes, shared dinners and time explore or slow down 🌊

📍 Imsouane, Morocco
📅 27 Feb–6 Mar 2027
🏄‍♀️ Beginner to intermediate women who’ve tried surfing before.
🤍 Come solo or bring a friend.

I’d love to share some waves with you beyond this little screen. Comment “MOROCCO” and I’ll send you the details ✨

#adultbeginnersurfer #surfretreat #surfretreat #morocco #imsouane taken in Imsouane - إمسوان by @essentiallygem

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7 days ago

I feel like I owed you this life update.

I’ve been sharing bits of my story in stories since moving to Portugal, but I never really told the whole thing.

I recorded this video in Mexico about a month ago.
It was the end of my sabbatical after travelling for a few months, and I was about to move to Portugal.

At that point I felt ready to start building a life closer to what I actually want.

Now it’s been three weeks since I moved to Portugal.

New job.
New house.
New country.
New language.

Life has been busy and a bit chaotic, and honestly I haven’t even had time to surf yet.

But something inside me feels calmer.

For the first time in a while, I feel like I’m moving in the right direction, closer to the ocean and closer to the life I want to build.

My next goal now is figuring out how to balance it all:
the job I have today with the life I want long term.

Maybe that means a flexible or remote job one day.
Maybe building something of my own.

For now, I’m just taking the next step.

And I’m excited to start sharing more of this new chapter in Portugal.

#lifeupdate #storytelling #adultbeginnersurfer #surfjourney #fromburnouttobalance taken in Lisbon, Portugal by @essentiallygem

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7 months ago

A little reminder to myself: I don’t have to be good at surfing to love it. I can take my time, choose the waves that feel right, and enjoy every step of the journey. 🌊

#AdultBeginnerSurfer #BeginnerSurfer #WomenWhoSurf #SurfingJourney #SurfLife by @essentiallygem

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12 days ago

🤔 Ever feel like you don’t have energy, but somehow you’d happily get up at 5am to surf? 🌊😂

Gema gets it. In our latest BlueBound Conversation, she shares what learning to surf in her 30s has taught her about making time for the things that make us feel alive.

This is a snippet from our BlueBound Conversation with Gema 💙 The full episode is available to BlueBound members! Link in bio 🔗

What gives you that extra spark? ⚡️ ✨

#BlueBoundWomen #WomenWhoSurf #SurfingLife by @essentiallygem

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5 hours ago

A few years ago, I tried surfing for the first time while I was on holiday… and thought I was going to go back to my normal city life as if nothing had happened.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Once I’d experienced that feeling of freedom and connection with the ocean, I couldn’t forget it.

After that, I spent years living far from the sea, surfing just a few days a year and feeling like every trip meant starting from zero again.

And honestly, that was the most frustrating part.

The dream of being able to surf consistently never went away. If anything, it just grew stronger every year.

And finally, 6 months ago, I moved to Portugal.

To be honest, I still don’t surf as much as I’d like because life and work get in the way. But living in this paradise is a dream come true.

Now I can keep showing up every week.

And when I look around me, I feel like the luckiest person in the world. I don’t know how much I’ll progress with my surfing, but I’d make this move all over again. 🌊

#AdultBeginnerSurfer #LearningToSurf #SurfLifePortugal #WomenWhoSurf #OceanLife taken in Alentejo, Portugal by @essentiallygem

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20 days ago

I think I’ve finally made peace with the end of summer.

I used to hate September. It meant the end of my favourite season, the end of holidays and going back to the same old routine.

But I’ve realised something: the problem was never September. It was the life I was going back to.

Living somewhere I genuinely enjoy, where September still feels like summer (unlike London, where some Septembers already felt like winter 😂), has completely changed how I feel about this time of year.

And yes, I still work a corporate 9–5. That hasn’t changed. You just don’t see it in these photos because, well, posting the same office selfie every month would get pretty boring 😂

But the difference is that my days no longer feel like they’re passing me by.

I’m no longer just going to work and counting down the days until my next two-week holiday. I actually enjoy the life I’ve built outside of work. The ocean, the surfing, the little everyday moments that make me happy.

And then there was the @wuju_retreat in Ericeira. 🥹🩵

What a WEEK. Honestly, I couldn’t recommend them enough. The photos say a lot, and I’ve probably already spammed you with enough stories 😂

But it was one of those experiences you come back from feeling recharged, inspired and even more excited about life and everything you’re working towards.

And some things, no matter how many photos or videos you share, you just have to experience for yourself.

September was busy, beautiful and full of little reminders of why I chose this life.

Here’s to October. And once again, thank you, Portugal 🤍🌊 taken in Alentejo, Portugal by @essentiallygem

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3 days ago

“It’s just a surf retreat.”

Okay, but why am I still thinking about the laughs in the van, the sunsets, slowing down and being present during yoga, setting intentions, sharing our surfing wins and our fears, and that feeling of having nowhere else I needed to be? 🥹

I went to Ericeira for the waves. I came home with new surf buddies, memories of my dream house by @advantureland, and a serious case of post-retreat blues. And I got to meet @marta_lupparelli, the best host ever 🤍

Thank you, @wuju_retreat for a week I didn’t want to end 🌊

#SurfRetreat #EriceiraSurf #WomenWhoSurf #AdultBeginnerSurfer #SurfCommunity taken in Ericeira, Portugal by @essentiallygem

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14 days ago

Some waves I catch, others I miss… and half the time I have no idea what I did differently 😂

So I sent the clips to my coach at @alora.surfing and comparing what I do right vs what I do wrong made everything make SO much more sense 👀

If you want your surfing analysed too, GEM20 gets you 20% off @alora.surfing 🤍

#AdultBeginnerSurfer #SurfProgress #LearningToSurf #WomenWhoSurf #SurfJourney by @essentiallygem

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9 days ago

Send this to the girl who needs a surf trip and some future surf besties 🤍
There are still spots available for Morocco ✨

A week to surf, progress together, build confidence, share the highs and the wipeouts, and hopefully leave with a few new surf besties.

📍 Imsouane, Morocco
📅 27 Feb – 6 Mar 2027
🏄‍♀️ Beginner + progressing surfers
🌊 Surf one of Africa’s longest waves
✨ Progress alongside women at a similar stage
🤍 Come solo and meet your future surf crew

Link in bio for more details 🤗

#imsouane #adultbeginnersurfer #moroccosurftrip #surfretreat #imsouaneretreat taken in Morocco by @essentiallygem

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22 days ago

The soft summer waves in Portugal are gone, and honestly, I’m struggling.

The power and steepness of the waves have been mentally challenging for me as a beginner. I’m also working through a fear that sometimes makes me freeze in the water.

I’ve gone back to practising in the whitewater more times than I’d like to admit (and that’s okay). Then I paddle back out to the lineup, only to realise I need more time in the whitewater. Again.

Being a beginner isn’t always fun. Being a beginner in Portugal is really testing me.

But I’m not giving up. I’m going to figure this out, however long it takes. 🌊

#AdultBeginnerSurfer #LearningToSurf #SurfProgress #WomenWhoSurf #SurfingPortugal taken in Ericeira by @essentiallygem

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16 days ago

Am I the only one who asks herself these questions?

Some days I get so discouraged because I feel like I’ll never get better at surfing. It’s actually one of the reasons I started this account. I felt a bit alone in it. It seemed like everyone around me was improving while I was somehow staying in the same place.

Connecting with so many people who feel the same way has made me feel a lot less alone 🤍 But I still catch myself wondering if I’ll ever be good at this.

I know I don’t need to be good at surfing to enjoy it. And I really do enjoy it. Starting was one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I’m going to keep showing up.

But omg, it’s hard sometimes, isn’t it?

#AdultBeginnerSurfer #LearningToSurf #SurfProgress #WomenWhoSurf #SurfJourney by @essentiallygem

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19 days ago

Turns out I never hated September, I just needed to spend it in Portugal. 🌊☀️

#PortugalLife #SeptemberInPortugal #SurfLifestyle #OceanLife #LifeByTheSea taken in Alentejo, Portugal by @essentiallygem

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24 days ago