Photo courtesy Regan Inch
Regan Inch, an 18-year-old Canadian surfer, has displayed perseverance and passion throughout all stages of her surfing journey.
Born with hearing impairments, she has undergone around five different surgeries to help improve her hearing and functionality. Despite keeping her out of the water for months at a time, Inch stays undeterred by remaining positive and an active participant in the Nova Scotia surf scene.
Though you can track Regan's surfing journey through various Nova Scotia competitions, she values the community and playful aspect of surfing over competitions.
We chatted with Regan about the Nova Scotia surf scene, the biggest barriers she has had to overcome during her surfing journey, and joy she feels when she teaches others how to surf. — Olivia Roberts
ASM: When did you first start surfing and how did you get into it?
Regan Inch: I've been surfing kind of my whole life. Technically, when I actually started to get into surfing, I was around 12.
When I started going surfing with my mom, because I was little—like maybe around five, my mom would push me in the whitewater and stuff like that. And then, randomly, when I turned 12, that's when I really started to get into it. I was like, “Oh, this is actually fun.”
I would start going out to breaks with her and starting to get to know more people and getting more help.
Then after a while, I started joining a surf team, which was the Nova Scotia surf team, and I met a bunch of people there and improved from there.
Photo courtesy Regan Inch
ASM: Describe the surf scene and culture in Nova Scotia? What are the local breaks that you surf?
In Lawrencetown, we have a great community of people. I grew up with them, so everyone's been helping me around and everyone's very friendly. I do love the number of women here because it can be very intimidating going surfing with just guys, but half the time when I go out, half the lineup is women.
We're all cheering for each other and giving each other support, which I love.
There's a couple of spots that are very public and popular and can be crowded but they are very scenic. We have nice hills and really nice beaches too. It can be kind of rocky in a lot of spots, which turn people away, but we do have point breaks, beach breaks and just anything else.
There are also some secret spots that not a lot of people know about, which are nice and not very crowded. The summer can always get very busy because people come out to learn, but as it gets colder, it gets less and less busy, which is nice. The water gets into the negatives, so it kind of scares people off. It scared me off a couple of times.
It can also be inconsistent sometimes, which isn't great, but it's more in the summer when the waves are not very consistent. But the mornings are my favorite just because it's so calm and not a lot of wind. And I really like it because before a hectic day, it's calming and less busy in the mornings.
It's very scenic and you just kind of have to hunt around for waves, and just drive up the coastline. There are definitely a bunch of popular spots, but then there's some private ones too.
Photo courtesy Regan Inch
ASM: What has been the biggest barrier you have had to overcome throughout your surfing journey?
Throughout the years when I'm surfing, I'll go out once and I'll get an ear infection. So I'd have to wear a lot of earplugs. That would also affect me because I couldn't really hear people in the water because I'm half deaf.
So after my surgeries, I don't get ear infections anymore, but still, it's kind of annoying in the winter when I have to wear hoods, and because they're so tight, I can't really hear much. But my whole life, I have had hearing aids, but you can't wear those in water. So it's not too much of a barrier, but sometimes it can get a little bit annoying.
So I would say my injuries are the worst because I couldn't go in the water when I really wanted to go. I broke my shin, and that was a 4-5 month recovery. That was pretty hard because at the end of the day, I just wanted to stay in the scene.
I used my dad's camera because he's a photographer and would just sit on the beach or in the car, taking pictures. I still felt included, even though I couldn't go out there. I just tried to stay positive, knowing that I could go back out.
Then I broke my leg. After that, I lost a lot of confidence and as soon as I recovered and I could go back out surfing, that's when summer hit, so all the swell was gone; it was just kind of logging season.
So the first time I actually went shortboarding after I broke my leg was almost a year later. I had to build my confidence up again, but there were a lot of supportive people.
Photo courtesy Regan Inch
ASM: Can you describe a moment in your surfing journey when you felt the most accomplished and what led to that feeling?
Even though it's kind of small, when I was 12, I entered my first surf competition but I was really scared. I did not want to go at all, and my mom said, “Your friends are doing it. Just do it.”
So I entered the non-competitive category and I was so scared for my heat.I didn't have a lot of confidence, but as soon as I surfed it, I felt really good.
It was not stressful at all and I got second place. That was really exciting for me and it definitely led me to continue competing and pushing myself. I realized that it's not that stressful and that I just needed to build a little more confidence.
It was definitely big because it made me build more confidence because I didn't think I was going to do good and I was too scared to enter the competition.
ASM: What inspired and continues to inspire you to teach others to surf?
What led me to it three years ago was that I live right by the beach and I'm a surfer, so I thought it was a perfect job to do.
What has kept me going is the joy it brings people, because I know surfing can be such a humbling sport to try to learn because it takes so much balance.
So after watching my customers try and try and try, and then when they finally get that first wave, feeling the excitement they get just brings them and me so much joy.
They feel so accomplished and all that work that was put into it to just keep going. Just seeing the success from everyone, it makes me really happy because surfing is such a hard sport and it's just very exciting when you can get that one good wave.
ASM: In what ways do your experiences in the water merge with your college studies?
I'm taking recreational therapy at Dalhousie, which is a type of therapy where you use leisure to help your physical and mental health and so much more.
When I first started getting into it, I was going to do psychology to merge recreation and psychology to help put surfing and therapy together and just sports and therapy together.
I wanted to help people with accessibilities who can't normally do stuff that they like to do.
Then, I found out recreational therapy was a real thing and I thought it'd be really cool to merge them both because surfing is a therapy itself, really.
Being able to take someone out there and helping them so much in a way. So, putting sports together with therapy, I think is what I've originally wanted to do.
Photo courtesy Regan Inch
ASM: What would you say to other young females who may feel limited or discouraged to try out surfing because of their disability?
I know it can be hard with barriers, but those shouldn't hold you back. The ocean and surfing is for everyone.
It sucks if there are barriers that are holding you up. I'd say just go out for fun. No one's watching you. No one cares. Just go out there and play. It doesn't matter if you're good if you just go out there for fun.
Something else that I think is really cool is in Nova Scotia we do a program that's called “Life Rolls On”.
Anyone with disabilities can join it and a bunch of volunteers will take you out surfing and help you surf and experience it no matter what's holding you back.
The joy that they get from that is really fun. So I'd say just don't think about it too much. Just go out there, have fun and just play. It's just a fun sport, and it's for everyone to do.
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