Strengthening Roots, Expanding Voices: SeaSisters’ Off-Season 7

SeaSisters
Dec 22, 2025
7 min read

Updated: Dec 24, 2025

As the monsoon shifts from Maha to Yala, the off-season begins along Sri Lanka’s southern coast. While the waves and rhythm of the coast changes, our work carries on. From May to November 2025, we strengthened local leadership, expanded our programs, and amplified our voices beyond Sri Lanka. During these months, we reached 500 Sri Lankan women and girls through 75 swim and surf lessons, ocean education sessions, and community events. Alongside this work, we also stepped onto the global stage, including at the UN Ocean Conference, where we shared our stories, built alliances, and advocated for gender equality and ocean justice worldwide.

Snippets from off-season 7

Strengthening Our Foundations

We began the off-season with intensive team reflections. Together, we looked back, learned, and intentionally shaped the direction ahead. These conversations led to a reshaping of our roles, as part of a wider transition toward stronger local leadership.

As part of this shift:

Kalpa stepped into her new role as Director of Legal Affairs, People & Culture
Udani became Director of Programs & Ocean Education
Martina continues to gradually transition from her role as Executive Director, supporting the team as local leadership takes on more responsibility

Celebrating our new roles and achievements

Growing Skills in the Water

Our Swim & Surf Academy remained a core space for growth throughout the off-season, supporting 14 Sri Lankan women as they continued developing skills and confidence in the water. Weekly swimming sessions moved from the public Labima Swimming Pool in Matara to Café Ceylon in Ahangama. They were led by Himaya, now SeaSisters’ Swim Coordinator.

Along the coast, the Surf Academy unfolded in close collaboration with Yaka Surf School, with additional training days at Ticket to Ride. The weekly sessions were coordinated by Ishi, whose journey captures what SeaSisters is all about. Once a participant herself, Ishi has grown into a SeaSisters leader in the water - and this off-season, she reached a major milestone by winning a national surf competition in Arugam Bay. To celebrate this moment, and everything it represents, she was gifted a SeaSisters surfboard, shaped and donated by No Shape Sri Lanka.

Ishi after her national surf competition win and receiving her new surfboard

Inspiring Ocean Stewardship

This off-season, we launched our new Ocean Hero Program, a six-week learning journey

developed specifically for our SeaSisters Juniors and led by our first intern, Dakshina. Through hands-on activities, creative expression, and shared curiosity, they explored the ocean not just as a playground, but as a living ecosystem worth protecting. At the end of the program, we were proud to celebrate the graduation of ten Ocean Heroes.

As part of the program, the girls led an awareness campaign against deep-sea mining, inspired by conversations from the UN Ocean Conference. Just months later, Sri Lanka ratified the international High Seas Treaty, which aims to strengthen the protection of the deep sea and marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This was a powerful reminder of the importance of connecting local education with global action.

This commitment to early ocean education continued through our Ocean School Program, which reached over 450 students. Together, we opened conversations about ocean literacy, conservation, swimming safety, and future opportunities in surf tourism and marine careers, planting early seeds of care and love for the ocean.

Growing the next generation of ocean stewards (swipe to see more)

Building Community & Sisterhood

Our sisterhood continued to grow, reaching over 100 members from across Sri Lanka. While our programs form the foundation of our work, it was these shared moments that deepened connection and belonging.

This off-season, our SeaSisters came together in many different ways and places.

We shared stories of solidarity at a collaborative event with Brown Buddies. We worked side by side on a mural with Fearless Collective, featuring our story on a large wall in Weligama. The visit to the Maritime Museum opened up conversations about Sri Lanka’s relationship with the ocean. And beach clean-ups reminded us why caring for these places matters.

We also made space to slow down. Yoga sessions with Prathibha offered moments of grounding and reconnection. And with the launch of the Sister Library, in collaboration with Alliance Française and Every Story, we created a new space for learning.

Along the way, we celebrated birthdays, shared laughter, and spent time together as a community.

From Local Voices to Wider Conversations

Alongside our ongoing programs and community events, we also stepped into wider conversations this off-season. From national to international spaces, we brought local experiences and perspectives beyond the shore. One of the milestones we are especially proud of this was taking SeaSisters to the UN Ocean Conference 2025.

In June, Udani and Martina travelled to Nice in France to represent SeaSisters on the global stage. The conference brings together world leaders, ocean advocates, scientists, policymakers, and communities from around the world to shape the future of our oceans - and this year, we were part of that conversation.

It was an intense and inspiring week. From early mornings to long days of panels, events and activities. Udani and Martina shared SeaSisters’ work, got inspired by others, and built new connections.

Highlights included participating in the official opening ceremony and listening to world leaders, speaking on a panel with the 71blue Foundation about innovative, community-led initiatives on ocean literacy, exploring the marine environment of the Mediterranean Sea and connecting with Sri Lankan and global ocean leaders, including world-renowned marine scientists such as Dr. Asha de Vos and Dr. Sylvia Earle.

What we are particularly proud of is the success of our own event. Together with amazing partner organisations, we hosted a panel discussion on Grassroots Ocean Leadership, sharing empowering insights from women leaders from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Peru, Mexico, and Colombia. This event was made possible in collaboration with SOA Peru, ORGCAS, Barranquilla+20, Mudfish No Plastic, and Protect Blue - thank you! Read more about the outcomes of our event here.

Sharing perspectives on Grassroots Ocean Leadership

Beyond these moments, the conference gave us valuable insights into global ocean treaties and policy processes. It has motivated a stronger commitment to ocean education and advocacy, which is reflected in our new programs.

Meeting Dr. Asha de Vos for ice cream

The conversations did not stop there. During the off-season, Kalpa also took part in a workshop with Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Environment. She contributed to their Gender and Biodiversity Consultative process and brought perspectives from coastal women into national-level discussions.

SeaSisters’ work was further amplified through lots of media coverage, including features in international outlets such as UN News and in local magazines such as Pineapple Press. These articles highlighted how our work drives social change and the impact of empowering Sri Lankan women through the ocean.

Moreover, SeaSisters is presented as an example of best practice in empowering women in ocean spaces in Thien’s Master’s thesis. The research explores how international gender equality frameworks impact Sri Lankan women in the field of surfing, and which factors shape this process. The thesis received two awards for its academic excellence and social relevance.

On our new advocacy page, you can read more about everything we’ve done so far.

Sustaining the Growth

While much of our off-season work was visible through programs, events, and advocacy, sustaining SeaSisters also meant ensuring continuity behind it all. Despite challenging times for fundraising, we’ve managed to employ our local team all year round, while welcoming our first intern and new academy coordinators.

As the organisation continues to grow, so did the team supporting it. Recently, Piyumi joined as Program Coordinator, and Eranga started supporting us as Financial Consultant. In the months ahead, we’ll also be welcoming a local Fundraising Manager to help strengthen our foundations further.

Alongside the core team, professional volunteers remained an essential part of this journey. Thien worked on impact reporting, helping us reflect on and document our work, while Coline supported our fundraising efforts.

We also improved our governance and started hosting more regular board meetings, together with our operational leadership team Kalpa, Udani and Martina and board members Amanda and Mahishaa.

This collective work is what allows everything else to happen.

The Support Behind SeaSisters — Season 7

We would like to thank our amazing team, volunteers, participants, partners, and sponsors who made this off-season possible. We’re grateful to be surrounded by people who give their support, commitment, and belief in what we’re building together.

Our Sponsors:

We also want to say special Thank You to:

🏄🏾‍♀️ Yaka Surf Club for training our Academy Girls
🏊🏽‍♀️ Cafe Ceylon for offering their swimming pool
🌊 Ticket to Ride Surf House for supporting us with surf coaching
💙 Solid Surf House and Hangtime Hostel for offering their spaces for our community events

Our Hearts are with Sri Lanka

In the final week of the off-season, Sri Lanka was hit by devastating floods and a cyclone. Our hearts are with everyone affected - with the lives lost, the families displaced, and the communities now facing the long work of recovery.

Out of respect for this moment, we have decided to delay the start of our Swim & Surf Programs and postpone the fundraising efforts for this. We want to allow time and space for communities to heal, rebuild, and support one another.

For those asking how to help, we encourage donations through the official Ministry of Finance, Sri Lanka Disaster Relief Fund. We also recognise and deeply appreciate the many organisations and individuals working tirelessly on the ground.

Our SeaSisters community in the South is safe and not directly affected, something we hold with gratitude and a deep awareness of the responsibility that comes with it.

Heading into Season 8

At this moment, we have been moved by the strength, care, and solidarity people continue to show for one another. This is the spirit we carry with us as we look ahead.

As we prepare for what comes next, interest in Season 8 has been incredible. We received over 100 applications and selected 50 women to join what will be our most ambitious season yet.

While we have postponed our beginning-of-season fundraising campaign, those who wish to support SeaSisters at this time can still do so via our official bank account. We’ve also been quietly working on a surprise behind the scenes - something we’re looking forward to sharing soon.