OceanFolx is a volunteer-led organization working in partnership with local Lombok women teaching them how to swim, surf, and interact with the ocean in a meaningful and sustainable way. The program is provided at no cost to local women and it also compensates them for their time to offset any missed wages from work. The program prevents drowning and encourage leadership and female empowerment.

I remember one of my first times surfing in Lombok, I was surfing at a break called Insides. Back in the day, you would often have this break to yourself and a few friends, however now it is rare to ever surf this break alone, even if you paddle out in the dark. On this particular day, I remember I had priority and had pulled into a beautiful, clean, right. Another male tourist preceded to drop-in on me. Now, usually I don’t say anything when this happens, unless it's a safety issue, because I hate confrontation and bad vibes in the water. However, the local guys at the break gave the tourist a hard-time and told him to get off my wave. I really appreciated this, but I never want to be the reason for a fight in the water. Either way, the tourist pulled out, and I ended my session with one of my cleanest waves yet. As I was boating back into town and the sun was dipping low on the horizon, I couldn’t help but feel appreciative that the local men had my back in the water. As the blue water turned a metallic purple and the dragonflies buzzed around our boat, I wondered why it was that I had never seen any local women in the water.


Even 6 years later and this break being one of the most popular not only in Lombok, but in Indonesia, I can count the number of times I have seen local women in the water on one hand. I had now moved to Indonesia part-time and was surfing pretty much every day. I continued to wonder why I only ever saw men in the water. Why exactly was this? Were local women even interested in surfing? Or was this just me inserting my “western” mindset and aspirations into a community which had no desire to get into the ocean?

Despite some reservations, I decided to find out the answer. This was when I turned to Misel, a close local friend of mine. She managed one of my favorite local restaurants in town, and we had gotten to know each other over many coffees over the years. When I asked her if she was even interested in something like surfing, her eyes immediately lit up, and she said, "Surfing?! That is my dream. Of course, I want to surf." Hm, OK, so at least for Misel, it was not a question of not having the interest. When I probed her further and asked whether or not other local women felt the same way, she added exuberantly, "Many of my friends would love to surf! That is something we have only dreamt of doing!" Interesting, I thought, "So why have you not taken the leap to learn?" Misel laughed and said, "Well, first we would have to learn how to swim!" Ah, this is where I had to check my privilege. I had assumed most of these women had grown up swimming since they lived on an island. What I later learned is that despite being in their mid-thirties and growing up in sight of the water their whole lives, many local women had never even been in the ocean past their knees. This was due to a myriad of reasons from a general lack of time due to childcare responsibilities, local folklore stigmatizing the ocean as evil, and parents instilling fear in their young daughters in order to protect them. While this fear worked to keep women away from the ocean, it worked against their favor in dire situations.

Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death in the world, and one of the leading causes of accidental injury death in Indonesia. Children are especially at risk, since women, who are the primary caregivers to their families, are unable to swim and save any children that have been swept away by currents or rogue waves at the beach.

This is where the idea for OceanFolx began. In partnership with Misel and a few other local femme leaders in the community, we spent the next year building and starting a swimming, ocean safety, and surfing program. We aim to prevent drowning through a ripple effect. We empower local women by teaching them essential swimming skills, ocean safety, and life-saving techniques. For those who want to go further, we have started an introductory surf program once they’ve mastered adequate swimming and water safety skills. Our program goes beyond basic training by including a leadership component, which equips these women with the tools and confidence to pass these skills onto their children, families, and communities. This approach not only amplifies their impact but also fosters a broader culture of safety and knowledge.


Through our initiative, we empower women, inspire local leadership, and promote environmental stewardship. By encouraging more time spent in and around the ocean, we help transform their relationship with the environment from one of fear to one of positive engagement and respect. Our program brings women together, creating a supportive community where they can empower each other and interact with the ocean in a safe and meaningful way.
In 2025, we will be running our second year of programming. Misel has come a long way, and is now working as our local program coordinator. She recruits new students to our non-profit program, and is working to become a swim teacher with us. Our vision extends beyond our current reach; we aspire to expand our impact by introducing our programs to the neighbouring island of Sumbawa and by launching exciting new at-sea sailing programs.
Throughout this journey, I continue to be humbled and inspired everyday by Misel and each and everyone of our students. We are excited about continuing to flip the script in the water, get more girls in the ocean, and hopefully one day, having us girls calling each other into waves at all the surf breaks across Lombok.
Maddy Bolt (she/her) is a scientist, author, and photographer living between Australia and Indonesia. She is the founder of OceanFolx, a non-profit organization dedicated to working in partnership with local women to teach them how to swim, surf, and practice ocean safety, all while fostering environmental stewardship and female empowerment. With a background as a marine biologist, sailor, and surfer, Maddy brings a unique perspective to her creative work, capturing the beauty of the ocean and the stories of the women she works alongside. Passionate about surfing, sailing, yoga, good food, and spending time with her loved ones, Maddy embodies a commitment to both community and creativity.
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All photos courtesy of Maddy Bolt by @coral_littlejohn
Not only are the programs providing life-saving swimming skills, they are also fostering a sense of environmental stewardship. When local women spend more time in and around the ocean, they develop a more positive relationship with their local environment and promote land and ocean stewardship in their local communities. You can donate to their non-profit and help them achieve our long-term vision here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-oceanfolx-scholarship.
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