Portuguese surfer turns her own struggle in the water into Swella, a global community app for women who surf
Swella founder Rita Marques will be among the speakers at Web Summit Lisbon, presenting the app and sharing the story behind it.
Lisbon, Portugal – October 15, 2026Rita Marques knows what it feels like to be the only woman in the water.She started surfing in Portugal as a teenager. As she progressed, she found it increasingly difficult to find other women surfing at her level. When she began travelling to surf, she experienced the same thing in new places: unfamiliar waves, challenging conditions and often very few women in the water.Surfing is already a challenging sport. Arriving at a new surf spot means figuring out the waves, the conditions, the local crowd, and where you fit in. Doing that alone, surrounded mostly by men, can be intimidating.Sometimes, having just one other woman there can make a difference.That experience led Rita to create Swella, the first app built exclusively for women who surf. It helps women discover other female surfers based on destination, travel dates and surf level, connect with them, and plan surf sessions and trips together.“Surfing is already challenging enough. When you arrive somewhere new and you're one of the only women in the lineup, it can be intimidating. But sometimes, all it takes is one other woman to paddle out with you. Suddenly, you feel more seen. I wanted to make that connection easier to find, so women can feel more empowered to go chase that wave on the other side of the world.” – Rita Marques, Founder of SwellaFor Rita, Swella is not about telling women they need someone else to surf. It is about making connection easier to find.Being independent and wanting connection are not opposites. A woman can travel alone, choose where she wants to go and chase the waves she wants, while still valuing the support of another woman in the water.From a personal struggle to a growing communityWhat started as a personal struggle in a male-dominated sport has grown into a community of more than 1,700 women surfers around the world.Swella has also launched Swella Experiences, offering curated women-only surf trips and retreats. The initiative creates more opportunities for women to connect through shared surf experiences, with plans to expand into coaching and surf photography.Taking Swella to Web SummitRita Marques will be part of Web Summit Lisbon on November 12, 2026, where she will present Swella and share the personal experience that inspired it and the community growing around it.About SwellaSwella is the first app built exclusively for women who surf. It helps women connect with female surfers nearby or while travelling, share surf plans, exchange advice, and find women to surf with based on their level, destinations and goals.Founded by Portuguese surfer and entrepreneur Rita Marques, Swella was born from her own experience of surfing and travelling solo as a woman, and her belief that it should be easier for women to surf wherever they dream of going.Media contact
Rita Marques
Founder, Swella
[email protected]
www.swella.app
