Carys Griffiths: Surf Photographer & Sustainable Surfwear Founder
- Allannah
- 23 hours ago
- 7 min read
A few years ago, I saw i saw Fall Bay popping up all over Instagram and I was instantly drawn in. They were sustainable, handmade from ghost fishing gear and looked seriously flattering. At 5'1 with DDs, I had given up my Blue Crush dreams of surfing in a bikini, I couldn't find anything that held things in place (if you know what i mean).
But Fall Bay delivered. No more wardrobe malfunctions, the high-waisted bottoms and secure tops kept everything in place, even through heavy wipeouts!
What Carys Griffiths has built hasn’t followed a conventional path. Shaped by cold water, creative instinct and a commitment to doing things properly, she splits her time in the Gower line up shooting her local community and creating sustainable swimwear for her brand, Fall Bay.
We caught up with Carys to talk surf photography, sustainability and building a brand that feels true to her values.
Name: Carys Griffiths
Age: 40
Local break: Gennith
Craft: 7'2 Mid length
Instagram: FallBaySwim & DarkRoomTrip
What first drew you to the ocean and how did that passion evolve into creating your own sustainable surfwear company?
I was lucky enough to have been brought up a short walk from a couple of great beaches in Swansea. I remember sitting in the wet sand as a little one, making sand pies and offering them out to anyone who would take one. The beach was just an extension of our garden really, so I'm forever grateful to have had that growing up. Although I grew up near Langland bay which is a good surf spot down here, I didn't start surfing until my 30's. The brand just kind of came about when I tried to knit my skills and my passion together. I was going through a difficult time in my life and that was the only thing I felt that I could control so I just went with it and started making swimwear! I'm trained in garment construction - after a combo of teaching myself how to sew when I was young, doing a couple of short courses in fashion at Central Saint Martins and a BA in Theatre design in Cardiff, I feel that it just happened naturally. It was one of those decisions that just felt right.
You're also a brilliant surf photographer! What inspired you to pick up a camera?
Thank you! In my teen years, I would shoot 35mm film on an old OM-2. My Dad gifted me the camera and when I was in sixth form college, I learned how to develop and enlarge in the darkroom and I fell in love with the process. I begrudgingly moved to digital photography in my mid twenties but I fell in love with that too eventually. I started shooting in the water around 2015/16 and I became hooked.
What was your “I can actually do this!” moment with Fall Bay & surf photography?
I think I had a moment of 'yeah I think I can do this' with Fall Bay a few years ago but at the time, the universe had other plans for me. I think at the time I was jumping ahead of what I thought was meant for me and I now see that hurdle as an inevitable character building, soul searching phase. Now that's behind me, I'm really pushing it this year and I'm excited to see where it takes me! I now have a 'well I know I can do this, so let's run with it' attitude.
With surf photography, it's got more of a creative and expressive vibe to it so I'm constantly battling in my head whether I'm any good, or if I really care if I'm any good! To be honest, I see it the same as my drawing and painting - it's there for me to feel like I'm creating, even though at the same time, I see photography and painting as two very different outlets. I'm actually taking my photography into a new trajectory this year so I'm excited to see what also comes of that!
Fall Bay in the tropics / pc darkroomtrip
What’s the most challenging part of shooting in the ocean?
There are quite a few challenging parts to shooting in the water - remembering not to panic when getting caught in the white water, not getting headbutted by the housing, getting out of the way of surfers, knowing where the wave is breaking before it breaks, calf cramps (both at the same time is savage - you just have to laugh about it and keep swimming and stretching in between waves), water droplets on your lens port, rain (we get a lot), where the sharp reefs are hiding, missed focus on your shots because there are a million moving points for your camera to focus on, the cold... I mean, to a lot of people, one might wonder why on earth you'd choose such a bizarre activity. Especially in cold water. But those who do it, get it.
How does living on the Gower Peninsula in Wales influence your creativity?
I think spending time outdoors in any country will inspire your creativity. Living somewhere that has seasons also makes you experience the inevitable cycles physically and mentally, which brings a sort of grit to your resilience. You have to adapt and go through the cycles of regenerating. And I think that naturally affects your creativity because any visual change you experience will inspire a new way of looking, thinking and creating. There are still places I've never been down Gower so exploring new territory always inspires. To be honest, inspiration always hits when I'm either going for a long drive or a hike along the coastal path or in the woods. Oxwich woods.
Gower Sunsets / pc darkroomtrip
What materials do you use and why was sustainability non-negotiable for you?
I use fabric that's been recycled from ghost nets, discarded plastics and offcuts from the carpet industry. Sustainability, brand transparency and ethically made products are non-negotiable for me because if you're going to do it, you can't half ass it! Community, the environment and knowing your customers will always come first over profit but that must be the way I was brought up!
What were the biggest challenges in launching your brand as an independent female founder?
I think when you're brought up being told you have to be nice, passive, accommodating and compliant to the world around you, you only start to realise the real you later on in life. Being a female business owner and being compliant just doesn't work. My natural character is pretty fiery and determined and masking these qualities have been detrimental to my journey. So I guess it's more of a character building process for a majority of women than it is for most men.
What does “success” look like for you beyond sales?
Success, to me, looks like doing what you love doing for the love of doing it. A feeling of pure satisfaction from what you'd call an income. That could very well change throughout your life but before that, a regulated nervous system, unconditional love from either yourself or family and friends, a fridge full of fruit and veg, slow mornings, good coffee, homemade bread, and gratitude for everything that you already have in your life.
Fall Bay Surfwear / pc gabriellazagni
If you could shoot or surf anywhere in the world next, where would it be and why?
I can't just choose one place. Cold water wise, it would be Iceland or Norway - the landscape, the light and the ever changing weather in those places is too tempting for photographers. It's also way more of an adventure rather than a 'surf holiday'. Warm water wise, it would be anywhere or everywhere in the French Polynesian islands, Taiwan or the Mentawais islands. A girl can dream! Or start saving!
Are there any women in the surf business or photography industry who inspire you?
Yeah I could just list them out, there's so many! My top three are; Sachi Cunningham, photographer and filmmaker, Maria Fernando - I've been wanting to do her in-water course at Nazare for a long time now, and Beatriz Ryder - her recent photograph of Ziggy Mackenzie is just majestic.
Alys Barton surfing at home on the Gower / pc darkroomtrip
If you weren’t surfing or running your business, what would you be doing?
I would be tapping into my art more for sure. I've recently become a yoga teacher so I'd probably be doing that full time, running for fitness, and leaning into my drawing and painting more. I've painted murals for some local businesses in the past and loved it so I'd probably be doing that too. I can't just do one thing - I think it's impossible for me to not have my hands in different pies.
What's a guilty pleasure of yours that most people don't know about?
Hmm... I'm pretty open and authentic about what I like or dislike I think, but I love pizza with garlic mayo and eating sugary spreads with a spoon. But I think everyone knows I love pizza. ha!
List three things that you're looking forward to for the rest of 2026, go!
1)The summer! Light evenings, warm weather, BBQs and staying out until dark - much to my cats' dismay!
2) Teaching more yoga
3) I have heaps planned for Fall Bay this year and I can't wait to see it all unfold!
Fall Bay in Costa Rica
Any words of wisdom to anyone out there who wants to start their own business?
Perfection isn't needed. Even if you're building a business from no financial support, hustle as much as you can. If it's meant to be, and you want it enough, you can make it work. If you feel like you can't do it alone, there's no shame in asking for help. Especially if you're female. Let the ego slip aside for that one and remind yourself that nothing will be "less" if you ask for help. It's still your business. And always always always trust your gut. It's right in every part of your life so tap into that knowledge and intuition and take the necessary steps needed to get to where you want to be.
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Check out Cary's photography here:
Or snag yourself some beautiful handmade swimwear:
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