Falmouth alumna becomes the first female editor of long-standing surf magazine
23 September 2025
After feeling creatively influenced by Falmouth’s deep connection with the sea, nature and its community during her time as a Photography BA(Hons) student, Bella Bunce has now taken her love for the ocean into her role as the first female editor for Wavelength Surf Magazine, a leading surf magazine that has been in print since 1981.
Bella’s role as editor has since inspired recent Marine & Natural History Photography BA(Hons) graduate, Sephia Wohlrabe, to create a short film based on Bella’s success as part of her final year project, Of Waves & Worth, a project born from Sephia’s interest in the representation of women in surf media. The film follows Bella’s experience working at Wavelength and as a surf photographer, reflecting on how she has become an inspiration for future generations of female surfers, celebrating those who are carving their own path and making impactful change. Speaking on the short film, Sephia shared that it is “a film that celebrates the women’s surf community while encouraging its audience to think about what stories are being told and who is being left out”. It will be shown at The Poly, Falmouth on 25 September.
We caught up with Bella to learn more about how she went from being behind the lens to on screen, how she has found her time working for Wavelength and how Falmouth inspired her to make her passion her career.
You are the first female editor at Wavelength Surf Magazine. Can you tell us more about the work you do?
At Wavelength, I oversee the running of the entire print magazine. We publish two issues a year, and I work with many brilliant contributors to tell their stories from the surf world and beyond. I manage the process from first submissions through to print. That includes commissioning, working with writers, editing copy and photography, and coordinating designers to make sure every story is represented in the best light. On a personal level, I also write articles and contribute my own photography.
It's been a journey for sure. I’ve learned so much, not only on a technical level, but about myself and the new paths I wish to go down. It hasn’t come without its late-night deadline stresses and many second guesses along the way. Being the first female of anything is never an easy thing to do, you are always asking yourself “am I the right person for this job?" and are left questioning your creative integrity at every turn.
What do you think helped you to get this opportunity?
Being present, passionate and persistent. These three things have got me to where I am. I found what lit a fire in my belly and ran with it, making it my entire career and creative pull. Being a surfer myself meant that I had something I became obsessed with, then being a female surfer meant I noticed what was missing along the way. The passion of wave riding, mixed with photography and a calling to always put the world to rights, meant I became known in our industry for surf storytelling that cut deeper. I became an editor not only because they were actively looking for women, but because I kept showing up, learning about the culture and making my voice heard, even if people didn't want to listen.
Fellow Falmouth alumni Sephia created the short film, Of Waves & Worth, which draws on your relationship with surf. Can you tell us more about the project and experience?
The film with the lovely, recent graduate, Sephia came about from my very vocal presence of making space for women in the surf industry. Space for all, within the waves and surf media, is something I have been passionate about for years now.
Sephia had been following my journey online and watched my integration into becoming the first female editor of Wavelength Surf Magazine. When her final year at Falmouth began, Sephia reached out and invited me for a coffee where she pitched her idea to make a mini documentary about me. At first, I was resistant; the idea of myself on the screen, rather than behind it, was baffling to me. But I put my anxieties aside so that I could chat about what I had learned about how far our beloved surf industry has come and how far it still has to go.
Sephia was super understanding that I had deadlines to meet myself, with the magazine and my own freelance photography, so we made a strict schedule for shooting. My only requests were that it didn't over dramatise what I was speaking about to not put women in yet another vulnerable narrative, but to show good quality surfing of women. Representation is key for a film like this. Sephia nailed it on all accounts.
How did your time at Falmouth assist with your career since graduation?
Many moons ago I studied a Photography BA at Falmouth University. The main things that helped me get to where I am today were the creative inspiration I got from not only my peers, but the nature and community we were blessed with in this beautiful little town. My draw to the ocean and those who felt the same tug was fundamental in steering me throughout my degree and now. Studying at a university with such deep connections to the sea meant I had a muse to direct my art towards. Then the irreplaceable help of the talented photography technicians and facilities there helped me hone my craft.
Falmouth University helped me find my place, my forever home and my direction in life.
External links
Of Words & Worth at The Poly, Falmouth
Lead image: Bella Brown. © Pete Hill.
Following two images: Bella Brown. © Mat Arney.
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