How to Get Wavy Surfer Girl Hair

Co-authored by Steven Waldman

Last Updated: November 9, 2022

Having your hair in loose waves, like you just spent the day in the water, is a cute and fun hairstyle. It is easy to achieve beach waves and add texture to your hair. You can braid your hair overnight, scrunch your hair when it is wet, or use hot tools to create the perfect surfer girl waves.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Braids

1
Get your hair wet the night before. You can take a shower and wash and condition your hair or you can just get it wet in the shower or with a spray bottle. Use cold water to help avoid frizz. When you are finished, remove extra moisture with a towel.
- Optionally, you can apply a curling mousse after your shower.^{[1]
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2
Section your hair. Comb your hair so it is tangle free. Part your hair down the center from your forehead to the nape of your neck. Position 1 section over each shoulder. Make sure you have an even amount of hair in each half.^{[2]
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3
Braid your hair. You can braid your hair in 2 or 4 braids. Two braids will give you looser and more relaxed waves while 4 braids will give you tighter and smaller waves. Plait braid your hair so either 1 or 2 braids are on each side of your head.
- Braid your hair in French braids if you want the waves to start closer to your scalp.
- Braid your hair in Dutch braids (tucking the hair under instead of over) if you want your hair to fall away from your face.
- Pull an even amount of hair for each piece of the braid.
- Secure the braids with hair ties. ^{[3]
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4
Sleep in the braids. Now that your hair is braided, go to sleep. If you have trouble sleeping with the braids on each side of your head, tie them all together in a low ponytail on the back of your head. Make sure all the braids are secure so they don't fall out in the middle of the night.
5
Dry the braids fully in the morning. If your hair is still damp when you wake up, allow it to air dry. Or, use a hair dryer to speed up the process. Don't take the braids out when your hair is still wet, or the waves won't be fully formed.
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Take the braids out when your hair is dry. Take the braids out of the hair bands and carefully unbraid your hair. Tousle the waves carefully with your fingers.^{[4]
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- If your hair looks too flat, you might want to scrunch in a small amount of curling mousse to create more waves.
- When the braids are dry, spray a small amount of hair spray to keep the waves in place.
- Don't brush your hair, as it causes frizziness.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Scrunching Wet Hair

1
Wash and condition your hair the day of. Take a shower and wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner. Rinse your hair out with cold water to avoid creating frizz. Use a towel after you shower to remove extra moisture from your hair.^{[5]
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2
Detangle your hair while it's still wet. Use a wide-tooth comb to remove snarls and tangles from your hair. You can also use a detangling spray, if necessary.
3
Choose your product. There are many options for product you can use to scrunch your hair. You can use a gel, texturizing spray, sea salt spray, mousse, pomade, oil, or some other product on your hair to scrunch it. What works best for you is going to depend on your unique hair, so you should experiment with different products.
- Mousse holds hair in place lightly and adds volume.^{[6]
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- Gel is good for thick hair and has a stronger hold than mousse.^{[7]
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- Sea salt spray is good for flat or thin hair and helps keep your hair from drying out.
4
Scrunch product into your hair. Put a small amount of the product into your hands and rub them together. Grab the ends of your hair and “scrunch,” as if you were crumpling a piece of paper. Do this all around your head on all the ends and work your way up (but don't apply product to your scalp).
- To create extra volume, scrunch with your head upside down.
- Only use a small amount of product, otherwise your hair might look hard when it is dry.^{[8]
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5
Let your hair air dry or diffuse it. You can let your hair air dry or you can use a finger diffuser to dry your hair. Use the blow dryer with a diffuser attachment while you scrunch. Direct the blow dryer up the strands, toward the section of hair that is being scrunched.^{[9]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Hot Tools

1
Prepare your hair. Make sure your hair is dry and smooth. Apply a heat protector product to your hair. Section your hair so the top layer is pulled away from the hair underneath by using hair clips or hair ties.
2
Use a flat iron for loose and smooth waves. You can actually use a flat iron to lightly curl your hair into beachy waves. Start at the top of a 1 inch (2.5 cm) strand and work the straightener down to the end. While you are pulling the straightener down, twist the straightener around the hair (not the hair around the straightener).^{[10]
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- Be sure to set your straightener to the right temperature for your hair texture and type. For thin hair, aim for a temperature below 300 °F (149 °C). Normal hair can be ironed at a temperature of 300 to 380 °F (149 to 193 °C). If your hair is thick or coarse, set the straightener to 400 °F (204 °C).
3
Use a barrel iron for loose curls. Take a large, 2 in (5.1 cm) section of hair. Clamp the curling iron at the bottom of the section and roll it up to the root. Leave it in place for 10 seconds then release. The smaller the section and the longer you leave in the curling iron, the tighter the curls will be. If you are trying to achieve surfer waves, use large sections of hair and only leave the iron in for 10 seconds or less.^{[11]
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4
Use a curling wand for light waves. Take a curling wand and wrap it around a 1 inch (2.5 cm) section of hair. Make sure the wand is pointed down toward the floor. The larger the wand, the longer you leave the hair around it, and the size of the section of hair, will determine how tight the curls are.
- Curling wands work great for long or short hair.
5
Run your fingers through your hair. When you are finished with your hair, run your fingers through any sections that are too curly. You can break up the curls so they look more like beach waves instead of tight curls.
- Brushing your hair can cause it to become fluffy or frizzy.
6
Apply hairspray to set your style. When you like how your hair looks, apply hairspray to hold your beach waves in place. Hair spray comes in various strengths. The finer and flatter your hair is naturally, the stronger hold of hairspray you should use.

Community Q&A

Question

Is it okay if I have naturally curly hair, or does a surfer girl have to have wavy hair?

Community Answer

A surfer girl can have any texture of hair at all. Curls are great and give off a surfer vibe, too.
Question

If I have the braid less tight, is it going to end up less curly?

Community Answer

Most likely yes, but it also depends on your hair type. But at the same time, the braid does not have to be super tight for it to turn out curly.
Question

Do smaller braids mean it will be more wavy?

Community Answer

Yes, it also depends upon how tight you braid. Smaller braids do mean more waves. Do bigger braids for less wavy hair. You could also do a mix of big and small.