Tapping into his love of surfing has resulted in a PhD for Dr Duncan McKenzie, where he explored the lived experiences of surfers in Southland through his research.
Accomplishing a PhD in Education has come relatively late in Duncan’s academic career, which he recently completed (May 2025). Starting in 2020, Duncan says it was the opportune time for him to commit to a PhD, managing part-time study alongside his full-time role as Programme Manager and Teacher in Sport and Exercise at Southern Institute Technology.
“I opted not to do it when I had a young family,” he explained. “Studying part-time worked well for me; it makes it less intense, and you still have other things going on in your life,” which helped to bring balance and perspective into the whole process. “It’s been a consistent and positive thing to come back to my PhD; it takes time, a lot of work and personal determination.”
The impetus for Duncan’s PhD thesis came out of his own connections to surfing. He was quite late to the party when it came to surfing, taking it up in his thirties. “I am a keen surfer, and I know surfing appeals to me for many reasons, so I wanted to know from other surfers - what is it about phenomena (experiences) in surfing that makes us want to return to the water to surf,” he explained. “It’s fundamentally about health, wellbeing, and life lived, using qualitative and phenomenological research” - the framework applied to the research and study of life experiences.
“It is about physical activity in the outdoors, in the sea, among the waves, on a surfboard; it is about all the components associated with the surfing experience.”
Duncan tapped into the incredible resource of the local Southland surf community, connecting with surfers that have been involved in surfing for many years, for at least 20 years (specifically 20 to 60 years), and “…uncovering those engrained lifeworld experiences as we individually experience them (tempered by time)”.
Lifeworld describes the familiar world ‘immediately or directly experienced in the subjectivity of everyday life’. “It’s all quite individual – they’re experts in their own right,” he explained.
Duncan found his research rewarding. “It’s rich, qualitative information. What I have learnt, is that in surfing, there are multiple phenomena to consider, all interacting like parts in the whole and the whole in its parts – it’s complex and very interesting.”
He noted long-term surfers work out how to fit surfing into their lives because it is important to them. This includes modifying their lives to gain the rewards they receive from surfing. From the research, Duncan knew of people who chose to live more affordably inland, away from the coast, then travel to their favourite surfing spots. “Where there is a will there is a way. It’s valuable to them, it fulfils them”; they prioritise maintaining those links to surfing.
And, like the Kiwi’s wings, “if you don’t use it, you lose it,” said Duncan. “In surfing, the more you surf, the more you want to surf!” One of the key features of the research was engaging people who had surfed for a long time (30-50 years). “I knew many of the people I interviewed who’ve surfed in Southland over many years; there’s a group who’ve been here a long time.”
Generally, it’s a small, steady community; there are generations of families surfing here. One local started at six years of age and is still going strong at 60. “He’s still surfing the same breaks,” said Duncan, adding “it’s a fascinating group of people … from all walks of life.”
Duncan said that new surfers who come in love the camaraderie and the scene in Southland. “We don’t have the same stress on the water”, referring to the sheer numbers of people on the water in bigger surfing communities that can make the surfing environment congested. “Everyone wants the same wave,” he explained. “It can be quite stressful. One of the reasons we have this longevity here is the attitudes to surfing and the fact that there’s less pressure on the sea.”
He noted those who’d surfed for decades had to have an element of common sense in their approach. “It’s not so much about staying young, it’s about staying active... you choose your waves.” The surfers Duncan researched in the Southland community had surfed over a long period in their lives and they surf all year round, regardless of the season. “They all have a fierce desire (like me) to keep surfing.”
“After 40 years, all the paraphernalia falls off; [the superficialities] are stripped away. People just carry on for the love of surfing and for the love of the sea. I think they’re the real surfers…”
The main point of view Duncan wanted to emphasise in his research was giving a voice to the surfers themselves. “The surfer voice within the research is way more important than my voice. Their quotes are absolutely critical; it’s their lived experiences. It’s about them … not my PhD.”
“You get to experience things that no other person experiences, you see dolphins, seals, penguins, orca, sharks, leopard seals, you experience animals that other people have not and will not ever see, and it feels special...” – surfer quote
Duncan acknowledged the PhD has added to his professional body of work. “… it keeps me current [in education]; we’re promoting learning and studying. I think it’s quite a healthy process to be involved in yourself.” From a student point of view, Duncan has role modelled personal development. “It reinforces the practices of good study and it’s walking the talk,” he added.
“While it’s late in my working life, it’s given me a personal satisfaction. I’ve found it really enjoyable. It has been a lot of work, but I’ve enjoyed the work.”
For those thinking about a PhD, Duncan suggests “Pick something you enjoy. [My research] has made me even more interested in surfing. It’s very motivating.”
And when it comes to surfing, Duncan says “I’ll keep going as long as I can.” He’d had a surf recently at Colac Bay. “You could’ve been anywhere in the world; the sun was shining, the surf was great”, it was a perfect day.