WARRIOR SURF FOUNDATION

Warrior Surf Foundation provides Adaptive Surf Therapy to Veterans, active duty service members, and their families (spouses and children). Surf Instruction is inclusive of individuals with no surf experience (novice) as well as those with surf experience who would like to improve their surf skills. Veteran Participants enroll in our Surf Therapy program which lasts for 12 consecutive weeks and has specific graduation requirements. Participation is open to all branches of the military including Veterans, active-duty military, and individuals in the reserves. Participants must provide DD-214 in order to register as a participant in the surf clinics.. Active duty members must provide verification of service from DFAS. In addition, participation is open to those with both psychological and physical disabilities. Psychological disabilities include but are not limited to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Major Depressive Disorder, related mood or anxiety disorders, and reintegration disorder. Physical disabilities include but are not limited to Spinal Cord Injury, Traumatic Brain Injury, and physical amputation.

During the course of the 12-week program, the Veterans experience the following program services;

Veterans will start their 12-week cycle one of the first Saturdays of each month from April through September. Prior to the start of the program, they will fill out a battery of assessments and intake paperwork to ensure their safety and the efficacy of the program. The first two weeks of their 12-week cycle provide the opportunity for connection and successful outcomes for each cohort by having the Veterans participate in group surf sessions followed by group wellness sessions, an introduction to the staff, community ambassadors, and assignment of coaches to individual Veterans.

In addition to those two group surf and wellness sessions Veterans are given access to an online tool that allows them to book up to two semi-private (1-3 participants) surf sessions per week, one wellness coaching session per week, and one yoga one-on-one session. Additionally, the Veterans are able to use this tool to register for community surf and group yoga.
We encourage Veterans to participate in their weekly wellness coaching session directly after a semi-private surf session. However, many of our wellness coaches are capable surfers and are able to surf with the Veteran prior to their wellness session if the timing doesn’t allow for the previously mentioned method. This provides the Veteran the opportunity to surf up to three or more times per week. These sessions will utilize the positive psychology approach and will focus on the following: clarifying personal strengths and values, developing vales based gaols that promote meaning and purpose, and increasing engagement and flow in various life domains.

The Wellness Director provides training to surf instructors, wellness coaches, and yoga instructors on concepts such as identifying participants’ strengths, introducing mindfulness, promoting flow, recognizing and creating opportunities for achievement and mastery, and the use of open-ended questions to facilitate change and personal growth.

The small group surf clinics will provide an opportunity for more individualized surf instruction. The cohesion between the three main parts of the program means that wellness, surf, and yoga coaches are be trained in the use of resiliency and positive psychology to help Veterans take skills learned in each area of the program and adapt them to everyday life. The surf clinics will include the following components: introduction of weekly mindfulness skills (or related positive psychology skill-enhancing personal strengths, promoting mastery, developing positive relationships); a 75-90 minute surf instruction session (incorporating both land-based and water-based instruction and opportunity for participants to practice mindfulness or positive psychology skill); a 20-minute group processing component held on the beach immediately following surf (to provide participants with the opportunity to reflect upon and discuss thoughts, emotions, and behavioral responses that occurred during surf experience and facilitate a transfer of learned coping skills to their daily lives).

During one-on-one yoga instruction, the Veteran spends time identifying their goals for their yoga practice, understanding adaptations for mobility and practicing common and essential yoga positions that strengthen mobility and mindfulness. The ultimate goal of the clinics is to help Veterans become active, positive contributors to our socio-economic system. Participants are assigned both a wellness coach and a one-on-one yoga instructor at the beginning of their enrollment in addition to surf instruction. This procedure helps to ensure that the Veteran is meeting the requirements for program graduation.

Individuals who have completed the 12-week surf therapy program are invited to continue attending the large group surf clinics in perpetuity with continued access to “check-out” gear required to continue to surf on their own as well. This ensures continued support and engagement and the opportunity for participants to establish and maintain a sustainable life-long practice, as well as long-term friendships and a sense of community. Continued participation in larger group clinics provides greater opportunities for socialization, team-building, and improved interpersonal communication skills.

Overall treatment goals associated with the surf therapy program include improvements in the following: emotional regulation, reduction in suicidal thoughts, frustration management, problem-solving skills, interpersonal communication, self-worth, and self-efficacy. In addition, it is expected that participants will improve their physical fitness levels, enhance cardiovascular health, and improve sleep.