surfing australia

As one of of many organisations we’re proud to have sponsored for years, Surfing Australia know all about the benefits that sun, exercise and the great outdoors can have on our mental health. We spoke to the team about embracing vitamin-sea and hanging ten.

let’s get back to basics. we know surfing can be good for our physical health but what are some of the mental health benefits people can experience when catching a wave?
Absolutely. Over the past few years Surfing Australia has delved into these benefits to help create certain programs such as our women’s program ‘Shore Thing’ which focuses on connectivity, confidence and promoting aspects of mindfulness, which has been shown to produce improvements in mental health. Science has proven that surfing helps with your mental health, as the endorphins you release while being out in the ocean amongst all the natural elements provides the perfect fit for a healthy mental space.
is surfing ever used to treat anxiety or depression or ptsd?
It sure is! Through our partnership with nudie we host ‘learn to surf’ sessions and surfing camps for ex-veterans through the Soldier On Surf Therapy program. Physical exercise and sports recovery have been proven to improve mental health, which has been demonstrated with great success for veterans who participated in surf therapy programs in the USA. nudie have been supporting this effort for three years and have helped give more than 200 ex-veterans the opportunity to experience the benefits of surfing.
surfing feels like it could be quite a personal and somewhat isolated sport at times but also fairly social at others. is it one or the other, or both?
It absolutely can be both. While it’s a great activity that can be done alone (which has been great during COVID-19), surfing also provides opportunities for interaction by immersing individuals in a common activity and waiting together for the next set of waves.
from being active to spending time in the sun and pounding the sand – are there other benefits to surfing beyond just catching waves?
Surfing plays a big role in staying active and remaining physically fit. Another major benefit of surfing is how much it grows your awareness around the environment and your community. It gives you a greater appreciation for the environment around us and what we can do to keep it in tact.
is there a special social bond that surfers share when in the water?
There’s definitely an unspoken bond between surfers in the water, especially when it comes to looking after one another. It’s a community, and being a surfer makes you feel part of something. It’s such a social sport creates engagement and mateship.
is surfing the kind of sport or physical activity that encourages relaxation and stress relief?
Surfing is one of the best stress relievers on earth. Once you are in the water and focused on solely catching waves, all your worries tend to melt away.
surfers often talk about that amazing feeling when they catch a great wave – is there a link between surfing and happiness?
The physical activity, dopamine in the whitewater and rush you get after a good wave makes it hard not to be happy!
the ocean can be a healing space – what are some of the benefits to spending regular time in the water?
There are many! These include everything from aerobic fitness to muscle recovery, increased circulation and most importantly the mental health benefits that come through clearing the mind and being able to de-stress.