There are many online interviews with surfers in which surf board riders state what they love about the sport. 

There are also quotes from well-known surfers which describe the feelings that are generated when riding the waves. Gary Sirota sums up his beliefs in saying “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf” There are no more committed people on the planet than surfers. We fall down a lot. We turn around, paddle back out, and do it over and over again. Unlike anything else in life, the stoke of surfing is so high that the failures quickly fade from memory.”

Most health professionals acknowledge that surfing provides many health benefits including cardiovascular fitness, shoulder and back strength and leg and core strength. They also widely agree that surfing has mental health benefits including the provision of a good outlet for stress and tension.

As an example of how surfing can help with depression and anxiety it is first important for suffers to recognise the symptoms of their condition. Many sufferers find themselves questioning the reason to live with thoughts such as “What is the point of anything? Why do I go to work and have ambitions to earn enough money to buy a house? Why do I hope to get married and travel when at the end of all this I die anyway?” Many people sometimes look for answers to the meaning of life, but for suffers of depression these thoughts can be debilitating to the extent of considering ending it all now to stop their suffering. They are often embarrassed by their condition and feel like failures.

Anti-depressants, music and exercise are all important in keeping depression at bay…. and there are sufferers that will get benefits from the peace of the ocean and the joy of surfing. Just watching surfers enjoy their sport and approach the water with enthusiasm every time they jump in is uplifting. Watching the swell and predicting the best wave to catch stop the mind from wandering to low thoughts. An the thrill of riding that wave and the comradery developed with other surfers are powerful tools in stopping negative thought patterns.

Two years ago at Bondi Beach in Australia, the One Wave project was founded. Surfers across Australia have now joined this group which is aimed at breaking down the barriers regarding mental health. At the core of this not for profit community is the promotion of their belief that One Wave is all it takes to give you hope. Suffers of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and bi-polar disorder can benefit from surfing with the One Wave recipe of salt water, surfing, good mates, and fluro-Fridays. One Wave supporters are there to let people know that they are not alone and encourages fellow surfers to talk about their problems. “ It doesn’t matter if you’re riding a wave for the first time or the hundredth time…..you never forget the feeling of being on a wave, of letting everything go and enjoying the moment. One Wave is all it takes….To free the funk. To give you hope.”

One Wave holds surfing sessions where surfers wear the brightest colours possible. It is believed that fluro makes you smile and out in the surf is a good conversation starter to open the door to discussions for mental health sufferers and their carers….. and family and friends who are all effected in some way by mental health issues.

Whether you are surfing alone or as part of a club or competition don’t forget the most important thing is to have fun. If you’re feeling down and lonely, give surfing a go….it might just work miracles for you too.