Surf's Up! The Benefits of Surf Therapy for Individuals with Disabilities

Author(s)

Isabella Leggett, University of Rhode IslandFollow

Major

Kinesiology

Minor(s)

Leadership Studies; Education

Advisor

Clapham, Emily

Advisor Department

Physical Education and Exercise Science (Kinesiology)

Date

5-2025

Keywords

surf therapy; adaptive surf; disabilities; veterans; children

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License.

Abstract

Surf therapy is a structured intervention that utilizes elements of the ocean and surfing to improve health. It is an increasingly popular sport for development focused on enhancing mental, physical, and social well-being. While research demonstrates that surf therapy is beneficial for all people, most research aims to gather the impact of surf therapy on children and adolescents with developmental disabilities, veterans with mental health disorders, and people with traumatic brain injuries or physical disabilities. The International Surf Therapy Organization (ISTO) is a non-profit organization with surf therapy practitioners and researchers who work to advance surf therapy as an evidence-based health intervention for vulnerable populations with the goal of increasing awareness and understanding, promoting best practices, and advocating for its use as a mental health treatment. The research goal is to learn about the benefits of surf therapy for individuals with disabilities, as well as how surf therapy applies to kinesiology and physical therapy. Utilizing research articles and journals provided by the International Surf Therapy Organization, speaking to leaders of surf therapy programs, and volunteering at AccesSurf, provided me with an understanding of the structure of these programs, the demographics they work with, and the impact these programs have on individuals with disabilities. By attending a session at URI’s Adaptive Surf Program, I gained feedback from parents, students, and children on how they have benefited from a local surf therapy program. Documenting the experience with pictures, videos, and voice recordings to create a short film reflecting on the experience will enlighten others about the program and hopefully recruit more students and children to participate in the program at URI.