Before the Breaking Point
Prevent the Crisis Before It Starts
At 10 USD per child per session, one third of the cost of traditional counselling, Surf Therapy gives children what they asked for, before adversity becomes a crisis.
Children told us what they needed.
We built Surf Therapy to deliver it
Safe spaces away from everyday stress
Trusted and caring coaches
Opportunities for fun and respite
Practical ways to cope with adversity
Access to additional support
More than a surf lesson
Every session combines time in the ocean with structured mental health activities, led by trained coaches from the children’s own communities. Children learn to surf, but they also learn to name their feelings, calm their bodies and lean on each other. Week by week, the beach becomes a place where they feel safe, seen and capable.
- Show up: Children join a weekly session at a safe, supervised beach space.
- Connect: Coaches build trusted relationships, and children build friendships with peers.
- Learn: Each session teaches a practical coping skill, from breathing techniques to problem-solving.
- Surf: Time in the water builds confidence, joy and a sense of achievement.
- Get support: Coaches spot when a child needs more help and connect them with further services.
Our goal
Best practice training and supervision to support increased access to safe, third spaces where adolescents growing up in high-stress environments can access fun, physical activity-based mental health and wellbeing services.
- Evidence-driven Surf Therapy across five flagship sites in South Africa
- Robust external research to generate learning to share with the sector
- Best practice training and mentoring to support increased access to physical activity based, mental health and wellbeing promotion services across low and middle income countries
