School's Out, Surf's Up

Behind the scenes of a Waves of Wellness High School Program (supported by Headspace Bondi Junction)

-By Alex Harmon

“Powerful”, “exhilarated”, “safe”, “living in the moment”. These are just some of the words to come out of the mouths of the Matraville High School students who participated in an 8-week Waves of Wellness Surfing Experience (WOWSE) program. On the last day of the program their growth was remarkable, the facilitators saw it, (as a volunteer at the program) I saw it and I believe the kids themselves saw it too.

They’d made leaps and bounds from the first day as they sat eagerly on the shore, learning the ropes on the sand, and overcoming fears of the unknown (most had never even held a surfboard before). More poignantly, many were unable to truly open up about their feelings inside.

Flash forward to Week 8 when they confidently sat in a circle on the sand, articulating their most inner thoughts with only the slightest of prompting. “What’s that thing called when you are only thinking about what’s happening now?” asks one. Mindfulness, says Mark, one of the mental health clinicians who doubles as a surfing instructor. “Yeah that’s it, that’s how I feel when I’m paddling onto a wave.”

These rather adult concepts become part of the fabric of the program. The Waves of Wellness dialogue is so subtle that it creeps into your vocabulary like salt water residue on your skin. It’s likely the students don’t notice it at all. At WOW, they call it ‘health by stealth’, which is the whole point. Each week you learn something new, but because you’re so focused on the ocean, you don’t realise the important, life-changing messaging that is washing over you.

“I think about it in the morning before school and it makes me want to go to school,” says one 16 year old. No wonder they call it the WOW factor.

In the water the facilitators make the time to check in and will have a quick chat between waves. Although on the last day it’s a bit more relaxed and the focus is on catching as many waves as possible. There’s much ‘yewwwing’ (the official term for ‘wooohooo’ when you’re on a wave) and the support for classmates is laid on as thick as the wax on the soft-top boards. There’s no ego, no competitiveness, just pure admiration for each other and their wins. Whether these kids are friends in the school yard doesn’t matter, in the ocean there is a levelling mentality where they have a newfound respect for one another. Out here school is a distant memory. It doesn’t matter what grades you’re getting or who’s in your ‘clique’, what matters here is how you take on that wave. Even the wipeouts are met with a celebratory cheer!

When you make the ocean your classroom you are giving kids the chance to open up in a way that they may not feel comfortable doing so within the confines of four walls. The non-intrusive WOWSE program gives kids a challenge (surfing) and because they are focused on this, they don’t realise that they are actually learning a lot about themselves. The subtle, ingrained message of the course is not being hammered into them in the way it might be when they’re at school, or in a traditional mental health program. The by-products include increased confidence, resilience, respect, motivation, and so much more.

The 8-week course introduces a new topic each week, themes such as healthy relationships, mindfulness and maintaining wellness through diet and exercise. The program is not directly a ‘learn to surf’ one, but of course, there are professional instructors on board to show you the basics and get you out there onto the waves - with a big focus on surf safety. Unlike traditional surf schools, surfing is used as a conduit for physical and mental health. The facilitators channel this in a fun, relaxed manner showing you how to read waves and pushing you onto them to give you the best chance of catching them. Whilst the students are focused on their ‘pop-up’ the program aims to equip kids with the tools to carry the confidence they exude in the water into their everyday life. WOWSE is subconsciously teaching mental health interventions such as emotional regulation and mindfulness. It’s giving kids the skills to manage their own mental health and wellbeing.

Each week a dialogue circle, referred to as an ‘expression session’, is created on the sand which encourages talking and sharing. This culminates in a group huddle and all-in hand-stack. The camaraderie is palpable, but it’s not cheesy or forced in that school-camp ‘Kumbaya’ way.

Learning to surf is a skill for life, and the no-pressure design of the course encourages students to keep surfing long after the course is over. I ask a few of the participants if they’re going to keep it up and it’s a resounding yes. Some of the students have even signed up to the surfing academy run through the school. “I’ll probably be a world champion soon,” says one. The confidence exuding from these guys is infectious, and you hope that it continues as they return to school. For some of these students you wonder if surfing is an escape from the everyday stresses of school and family life. A couple of hours a week to forget about it all.

“I like getting smashed by the waves,” says one student. I ask her if she finds this scary and she just laughs. “You still come up afterwards.” It’s hard not to take this metaphorically. When things knock you down in life, you just have to remember to pick yourself up again.

Sink or swim. Or in this case, ride it to shore.

To find out more about the Waves Of Wellness Education Program click here to get in touch.