SUP and Paddle Surf Therapy
Overview:
Mental, physical and emotional benefits
Strengthening the mind-body connection
Shifting away from being your head and into your body
Returning to the present, mindfulness
Encompasses slowing down, pausing, attunement with breathe and body
What is sup and paddle surf therapy?
Sup and paddle surf therapy is a therapeutic intervention that combines sup and paddle surfing with structured activities to promote mental, physical, emotional and social well-being. It can be used in a variety of settings, including psychology, physical or occupational therapy, performance and sport, mental health, and coaching.
If you find the ocean as peaceful as you do exciting, it may not surprise you much to learn that ocean-based sports, like paddle surf, prone surf, stand up paddle boarding have long been described as therapeutic. Only in recent years have experts started to explore the mental and emotional health benefits of SUP, surf, and paddle surf as therapy.
In a nutshell, SUP and paddle surf therapy involves using the principles of paddling and surfing to benefit mental health. During a session, you’ll learn to use a paddle board and/or surfboard to navigate and ride waves, which might feel exciting and fun. But this therapeutic exercise can also help you build confidence, overcome fears, relax your mind, and get in touch and move your body.
If you haven’t spent much time by the ocean, SUP and paddle surf therapy may offer the added benefit of a completely different therapeutic environment. Most therapists likely won’t recommend this form of therapy as a first-line treatment for mental health conditions, but till, this unique approach could prove helpful when used with other treatments, like talk therapy, psychotherapy, CBT, and other therapeutic practices.
Dive into the potential benefits of SUP and paddle surf therapy below, plus the details on how it works and how to try it.
Why SUP Therapy?
Who would have thought that SUP therapy could be a tool proven to be effective for mental and emotional health? Also known as stand-up paddle board (SUP) therapy, as well as surf therapy, this adventure-based therapeutic method has become increasingly popular over the years. It combines nature, movement, physical activity, and mental focus, where you get your cardiovascular workout and balance training as you bask in the warmth of the sun in the free flowing water and surf.
Is it evidence based?
SUP/paddle surf therapy is a form of holistic experiential therapy for mind-body interventions, which is one of five domains in complementary and alternative healthcare and medical (CAM) practices, according to an article published in The International Journal of Health Sciences. Adjunct holistic modalities are used in conjunction with clinical evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other forms of therapy. When conventional face-to-face therapeutic interventions don’t work, clients get to choose the form of holistic therapy that seems most appealing, and in recent years, paddle board therapy has become one of the most sought-after modalities in mental health treatment.
Why it Works
When one works with clients in a non-traditional setting like doing yoga exercises on a paddle board, they get an opportunity to observe how clients respond to their surroundings. If surf and paddle boarding is a new experience for clients, they literally get to test the waters while they are trying to learn something new and overcome their anxiety, fears, and insecurities at the same time. SUP and paddle surf therapy, like other types of experiential therapy, builds confidence in individuals when they manage to achieve their goals and gain new skills.
Listed below are just a few of the many benefits of Paddleboard Therapy:
Confidence Boost
Empowerment
Increased Physical And Mental Strength
Relief From Anxiety And Stress
Increased Self-Esteem
Build Trust
Why you need it as part of a holistic treatment / recovery plan?
In many therapeutic settings, patients only receive clinical care for their mental health, and that’s where the treatment ends. After medical interventions and talk therapy, clients that are released are likely to relapse if they are not addressing the root, dealing with the contributing factors that created the condition, and developing the habits that support a healthy balanced lifestyle. Holistic modalities like SUP and paddle surf therapy open doors to new discoveries that clients might otherwise not have known and such discoveries lead to self-awareness, resulting in more meaningful recovery and sustainable lifestyle transformation.
How it Helps
SUP and paddle surf therapy can provide a calming, sensory experience that may help relieve emotional distress and ease a range of mental and physical symptoms.
SUP and paddle surf therapy isn’t just for those with diagnosed medical conditions. Many surf therapy programs offer sessions to people with:
Chronic pain
Physical disabilities
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
PTSD / C-PTSD
Substance abuse disorders
Addiction
Dive into the potential benefits of SUP and paddle surf therapy below, plus the details on how it works and how to try it.
Surf therapy may offer the following specific benefits:
SUP and Paddle Surf therapy can help with a range of issues, including mental health. SUP and paddle surf therapy can help people normalize their struggles with mental health and develop coping strategies. It can also help people feel a sense of belonging and build confidence.
It may help address mental health symptoms
SUP and paddle surf therapy may help improve symptoms of:
Anxiety
Depression
C-PTSD and trauma
OCD
Perfectionism
Type-A personality
Busyness
Other mood and mental health signs and symptoms
A 2019 study considered the effects of a 6-week surf therapy program for U.S. military service members. Researchers found that surf therapy seemed to reduce depression and anxiety among participants and promote a more positive mood overall.
Surf therapy may also have benefits if you live with PTSD. It may help boost your brain’s ability to tamp down an overactive fight-or-flight response while also helping improve your mood and emotional mindset. According to 2020 research, surf therapy helped ease symptoms of PTSD and major depression in active-duty military service members. Participants living with both PTSD and major depression appeared to benefit the most. Not only did surf therapy seem to reduce their depression and anxiety, but it also helped improve their overall mood.
It’s a form of exercise
Plenty of evidence consistently suggests and supports that regular physical activity can do a lot to help relieve depression and anxiety symptoms.
What’s more, exercise may help lower your chances of developing depression.
It offers the opportunity to unplug from electronics
SUP and surfing requires that you tune in to your body and pay close attention to the movement of the waves. This act of engaging in the present moment and focusing on what’s happening around you can promote mindfulness, which may help ease feelings of tension and stress, foster a sense of peace and calm, and manage anxiety and depression.
It promotes environmental awareness
Spending time in natural environments, like the ocean, doesn’t just benefit mental health and overall well-being. It may also prompt a deeper appreciation for the ocean, including its creatures and ecosystems.
It may promote self-esteem, resilience, confidence and self-trust
Never thought you’d be able to stand up on a paddle board or surfboard and ride a wave? Trying activities you once considered “impossible” may help you:
Cultivate self esteem
Trust yourself more easily
Feel more confident in your own abilities
Embrace your authentic self
When you stand up and ride the wave, you feel like, “Wow, if I can do that, I can do anything.”
A small study with nine Australian teenagers found that an 8-week surf therapy program seemed to improve their self-esteem and resilience.
It provides an opportunity to connect with others
SUP and paddle surf therapy can have a ripple effect that goes beyond the person in the water. In addition to providing space to meet new people and practice social skills, surfing can offer the chance to connect.
Like other types of therapy or wellness activities that take place in a group, SUP and surf therapy can help you meet new people, socialize, and even bond with other family members also trying it out.
According to a study, surf therapy appeared to help improve social skills, interpersonal relationships, and emotional regulation, along with time management and problem-solving skills. The study also found that surf therapy seemed to help improve participants’ social connection and interpersonal skills.
How it works
Surf therapy programs differ from organization to organization. Some offer one-off sessions, while others create programs where participants come back weekly, every 2 weeks, or once a month. There are also events, such as retreats, camps, and coaching sessions, that incorporate surf therapy via one or more sessions into the curriculum.
Generally your surf therapy session will most likely involve:
a warm-up or icebreaker on the beach
a safety discussion
a demonstration of how to SUP and/or surf while you remain on the beach
entering the water with the instructor
learning to SUP/surf at your own pace in the ocean
That said, the structure and pace of your session will depend largely on your own needs and comfort level. The participants should lead the way. Your instructor shouldn’t push you to try surfing before you feel ready. If you feel hesitant about entering the water or anxious about the waves, your instructor might spend time with you on the beach or in the water, talking you through the process. Letting you control the session makes you part of the decision making process. In short, you’re contributing to your own course.
How to find a SUP, paddle surf or surf therapy program
SUP and paddle surf therapy remains a relatively new therapeutic approach, but a number of organizations and programs around the world have started to offer sessions in an effort to make it more accessible and inclusive not only to individuals with diagnosed or medicated mental heath conditions, but those who experience mood and mental health symptoms of varying degrees.
Though it might go without saying, you do need to live near a beach, or have the ability to travel to a beach, to try it. If SUP or paddle surf therapy is an option in your area, you can start by searching the internet for who offers paddle boarding near you and inquire about SUP and surf therapy. You can also try exploring programs affiliated with the International Surf Therapy Organization. This organization currently conducts research on surf therapy and works to develop industry standards for the practice.
It’s very important to choose an organization that prioritizes safety. If you have a physical disability of any kind, you may also want to try an organization with trained adaptive surfing instructors.
At Stand and Paddle and Fusion SUP and Paddle Surf Retreats
Owner, founder and SUP coach, Rachel Cantore, has a background in wellness and life coaching, psychology, behavior change, trauma, and mindset. Through her education along with personal experiences managing anxiety, depression and trauma her passion and purpose around SUP and paddle surf encompasses helping others learn to SUP and paddle surf for Sport as much as for their Mental Health and wellbeing. She has personally experienced the healing and transformative powers of the water, stand up paddling and paddle surfing for her mental, emotional and physical well-being, which has in turn completely changed her life.
We offer opportunities and services around SUP and paddle surf for youth to adults of all levels. From lessons and coaching sessions, to retreats, to training camps and clinics. You can join us on the water in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, Nosara, Costa Rica, or we can come to you.
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