Week After Week—They Come Back

We surfed consecutively for five weeks. Last week we got washed out.

I honestly felt kind of relieved.

I'm gonna be real with you: Thursdays are hard.

It means getting out of the house early, rushing the morning routine, loading up a heavy-ass wagon, hauling it across the sand, claiming our little patch of beach, setting everything up, surfing on and off for a couple of hours, then breaking it all back down.

So when the weather canceled us last week, I wasn't exactly upset.

Until Thursday came and went.

I didn't realize how much I'd missed it until I got off the interstate yesterday morning and headed toward the ocean.

And honestly?

I'd do it for these women every day of the week.

I've been pretty open about how hard it's been to get this grant-funded program off the ground. There have been plenty of moments where I've questioned whether or not I can do it.

Then Thursday happens.

It wasn't a great surf day this week.

But it's never really been about the surfing.

When I think back on the morning, I don't remember the waves anyone caught.

I remember us floating.

One little kid nearby looked like he'd fallen asleep on his surfboard. He hadn't—but for a second, it looked like he had simply surrendered to the rhythm of the water.

And honestly, sometimes that's exactly what we need.

Just to be held.

To let the waves do the work for a little while.

There's a reason that feels so restorative.

The repetitive movement of the ocean helps calm the nervous system, much like rhythmic breathing or certain sound frequencies. Our bodies naturally begin to synchronize with steady, predictable patterns, making it easier to come out of survival mode and back into regulation.

When I first started researching surf therapy, one statistic surprised me more than any other.

It wasn't the PTSD outcomes.

It wasn't the anxiety scores.

It was the attendance.

People kept coming back.

Because people don't consistently return to experiences that don't feel safe.

The outcomes are impressive. Veterans who participated in surf therapy have shown significant reductions in anxiety and PTSD symptoms, with many maintaining those improvements weeks after the program ended. Some studies have even found that more than half of participants reached remission after six weeks of consistent surfing.

But those numbers only tell part of the story.

The real story is that people wanted to come back.

We're seeing that same thing at Third Wave.

Each week, another woman joins us.

The women who started with us keep returning.

Between sessions, we stay connected through our BAND app, sharing resources, checking in, celebrating wins, and reminding each other that none of us has to carry everything alone.

We're building something much bigger than a surf program.

We're building a community where women can exhale.

Where their nervous systems can settle.

Where healing doesn't have to happen alone.

That's what keeps bringing everyone back.

Not perfect waves.

Not athletic ability.

Not even surfing itself.

It's the feeling of finally being able to float.

And every Thursday, I get to watch that happen.

Ready to join us? Reach out today.