About Us

Our Vision

Surf therapy transforming lives in Aotearoa New Zealand

Our Purpose

To develop, enhance and promote surf therapy within Aotearoa New Zealand

Our Values

Well-being

Mental and emotional well-being is at the heart of Surf Therapy Aotearoa and is what we
are all trying to achieve through our individual surf therapy programmes. Surf therapy is
not just taking people surfing and teaching them to surf. Surf therapy is about using surfing
as a therapeutic tool to facilitate positive changes and improve participants’ overall health
and well-being in many ways. All Surf Therapy Aotearoa members deliver programmes that
have a focus on increasing participants’ mental and emotional well-being, as well as
increasing other aspects of participants’ well-being.

Intention
Within Surf Therapy Aotearoa, we are intentional in all we do as a collective group, as well
as within our individual surf therapy programmes. Surf therapy uses surfing as an
intentional tool to achieve specific purposes greater than just surfing. Having intention in
what we do on our programmes, as well as how we do things, helps us all to stay focussed
and achieve our greater purpose and vision to see lives transformed through surf therapy.

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Connection
Surf Therapy Aotearoa formed because like-minded and passionate people came together
to connect, collaborate, support one another and join together as one big surf therapy
whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand. Connection and collaboration are crucial to achieve
shared goals, to go far and ultimately to succeed. Connection is also a major aspect of what
our individual surf therapy programmes offer: connection to surfing, to new experiences, to
nature, to others, to mentors, to role models and to self.

Stoke
Surf Therapy Aotearoa is all about sharing the stoke of surfing and using surfing to bring
positive, healthy and fun experiences into the lives of all participants. All Surf Therapy
Aotearoa members endeavour to create a space on their programmes where participants
have fun, enjoy the ocean, experience joy and essentially get stoked on life! Stoke is also
something we strive for at our annual Surf Therapy Aotearoa conferences – us having fun
together as a surf therapy whānau, surfing, catching party waves, playing games and just
doing life together.

Unity
At the core of Surf Therapy Aotearoa, we have unity. Unity is something the founding
members of Surf Therapy Aotearoa discussed from the beginning because unity is vital for
us as a collective to achieve our shared goals and vision. Surf Therapy Aotearoa is never
about promoting individual organisations and programmes; it is about developing,
enhancing and promoting surf therapy as a whole within our country. Unity is key for any
organisation to achieve its purpose and be effective in all it does, so we endeavour to stay
united in all we do.

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