Summary: Surf therapy can improve quality of life and mental well-being for people who have experienced a traumatic or acquired brain injury.
Source: Swansea University
For generations, surfers have celebrated the unique exhilaration of catching a perfect wave. New research now explores how time in the sea can also support recovery and psychological wellbeing for people living with acquired brain injury.
A study conducted by Swansea University investigated the effects of group-based surf therapy on adults living with the lasting consequences of acquired brain injury along the Gower coast.
Katie Gibbs, a final-year Ph.D. student and lead researcher, said: “Nature has a well-established role in promoting wellbeing. Increasingly, interventions set in natural environments are being used to support clinical populations, and we wanted to examine how surf therapy might contribute to neurorehabilitation.”
Gibbs and colleagues from the School of Psychology interviewed 15 adults who took part in a five-week surf therapy programme delivered in partnership with Surfability UK, a Gower-based community interest company that runs surfing experiences for people with additional needs.
The team’s findings have been published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The research was developed in collaboration with clinicians from Swansea Bay University Health Board and Hywel Dda University Health Board, reflecting a growing interest in broadening approaches to health and wellbeing for people living with persistent impairment after stroke or acquired brain injury.
Katie explained: “Physical health and psychological wellbeing are shaped by many factors—nutrition, sleep, and exercise—but also by meaning, purpose, achievement, social belonging and our connection to natural environments. For people with acquired brain injury, those elements are often diminished.”
People with acquired brain injury commonly face emotional, cognitive and physical challenges, and many experience social isolation and difficulty reintegrating into community life. A large proportion struggle to return to previous work or leisure activities, reducing opportunities for social contact, joy and purpose.
To expand opportunities for wellbeing in local and natural settings, clinicians partnered with Surfability UK. The organisation’s accessible surfing sessions at Caswell Bay have previously attracted wider public attention and have been featured on television.
Over the past three years the partnership supported up to 50 stroke and brain injury survivors with two-hour surf sessions, delivered in blocks of up to five weeks. Fifteen participants took part in interviews to reflect on their experiences and the longer-term effects.
The research revealed strong, positive changes. “Beyond physical activity, participants reported that surfing nourished a belief that, even if they felt ‘a bit broken’ in places, they could still experience wellbeing,” Katie said. “Many described the programme as giving them a renewed sense of reason for living.”
Participants described immediate benefits from being in nature and focusing on the present moment within a safe, supportive setting. Surf sessions provided physical stimulation, mental focus and opportunities to practise emotional regulation while surrounded by clinicians and trained volunteers.
The group format also fostered social connection. Meeting others with similar experiences helped participants feel understood, less isolated and more accepted. Within this supportive community, individuals reassessed their capabilities and set meaningful goals with professional guidance.
Katie summarised: “Our analysis shows how immersion in a natural setting can create conditions that support several core pillars of wellbeing—connection to nature, safety and trust, emotional regulation, positive emotion, purpose, social belonging and tangible positive change.”
Her work was supervised by Professor Andrew Kemp and Dr Zoe Fisher, who have previously highlighted the importance of broader, environment-aware approaches to wellbeing. The study proposes a theoretical model for how surf therapy benefits people living with acquired brain injury and discusses implications for integrating community partnerships into holistic neurorehabilitation services.
About this TBI and well-being research news
Author: Press Office
Source: Swansea University
Contact: Press Office – Swansea University
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Open access.
“Riding the wave into wellbeing: A qualitative evaluation of surf therapy for individuals living with acquired brain injury” by Katie Gibbs et al. PLOS ONE
Abstract
Riding the wave into wellbeing: A qualitative evaluation of surf therapy for individuals living with acquired brain injury
Natural environments have long been recognised as beneficial for wellbeing. Interventions such as surf therapy are increasingly applied to clinical groups, but there is limited research on how these nature-based approaches may support neurorehabilitation. This study describes a five-week surf therapy programme involving fifteen adults living with the psychosocial and cognitive consequences of acquired brain injury.
Using reflexive thematic analysis, the research identified several key themes: connection to nature; establishing trust and safety; managing and accepting difficult emotions; facilitating positive emotions, meaning and purpose; fostering social connection and community; and positive change. The study also identifies barriers and opportunities for improving clinical services.
The authors present a theoretical model describing how surf therapy can support people with acquired brain injury and reflect on wider literature to highlight the value of community partnerships and holistic approaches to neurorehabilitation. The findings point to potential service redesigns that incorporate wellbeing science and nature-based interventions.