Why we exist
A couple of years ago, we watched a close friend struggle with depression and the feeling of being overwhelmed by life. One day, we invited them to join us for a surf. We had no idea if it’d help but it was all we knew. They’d never surfed before and spent the entire session face-planting into sand.
But it happened – their mood shifted, their laughter was raw and for that period of time, life was good. So, we figured we’d take them out again. And again. Pretty soon, we didn’t have to ask anymore – they got hooked and now surf regularly. They’ve started getting help with their past trauma and have a much shinier outlook on life. We thought that maybe we could take a few others out, and show them the ropes of surfing. Unsurprisingly, we saw the same changes.
Since seeing people’s transformative experiences, we’ve decided to try and bring the feeling of raw freedom and expression to anyone and everyone, no matter their background. A dear friend, Dr Robert Laurier has written about his fall and rise, and his thoughts and philosophies through the eyes of a surfer and gave us his blessings to use it. You can grab a copy from our Shop.
On the 18th February 2025, The Raw Surfer was born.
Where we are
At our core, we believe surfing is more than just a sport – it’s a pathway towards mental and spiritual healing. Openness around the mental health pandemic is quickly becoming recognized and mainstream. But even though celebrities, influencers and other ordinary people are sharing their stories with the world, there’s a still a large number of us who feel stuck in our heads, embarrassed or ashamed to talk through things. Whether it’s a fear of being judged or a conviction that no one will understand what we’re going through, many aren’t getting the basic help that’s needed to overcome hurdles.
Accessibility to mental health help is also a huge barrier to those wanting and needing it. We found that a common passion has given our tribe the platform to feel heard, understood and accepted. Whether we’re sitting on the beach having a coffee, or in the ocean catching waves and having a laugh, the camaraderie is sometimes all we need to get that feeling of security. We just aim to be real, raw and respectful.
Openness around the mental health pandemic is quickly becoming recognized and mainstream. But even though celebrities, influencers and other ordinary people are sharing their stories with the world, there’s a still a large number of us who feel stuck in our heads, embarrassed or ashamed to talk through things. Whether it’s a fear of being judged or a conviction that no one will understand what we’re going through, many aren’t getting the basic help that’s needed to overcome their hurdles.
Where we're going
We don’t want The Raw Surfer to be just like the other businesses that don’t follow through on their mission statement. We’re trying to make it a movement. If we’re blessed to have some money coming in, great – we can use it to widen our equipment base so that we can offer more surfboards and wetsuits to people joining us. But we’re aiming more towards making surf therapy accessible to more people and get more staff qualified by the International Surfing Association to start teaching bigger groups.
We’re looking to get as many partners as possible who can provide the invaluable help we all need to make sure everyone’s mental health is improving. From clinics and doctors, to therapists and counsellors, we’re actively looking to find the real heroes who can help tackle the invisibility of mental health problems. Plus, we’re onboarding as many Surf n’ Skate companies as we can to give out big discounts to our members for rentals and purchases!
We started by helping one person without intending to.
Now we intend to help as many people as possible.
The Team
Our Partnerships
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