Surfing and Mental Health: How Evidence-Based Research Is Catching Up

By Simon Tien — Lead Instructor at Margaret River Surfing Academy. Bachelor of Paramedical Science. Master's Degree in Mental Health. 30+ years on the Margaret River coast.

Why I'm writing this

I've spent more than thirty years in the ocean. I've also spent the last several years working clinically in mental health, after completing my Master's degree in the field. Most days, I think about both at once.

When people ask me whether surfing is "good for mental health," I find myself wanting to give two answers at the same time. The honest practitioner's answer is the evidence is promising but still developing. The honest surfer's answer is I have watched the ocean change people for as long as I can remember.

This blog is my attempt to bring those two answers together. I'll walk you through what the peer-reviewed research actually shows — and what it doesn't yet — and explain why surfing keeps appearing in serious clinical conversations about wellbeing, even while researchers are still building the evidence base.

This is not a piece designed to oversell. It's designed to tell you the truth about a field I care deeply about as both a coach and a practitioner.

What the research has consistently found

Across two decades of published research, several findings appear again and again. They aren't proof of universal benefit — but they're consistent enough to take seriously.

Surfing reduces stress hormones and boosts mood-elevating neurotransmitters. Aerobic exercise in general has well-established mental health benefits, including reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression and improvements in mood and cognitive function (Guszkowska, 2004; Schuch et al., 2018). Surfing, as a sustained aerobic activity in a natural environment, sits squarely within this evidence base.

Time in "blue space" appears to support mental wellbeing. A growing body of research links time spent near or in water with positive mental health outcomes (Britton et al., 2020; White et al., 2021). The mechanism, sometimes called the "blue mind effect" (Nichols, 2014), is thought to involve the calming influence of natural water environments on the human nervous system. There is also strong evidence that nature exposure reduces rumination — the repetitive negative thinking pattern strongly associated with depression and anxiety (Bratman et al., 2015).

Surf therapy programs produce meaningful short-term benefits. The most rigorous Australian study to date — a pilot randomised controlled trial of a six-week mentor-supported surf therapy program — found reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, emotional problems, peer problems, hyperactivity and overall psychological difficulties in children and adolescents at the end of the program (Olive et al., 2022). Effect sizes ranged from small to large depending on the outcome.

Surfing is unusually engaging compared to traditional therapy. The same Australian pilot found an 87% completion rate. To put that in context, child and adolescent psychotherapy typically reports drop-out rates between 28% and 75% (Olive et al., 2022). When young people are willing to keep showing up to a mental health intervention, that itself matters.

Surfing helps veterans and trauma-affected populations. Studies of UK and US combat veterans have found that surfing is associated with reductions in PTSD symptoms, improvements in subjective wellbeing, and a sense of "respite from worry" not easily produced by indoor therapies (Caddick et al., 2015; Rogers et al., 2014; Walter et al., 2019).

Australian youth respond well. A study of the Waves of Wellness Foundation's eight-week program in at-risk Australian adolescents found post-program improvements in resilience, self-esteem, social connectedness, and depressive symptoms (McKenzie et al., 2021).

Why surfing seems to work — when it does

The research has begun to identify the mechanisms behind these benefits. A 2026 realist synthesis of 44 studies (Hilton et al., 2026) proposed several pathways through which surf therapy improves mental health:

Present-moment focus. Surfing demands complete attention. You cannot ruminate on yesterday or worry about tomorrow when you're paddling for a wave. As one participant in a published study put it: "It doesn't really give you time or the opportunity to think about anything negative."

Mastery experiences. Standing up on a surfboard for the first time — or improving any technical aspect of surfing — creates a sense of personal accomplishment. In the language of psychology, this is "self-efficacy," and it's strongly associated with reduced anxiety and improved self-esteem.

Social connection. Group surf programs build peer relationships and a sense of belonging. Isolation is one of the strongest predictors of poor mental health outcomes. Surfing creates community almost by accident.

Physiological arousal regulation. Cold water immersion, rhythmic paddling, and exposure to the ocean's natural rhythms appear to support the body's autonomic nervous system in ways we're only beginning to understand clinically.

Nature immersion. Being in nature — particularly blue space — reduces activity in the parts of the brain associated with anxious self-focused thinking (Bratman et al., 2015).

The most plausible explanation for surfing's benefits isn't any single mechanism. It's the combination: aerobic exercise + nature exposure + present-moment focus + social connection + mastery, all delivered in a single experience.

What the research does NOT yet show

If I'm being honest as a practitioner, here's where the evidence is currently thin.

The most recent systematic review of randomised and non-randomised controlled trials (Carneiro et al., 2024) concluded that robust evidence for surf therapy as a treatment for diagnosed mental health disorders is currently limited. The available trials had small sample sizes, varied program structures, and high risks of bias. When surf therapy was compared directly to other nature-based exercise (such as hike therapy), no consistent advantage was found.

This is not a reason to dismiss surfing's mental health value. Many well-established therapies started exactly here — with promising early findings, methodological challenges, and a need for larger trials. But it's a reason to be measured in our claims.

There are also two other things worth flagging:

Improvements often don't sustain after the program ends. The Australian pilot RCT (Olive et al., 2022) found that mental health improvements were not maintained six weeks after the surf therapy program concluded. This suggests that surfing — like exercise generally — works best as an ongoing practice, not a one-off intervention.

Surfing isn't a replacement for clinical care. None of the research suggests that surfing should replace evidence-based treatments like CBT, medication, or other therapies for serious mental illness. The studies that show benefit have generally examined surf therapy as a complement to standard care, not a replacement for it.

What this means for everyday people

If you're a generally healthy person looking for activities that support your mental wellbeing, the evidence supporting surfing is strong enough to act on. The combination of aerobic exercise, blue space exposure, present-moment focus, and (if you take a lesson) social connection is exactly the combination that decades of broader mental health research suggest will help you.

You don't need a clinical diagnosis to benefit. You just need to get in the water.

If you're managing a mental health condition, surfing may be a valuable complement to professional support — but should not replace it. Speak to your GP, psychologist, or mental health professional about how to integrate surfing into your overall care plan.

If you're a parent of an anxious or struggling young person, the early evidence is genuinely encouraging. Programs like Ocean Mind in Victoria and Waves of Wellness in Sydney have shown that surf-based interventions can reach young people who don't engage easily with traditional therapy.

What we offer at MRSA

At Margaret River Surfing Academy, we run our coaching with a quiet awareness that the ocean does more for people than just teach them to ride a wave. As a registered paramedic and Master's-qualified mental health practitioner, I bring both clinical and ocean knowledge to how we structure our programs — particularly our school programs and corporate wellbeing experiences.

We do not provide clinical surf therapy. What we offer is professional surf coaching delivered by a team that understands the link between the ocean and human wellbeing — and that takes that link seriously.

If you're considering a school program, corporate wellbeing day, or simply a beginner lesson for yourself or your family, you're welcome to get in touch. Call us on 0418 958 264 or visit mrsurf.com.au.

A note on getting help

If this blog has raised difficult feelings, or if you're concerned about your own mental health or someone else's, please reach out for support. In Australia:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14

• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

• Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

• Headspace: 1800 650 890

For ongoing care, your GP is a strong starting point. Mental health support in Australia is publicly subsidised through Medicare, and many providers bulk-bill.

References

Bratman, G. N., Hamilton, J. P., Hahn, K. S., Daily, G. C., & Gross, J. J. (2015). Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(28), 8567–8572. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1510459112

Britton, E., Kindermann, G., Domegan, C., & Carlin, C. (2020). Blue care: A systematic review of blue space interventions for health and wellbeing. Health Promotion International, 35(1), 50–69. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/day103

Caddick, N., Smith, B., & Phoenix, C. (2015). The effects of surfing and the natural environment on the well-being of combat veterans. Qualitative Health Research, 25(1), 76–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732314549477

Carneiro, L., Clemente, F. M., Claudino, J. G., Ferreira, J., Ramirez-Campillo, R., & Afonso, J. (2024). Surf therapy for people with mental health disorders: A systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 24, Article 376. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04674-0

Guszkowska, M. (2004). Effects of exercise on anxiety, depression and mood. Psychiatria Polska, 38(4), 611–620.

McKenzie, A., Beltran, R. O., & Kannis-Dymand, L. (2021). "Feels good to get wet": The unique affordances of surf therapy among Australian youth. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 721238. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.721238

Nichols, W. J. (2014). Blue mind: The surprising science that shows how being near, in, on, or under water can make you happier, healthier, more connected, and better at what you do. Little, Brown and Company.

Olive, L. S., Telford, R. M., Westrupp, E. M., & Telford, R. D. (2022). Surf therapy for improving child and adolescent mental health: A pilot randomised controlled trial. Mental Health and Physical Activity, 23, Article 100469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mhpa.2022.100469

Rogers, C. M., Mallinson, T., & Peppers, D. (2014). High-intensity sports for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression: Feasibility study of ocean therapy with veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 68(4), 395–404. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2014.011221

Schuch, F. B., Vancampfort, D., Firth, J., Rosenbaum, S., Ward, P. B., Silva, E. S., Hallgren, M., Ponce De Leon, A., Dunn, A. L., Deslandes, A. C., Fleck, M. P., Carvalho, A. F., & Stubbs, B. (2018). Physical activity and incident depression: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. American Journal of Psychiatry, 175(7), 631–648. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2018.17111194

Walter, K. H., Otis, N. P., Ray, T. N., Glassman, L. H., Beltran, J. L., Kobayashi Elliott, K. T., & Michalewicz-Kragh, B. (2019). Breaking the surface: Psychological outcomes among U.S. active duty service members following a surf therapy program. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 45, Article 101551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101551

White, M. P., Elliott, L. R., Gascon, M., Roberts, B., & Fleming, L. E. (2021). Blue space, health and well-being: A narrative overview and synthesis of potential benefits. Environmental Research, 191, Article 110169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2020.110169