Changing lives, one wave at a time.

In February, Finisterre stores across the country will be proud to play host to Waves for Change; an innovative ocean therapy charity from South Africa who are using surfing to help at-risk youths from deprived coastal communities to experience the healing properties of time in the sea.

All the way from South Africa, founders Tim Conibear and Apish Tshetsha will be joined by Jamie Marshall from Stoked Research to discuss the growing force that is surf therapy and its many benefits. 

There is a ritual to surfing. You wake up, check the weather, check the swell charts. You choose the perfect board and head to the beach. As soon as you reach the water your senses are alive. The offshore wind, the crash of the waves. You pull on your suit and paddle out, eager for the rush of that first ride.

For any surfer there is no question that surfing positively impacts mental health. And there is growing academic evidence that supports surfing as a health intervention.

In many coastal communities around the world, however, the ocean is a misunderstood force reflecting the political, social and often cultural barriers that keep surfing from permeating communities along every coast. That is starting to change as new evidence and awareness of mental health benefits look to bring surfing to communities around the world.

In February, Finisterre UK is hosting Waves for Change Founders, Tim Conibear and Apish Tshetsha to explore their global efforts of removing coastal barriers and engaging local at-risk children in a mental health intervention through surf therapy. Joining them is PhD candidate Jamie Marshall from `Stoked Research’. Jamie is the first PhD candidate to study surfing as a therapy with a focus post-conflict, developing countries.

The team will share stories, films and insights from their travels and work across Africa to connect more and more communities to the ocean. Since the start of 2019 the team has helped 11 communities in remote locations around the world open and scale locally owned Surf Therapy programmes. By the end of the year, this number will be closer to 20. Their work includes coastlines in Somalia, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

You can join Tim, Apish, Jamie and the Finisterre Family at the following Finisterre stores:

Falmouth (24 Feb) 

 Exeter (25 Feb) 

Bristol (26 Feb) 

London (27 Feb) 

Edinburgh (28 Feb)

Book your tickets now through our Eventbrite page.