Who are the Association of Veteran Surfers?

Founded by two Afghanistan Veterans in 2016 with the vision of connecting the Veteran Community through Surfing and Mateship. AVS is now an affiliated Boardriders Club boasting over 90 active members located across South East Queensland. What started as a simple idea to catch up with mates after separating from the defence force has turned into a large community-based group that is bridging the gap for Veterans and their families from social isolation and the mental health issues that Veterans face during and after their service.

Why we need your help?

More Australian soldiers have lost their lives to suicide then fighting the Afghanistan War.

One Suicide is too many, our vision is a healthy, active and suicide free Veteran community and we need your help to achieve this goal.

Benefits Ocean Therapy has on your Mental Health

There is a simple term known as “FLOW” where a person becomes fully and completely involved in an activity to the exclusion of everything else. Their minds are emptied from the traumatic memories that continually cycle through them. They become immersed in the activity, much like a moving form of mindfulness meditation. PTSD is a debilitating psychological condition that veterans can experience in the aftermath of combat, deployments and life after service. Hyper-vigilance, depression, anxiety is some of the symptoms that veterans face on a daily basis. Surfing and the mental state known as “FLOW” is a recipe for success with physical and mental benefits including improved sleep, improved mood, increased self-esteem, a sense of purpose and a positive step to re-integrate into society. 

DONATE NOW TO HELP US HELP MORE VETERANS

Association of Veteran Surfers is a non-profit ex-service organisation. All donations to AVS are tax deductible under the auspices of the Australian Sports Foundation. ​Australian Sports Foundation transfer the donations made to AVS and proceeds go toward AVS so that we can better facilitate our mission towards a healthier and active suicide free Veteran Community.

What your contribution today can help with in the future

$25 Assists with equipment purchases like first aid kits, sunscreen etc

$75 Provides a surf lesson for a Veteran or a Veteran family member

$100 Assists with operating costs so we can continue running our surf days and helping veterans

$150 Assists our volunteers with required qualifications in First Aid and Surf Coaching which help improve our clubs functionality

$200 Can sponsor a veteran in upcoming surfing competitions such as the Kirra Teams Challenge!

Every donation counts and goes towards our ultimate goal of assisting Veterans nation wide. AVS has been a great success on the Gold Coast and this is why we need your help so that we can expand into other areas of Australia so that more Veterans and their families can benefit from the healing powers of the Ocean.

Goals for AVS in 2019

1. Purchase a Vehicle - Unfortunately for some of our Veterans, transport can be an issue due to some injuries and medical conditions they suffer since separating from the defence force. It is our goal to purchase a Van so that we can assist in transporting veterans to and from the beach so that everyone is involved.
2. Enter more surf competitions - Last year we witnessed the overwhelming benefits our members gained from entering and attending surf competitions. We sponsored a number of Veteran surfers into competitions throughout the year. This gave them a renewed sense of belonging and achievement and it is a great way for the veteran community to become more involved with the surfing community. But this comes at a price for entry fees, accommodation, travel and equipment. With the help of your donations we can continue to sponsor our veterans and their sporting achievements.
3. Purchase equipment for our Adaptive Surfers - Many Veterans are missing out on our surf days due to our lack of equipment to get our veterans with severe injuries onto the beach and out into the water. With the help of your donation we can purchase specialised equipment such as beach wheelchairs so that we can better assist our adaptive surfing veterans!