Alumni Opportunities
About Alumni Opportunities
A participant’s Operation Surf experience doesn’t end when the program does. We extend our support beyond our programs with additional Alumni opportunities and programs to provide on-going care and support in their healing journey.
Quick Links
Veteran Support
Behind every new participant is a Veteran Support who has been here before. We understand how important community is in our well-being which is why we value giving our Alumni the opportunity to give back by serving the new participants in upcoming programs. Our Veteran Support serves in a side by side capacity with the participants throughout the program. This element of peer-to-peer support combined with shared experiences promotes connection and community.
Veteran Support roles are available in the following programs:
- Operation Surf’s Week-long Program
- O3.0 (Our local three-month program)
- Operation Healing Forces Collaboration
Alumni Wellness Retreats
Alumni Wellness Retreats will be a brand new program that we aim to offer to our Alumni in 2023.
This curriculum-based program provides an environment where Alumni have the opportunity to ‘dig deeper’ into their recovery by opening up and sharing their experiences. Without taking too much time from surfing, we spend more time ‘around the campfire’ connecting and building bonds that last a lifetime. These weeks can tend to get heavy which is why we offset them with amazing food, activities, and the healing powers of the ocean in incredible locations!
Participants receive food, lodging accommodations, peer-to-peer support, and all the resources needed to instill hope and confidence in the water, on the board, and into their daily life. These are all provided and are funded through generous financial and in-kind contributions from our sponsors and donors.
Alumni are required to provide their own transportation to the location of an Alumni Wellness Retreat.
Our Alumni Wellness Retreat is currently being designed and will be hopefully released for Alumni to apply in 2023. Check back regularly for updates!
The Canteen
The Canteen is our virtual online meeting that we conduct three times a week that provides a continual source of support and community and it allows our community to create connections when they need it most.
- Monday: Join us for Coffee with the Team every Monday!
- Every 3rd Wednesday: Join us for our Warrior Women Wednesdays led by Operation Surf Community Women.
- Friday: Join us for Highs and Lows led by Operation Surf Alumni.
- Interested in being a veteran speaker on The Canteen? Email us at info@operationsurf.org.
Program Testimonials
"Operation Surf was refreshing and fun! Of course, it was really great to learn to surf, but OS is so much more than just surfing. Never having surfed before and not being very comfortable in the ocean, I was forced to get out of my own way and trust the process. Being able to accomplish something I thought I wouldn't be able to do was very rewarding, and it ignited a fire in me that I had let go dim. I feel rejuvenated and self-confident again. I look forward to trying new things, going on more adventures, and enjoying the sport of surfing for many years to come."
"The fact that I was able to completely disconnect from work and fully submerge myself in the experience without any obligations opened up many doors for relaxation, resetting, refocusing, rebuilding, bonding, and both personal and relational healing. We were both struggling individually and as a couple prior to this trip. The professionalism, relatability, enthusiasm, excitement, openness, and care that every single member of Operation Surf displayed towards us and one another was contagious. They helped us find our individual selves again and helped save our marriage."
"Operation Surf was hands-down the greatest trip that I have ever been on. We travel the world for our jobs and get to see and do things that most people can only dream of, but that’s often filled with guilt while my wife is left juggling her own work, the kids, and everything else life throws at her. We spend a substantial amount of time away from each other with all of the trips, training, and deployments. Getting to share this experience with my wife by my side and finding a new, exciting activity that we both immediately fell in love with truly made this a trip of a lifetime."