What gives you hope?

Jahmin | Whāingaroa

Jahmin shares how surfing and the ocean supports his wellbeing and offers him a sense of belonging and peace.

“Surfing is basically a lifestyle. If I go surfing, my energy and everything is increased. You just feel connected and it’s way better for you. You know, we walk down this big hill every day, five times a day, spend eight hours in the water, and it’s definitely real good for my physical health as well as my mental wellbeing.

If I’m ever in a sad mood or I’m feeling down, I find the best thing to do is get in the ocean and straight away it just increases my happiness, and I feel a hundred times better no matter whatever else is going on. Whether or not my girlfriend dumped me or if I lost my dog or if anything bad is going on, as long as I jump in that ocean, it feels like I just forget about it, and my head clears up.

I’ve made so many of my meanest mates through surfing. I work here at Raglan Surf Academy. This random person from Invercargill moved up randomly to come to our school and surf here and now he’s living at my house. He’s moved in with me because surfing brought us together. He’s one of my best mates for sure. Out of everyone he’s definitely one of the people who I know have my back the most.

Surfing is something we can just go do every day together. And it’s like, yeah bro, we made it. We’re chillin’.”