In Israel, a growing therapeutic approach is offering some wounded soldiers an unusual place to confront those experiences: the ocean.

By Hezy Laing

For soldiers returning from Gaza, Lebanon and the battlefields after October 7th, the hardest battle can begin after they leave the fighting.

Nightmares, anxiety, emotional isolation and difficulty returning to ordinary life can follow combat long after the uniform comes off.

In Israel, a growing therapeutic approach is offering some wounded soldiers an unusual place to confront those experiences: the ocean.

Surf therapy combines physical activity, group support and professional emotional processing.

The HaGal Sheli (“My Wave”) organization, has worked with more than 20,000 participants, including thousands who joined after October 7th.

Its programs now serve soldiers, veterans, Nova survivors, bereaved families and evacuated communities.

The Ministry of Defense Rehabilitation Department has also incorporated therapeutic surfing into rehabilitation frameworks.

Yotam — “The ocean was the first place I could breathe again”

Yotam served in Golani and developed severe PTSD after losing friends in combat.

He spent months unable to sleep, plagued by flashbacks and hyper‑vigilance.

His therapist referred him to HaGal Sheli. The first time he entered the water, he froze — the sound of waves triggered memories of explosions.

But instructors stayed beside him, teaching him to synchronize breath with paddling.

He said that the moment he caught his first wave, “it felt like my chest opened for the first time since the war.”

Surfing became his anchor; he later said it was “the only place where the noise in my head goes quiet.”

Shai — “On the board, I remembered I was still alive”

Shai was a combat soldier who developed panic attacks after a traumatic ambush. He withdrew from friends, avoided crowds, and felt detached from his own body.

During his first surf session, he couldn’t stand on the board; his legs shook uncontrollably. But one morning, after weeks of practice, he finally rose to his feet.

Riding that wave “was the first moment I felt my body wasn’t my enemy.”

He was crying on the board, overwhelmed by the realization that he could still feel joy.

Surfing became his daily ritual, and he later volunteered to help other soldiers.

Waves of Resilience

The IDF’s own “Waves of Resilience” pilot similarly used five-to-eight weekly sessions, combining psychoeducation, surfing and guided emotional processing.

About 70 soldiers and combat-support personnel participated in the initial pilot.

The lesson is simple: soldiers cannot control every wave—but they can learn how to meet the next one.