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Online Surf Life Support – Wave of Drowning Prevention in Surf Community
Stories Drowning incidents happen fast, and surfers regularly find themselves as the first responders. You’ve got the water skills, the
20 July 2026
Drowning incidents happen fast, and surfers regularly find themselves as the first responders. You’ve got the water skills, the board, and the positioning. What you may not have—yet—is the training to turn instinct into effective action.
That’s why SMI developed the Surf Life Support course (hyperlink), an online curriculum built alongside surfers, elite water safety experts, rescue professionals, and medical specialists. It’s designed to give you practical tools for risk assessment, board rescue, and resuscitation—skills that fit naturally alongside the ones you’re already sharpening every session.
Surfers can play a role in a major drowning prevention – Unintentional drowning is estimated to claim the lives of 295,000 people per year around the world. Surfers represent an important category of bystander rescuers reducing fatal drowning along the coast on both unpatrolled and patrolled beaches
Multiple studies have shown a life full of surfing equals exposure to Drowning incidents as rescuer, therefore it essential we are prepared.
The mortality rate of Surfers themselves seems to be relatively low in comparison to other ocean activities, though among surfing fatalities drowning is the primary cause.
A lifetime in the ocean means countless hours developing your craft. It also means that one day, you’ll likely be the lifeline for someone’s child, someone’s father, or a fellow surfer you’ve never met. This course helps you to prepare for that moment. To stay safe and rescue and resuscitate in the best possible way..
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