How does a child get to participate in one of Ride a Wave’s Beach Camps?

Participants are usually part of an existing group that has established a relationship with Ride a Wave. New groups are accommodated based on availability in the schedule. If an individual child with special needs wants to participate, we try to accommodate them by trying to find an opening with a group with similar needs. The best way for a parent or caregiver to get their child involved is to contact our organization or get involved with one of the groups we take to the beach.

More information regarding attending a camp please email info@rideawave.org or by phoning (831) 239-3672.

Does Ride a Wave provide services to teenagers or adults?

Our primary focus is on children with disabilities; however, many of the groups we serve have teenage participants. One of the groups we serve, Shared Adventures, is comprised primarily of adults.

Is Ride a Wave safe?

Safety is Ride a Wave's top priority. Founded by a firefighter, paramedic, former champion tandem surfer and lifeguard (all one person!), safety is built into Ride a Wave's DNA. The organization has had ZERO beach injuries since its inception in 1998 –despite serving over 2,500 kids with disabilities, some of them with severely restricted mobility and other physical or medical challenges. Safety is addressed at all levels:

Safety Staff

A minimum of 1 lifeguard is on staff for all events with radio contact to emergency services. A minimum of 1 Paramedic and an average of 4 EMTs are on staff for all events with radio contact to emergency services. All volunteers must attend an orientation and beach or water training before being certified to participate in any event for that season.

Beach Safety

Each participant is paired with a Beach Buddy volunteer who ensures that the child’s needs are met for the entire day. The volunteer also makes sure that information regarding any special condition is passed along when the child partakes in any activity.

Water Safety

No child is allowed in the water without a wetsuit, life vest and helmet. When boogie boarding, each child is paired with a RAW volunteer who helps the child catch the wave and holds on to the participant’s life vest the entire time. When surfing the participant is paired with an expert tandem surfer who holds them while surfing. They are escorted by 4 surfers on rescue boards, two on each side, who paddle or surf on their knees next to the pair to ensure that the participating child is safe at all times. We also have a surfboard with a specially designed chair for paraplegic and quadriplegic participants.

Is there a charge for Ride a Wave’s services?

No child, family or organization is charged to attend a Ride a Wave beach camp.

What type of impact has Ride a Wave made?

In recognition for the outstanding community service Ride a Wave provides, founder Danny Cortazzo has been:

• Honored with a prestigious Jefferson Award by the San Francisco Chronicle in June 2006

• Named a Community Hero by the United Way of Santa Cruz County in 2004

• Selected 2003 Firefighter of the Year by the Santa Clara City Firefighters

• Recognized as a Team Clif Hot Seat Athlete in 2003

How do I volunteer for Ride a Wave? Are there any special requirements?

Anyone can volunteer for Ride A Wave. It’s not necessary to know how to surf to make a big impact in the program! All that’s needed is a desire to make a difference in the life of a child with disabilities. Our volunteers range from grade-school children to senior citizens. Volunteers are as diverse as the community from which they come, including students, firefighters, tech and business professionals, doctors, nurses, EMTs, lifeguards, marine scientists, contractors, real estate agents, pro surfers, authors, actors, and more.

All volunteers must attend an orientation meeting prior to the season. There are certain physical requirements for each of the water venues (surfing, escort, body board and kayak). For those who are not comfortable in the water or who do not meet those physical requirements, we pair them with each child as a land-based beach buddy that assists the children all day long. We also always need more assistance with setup, teardown, and other organizational duties.

More information on volunteering can be found here or by phoning (831) 239-3672.

How is Ride a Wave funded?

Ride a Wave receives no public funding and is supported by donations from individuals and businesses in the community. Since no one gets paid in our organization, 100% of all donations go into the program.

In addition to financial sponsorship, businesses also donate products and services that help the program run. For example, O’Neill’s provides wetsuits for all kids, Pleasure Pizza and Chili’s of Capitola provide hot lunches for all participants and volunteers, Newman’s Own, Trader Joes, and Clif provide snacks, and more. View the Sponsor page for a full listing of our generous sponsors. We also hold several fundraisers each season, such as surf movies, to generate additional funds. The response from our community has been incredible, and every year we have been able to provide the children with a more memorable experience.

Are bilingual services available?

Some of our volunteers are bilingual. If we know that we have a participant that is not English speaking we try to coordinate a beach buddy that speaks the necessary language.

What is the privacy policy of this organization?

We do not pass on information about the participants or our volunteers to any outside organizations. We contact our volunteers via e-mail or they can stay updated about events on our website.