Judith Blaine, who has lived in Hong Kong for 30 years, is a relative newcomer to surfing – which she describes as unlike any other sport. “I’m a beginner, but I absolutely love it,” she says. “You feel really immersed in nature, and you feel just at peace, at one with your environment.” She and the Hong Kong surfing community were left bewildered and frustrated when the Hong Kong government’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LSCD) began strictly enforcing a surfing ban at public beaches last summer. Surfers have long flocked to catch waves at Big Wave Bay in Hong Kong Island’s Southern district – one of the 42 gazetted public beaches where surfing is technically banned. At this popular destination they could rent boards and hire instructors. But in the summer of 2024, “No surfing” signs were posted at the beach, and police and lifeguards were intent on enforcing them. Those who were caught faced a possible fine of HK$2,000 or up to two weeks in prison. There was no official explanation for the crackdown at the time. The surfing community says that measures were stepped up after Undersecretary for Security Michael Cheuk Hau-yip warned people to avoid chasing waves during extreme weather. At a press briefing last May, Cheuk said they were putting emergency response officers in danger. For 58-year-old Blaine, a long-time sports enthusiast who has competed in triathlons such as Ironman 70.3, and had taken up surfing in 2023, the sudden surfing ban prompted more questions than answers. “Here is a resource that Hong Kong has, that could be promoted for the youth, for community building, for environmental awareness – so I was really intrigued why they’re enforcing a ban [for a sport] that could be beneficial to the population,” she says. Blaine is a mental health researcher who holds a PhD in psychology from Rhodes University in South Africa, and is a research fellow at the Hong Kong Jockey Club Centre for Suicide Research and Prevention. During the coronavirus pandemic, she published a study in May 2021 on how Hong Kong’s 21-day coronavirus quarantine damaged mental health, with long-lasting effects including PTSD, depression and insomnia. When the surfing crackdown began, she reached out to fellow surfers to explore the personal, social and environmental outcomes of surfing in Hong Kong. The findings of her online survey with 106 respondents were recently published in the American Journal of Sports Science. Surfing yielded a range of positive effects on people’s psychosocial well-being and environmental awareness, Blaine learned. The sport allowed them to gain a greater appreciation of nature, and helped with building skills such as emotional regulation, resilience, self-awareness and self-confidence, participants said. Blaine also spoke to five respondents. “One of the people I interviewed basically said, ‘Surfing saved my life’,” she says. Words respondents associated with surfing included ‘peace’, ‘fun’, ‘freedom’, ‘community’, ‘joy’, ‘challenging’, ‘relaxation’ and ‘health’. “Overwhelmingly, it’s a beneficial exercise and sport,” Blaine says. The physical health benefits of surfing are well documented, and include improved cardiovascular fitness, strength, balance, coordination, core strength, flexibility and endurance. The results of her survey align with existing research. For one, immersion in “blue space” – outdoor spaces with water, such as oceans, lakes and rivers – has been found to lower the risk of stress, anxiety, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Surf therapy programmes have also been found to be beneficial for ex-military personnel dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, and for children with autism in improving their social skills. In Hong Kong, charity Love 21 works with low-income families who have a child with Down’s syndrome or other learning disability, offering free classes in sports that included surfing. Jamie Marshall, who completed the world’s first PhD dedicated to surf therapy at Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland, became acquainted with surf therapy through The Wave Project, a UK-based charity that offers a six-week surf therapy course to help young people build confidence, reduce anxiety and improve their overall well-being. At the time, he was simply a keen surfer who was filling in for a sick instructor, but he later became so fascinated by the concept of using surfing as a form of therapy that he brought The Wave Project to Scotland in 2014, and managed that site for five years. “I frequently witnessed incredible moments on the beach and became eager to understand the psychological processes behind them,” he says. So he completed a Master of Science in Physical Activity for Health at the University of Edinburgh, before pursuing his PhD. Through his research, Marshall has identified several reasons for surf therapy’s success. One is that surfing can serve as a mental escape for people who are struggling. I really think the Hong Kong government should seriously consider promoting [surfing] or lifting the ban for a start – finding a way where swimmers and surfers can coexist Judith Blaine, psychologist “Surfing has been strongly linked to a sense of respite – providing a temporary yet powerful break from stress and negative emotions,” he says. “Having activities in daily life that offer this type of respite is invaluable for maintaining mental health and preventing feelings of being overwhelmed.” It also offers a sense of community. “Surf therapy organisations create a physical and emotional safe space at the beach, where participants can be honest, open and themselves,” Marshall says. “Access to such a space is crucial for any mental health intervention, and it’s equally important for the general population. “This ties into social support, which is one of the most important components of positive mental health,” he adds. Participants in his studies spoke about finding their “beach family” and how meaningful community was in their recovery. “Shared activities like surfing can help foster these connections. Personally, I’ve met some of my best friends – and my wife – through surfing,” Marshall says. Like any sport, there are certain risks involved with surfing. Blaine notes that Hong Kong’s surfing ban was probably instigated by an incident in which a swimmer was injured by a wayward surfboard, but that there have been few reported events. “You get surfers who save swimmers because they have a flotation device. If the swimmer is in trouble, the surfer will go and help them. So I think that they can definitely coexist. It’s just trying to find a way to have that conversation,” she says. Her survey participants also noted that surfers are generally well aware of the weather and their own limits when going out to surf. “[A] Typhoon 1 [alert] means that the storm is 800 kilometres (500 miles) away. That is when swells come in – not dangerous. Nobody has to stay home or anything, and that is when the surfers want to be out because the swells are bigger,” Blaine says. “They just want to catch the best waves. They don’t want to put themselves in a precarious position. “You will very rarely find a surfer out in a Typhoon 8. The waves aren’t good or anything.” There are ways that the Hong Kong government could make surfing more accessible while keeping it safe, respondents said. Because the best consistent waves occur in winter from November to March, legislators could designate a “surfing season” for two beaches – Big Wave Bay and Shek O – in those months, with swimmers still able to swim at 40 other gazetted beaches. Introducing wave pools, a surfing association and regular competitions could also help promote the sport. Young surfing star Mahohi Nguyen Tang learned to surf at Big Wave Bay, but ended up training with the Swiss national team because of his inability to progress further in Hong Kong, with no national team and the recent crackdown. In mainland China, surfing has also generated much interest, especially after Yang Siqi became the country’s first athlete to compete in the surfing event at the Olympics. “Surfing is new – it’s only been in two Olympics as a sport. But [China has] got a national team, they’re really promoting it,” Blaine says. “Hong Kong could do so much with the resources we have. “Considering the mental health benefits of it, and considering it is now an Olympic sport, I really think the Hong Kong government should seriously consider promoting it or lifting the ban for a start – finding a way where swimmers and surfers can coexist. “Promote the sport, because it’s so good for the youth, for the well being, for the environment, to feel a sense of belonging.” Like what you read? Follow SCMP Lifestyle on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter here.