Surf Therapy Is the Latest Trend in Active, Accessible Adventure

At first blush, Newport may seem an unlikely surfing destination — but they don’t call Rhode Island the Ocean State for nothing. The city and surrounding communities are also lined with sandy beaches and board-ready breaks.

In recent years, Newport has become a popular destination for families with special-needs kids, thanks to the innovative work of the nonprofit organization Gnome Surf. A leader in the rapidly growing world of surf therapy, the group has professional coaches whose on-the-water sessions can improve the lives of kids with learning disabilities, Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and other conditions that can make land-based or group sports difficult.

When Gnome Surf launched in 2019, it was ahead of the curve, says founder Chris Antão. “When I started, I didn’t know that ‘adaptive sports’ was a thing. We were one of about 10 surf therapy organizations — now there are 200.” 

That growth is being powered, Antão says, by the huge need for programs that can positively impact not just physical fitness but also mental and emotional wellness.

“I’ve been surfing with kids who can’t walk on land, but they can balance on a board,” Antão explains. “It’s pretty magical.”

A team of 50 instructors now runs thousands of sessions a year in Rhode Island. But the organization also coordinates trips to destinations including Florida and Texas, as well as its own surf camp in Costa Rica, which is designed not just for athletes but their parents and siblings as well.

“A lot of times, our families will start to isolate themselves because they think they are an inconvenience to their friends,” Antão says. “When they come to us, they don’t feel judged. In fact, there are a lot of families going through the same things. Those friendships are vital to their own social and emotional well-being.”

“This isn’t just a sport,” adds Antão, who identifies as neurodivergent himself. “This is life-altering for these families. It’s about community and a sense of belonging: come as you are and be who you are.”

3 More Accessible Adventures

A Day on the Slopes

The innovative TetraSki is a wheelchair-style device that allows people with spinal-cord injuries and other extremity impairments to ski independently. First developed at the University of Utah, the system is now available at more than a dozen resorts in Canada, France, Switzerland, and the U.S. The chairlift-friendly apparatus can be operated with a joystick or by breathing into and out of a tube, depending on a user’s needs.

A Please Cruise

Get snapshots of the New York skyline and selfies by the Statue of Liberty with Hudson River Community Sailing, an organization that offers lessons and laid-back day trips led by staff and volunteers trained in adaptive sailing. The group uses boats that can be outfitted for those with limited mobility, with custom seats and easy-to-handle rigging. 

A Mega Bike Race

The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa is the world’s biggest recreational tour, running over eight days and 424 miles every July; the nonprofit Adaptive Sports Iowa typically gathers 80 or so riders to join in together. If a full week in the saddle sounds too ambitious, try a day exploring the newly opened Athene North Shore Recreation Area, in Des Moines. It has been designed with inclusivity in mind, from paved pathways to zero-entry ramps to the water.—Parker Wright

A version of this story first appeared in the March 2025 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline “The New Wave.”