Surf Therapy
Like many surfers, Nate Hamilton enjoys the feeling of catching a wave, focusing on the challenge of being out in the water, and clearing his head.
“When you are on that wave, the pain goes away; the thoughts go away,” Nate reflected. "You don’t think about all the stuff you have to do, the medicine you have to take, it just all goes away.”
Nate tries to surf as much as possible where he lives in North Carolina. And added that the feeling is hard to put into words but noted, “I’m always in a better mood and smiling more, even after a big wipeout. Sometimes you lose track of time and just enjoy your surroundings as every wave is different.”
Nate has surfed in Puerto Rico, but his real passion is catching waves behind a boat.
In 2010, Hamilton deployed to Afghanistan as a US Navy corpsman with a Marine Infantry unit. While on patrol, one of his vehicles ran over an Improvised Explosive Device, commonly referred to as an IED. The explosion sent shrapnel in every direction and the blast engulfed the vehicle in fire. Without hesitation and ignoring the numerous injuries suffered to his own body, his training kicked in as he started pulling his teammates away from the danger.
“I’ve been involved in quite a few incidents,” Nate said. “The one that got me was I was actually on foot next to a vehicle that ran over the IED. Somehow I came out of that dust cloud and pulled the guys out of the vehicle.”
Nate medically retired in 2013 and later found surfing as a means of relieving his pain through the power of the ocean.
Customized Surfboard
With collaboration of shaper Dan Van Zanten, Addict Surfboards, and the rest of the team, Nate customized his own board.
“We basically dished out the top of the board to keep my legs on the board as well as added forward handles that enabled me to have leverage to pop up on my knees,” he said. "There is also a slight rise where my chest sits while paddling to help with my C-Spine issues. The fin boxes were moved forward more under my center of gravity and makes it super responsive in comparison to non-adaptive boards."
The board also features a unique wood grain top that pays tribute to his father’s service as an A-10 pilot and skilled woodworker. The graphics identify his time spent as an FMF Corpsman as well as an additional tribute to Chuck Keating, a close friend of many of the members of the team that made this happen.
Story by Matt Fratus.