At One More Wave, we believe surfing heals — and the bond between our members is what makes that healing possible. Every wave ridden, every board shaped, and every meetup is about more than surfing — it’s about showing up for each other. Few embody that spirit more than US Army veteran Ned Walsh. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and retired from the Army in 1995, Ned discovered a second mission — and a second family — through surfing with One More Wave.
Walsh discovered One More Wave while attending a summer sports clinic for disabled veterans in San Diego a couple of years ago. It was a Wednesday morning that he remembers fondly. After a short meditation, Rob Garnett, managing director of One More Wave, arrived to donate adaptive surfboards. Walsh didn’t know it yet, but he had found his surf tribe.
One More Wave issued him a wetsuit and a 9-foot blue foamie beginner board. From there, his passion for surfing skyrocketed.
“There’s no bad surf day in my opinion,” he said. “You’re fully present in the moment. It’s magical being out there. I always have a smile on my face because you feel like you have accomplished something.”
While surfing itself benefits his physical health, it’s the camaraderie he craves.
“Sometimes my objective of the day is just to make it out into the lineup, alongside my peers,” he said. “I still have a text from Konnor [another One More Wave rider], and it says: Hey, we made it out there, bro!”
If there were a One More Wave meetup every day, Walsh says he’d be there.
“You cannot wait until the 3rd Saturday meetups,” Walsh explained. “One More Wave has provided me with the opportunity to surf and volunteer with other veteran surf groups.”
He’s deeply involved with the Camp Pendleton Surf Club, and one event in Huntington Beach left a lifelong impact on him.
“I’m disabled and showed up to volunteer, and the lead guy says that I need to enter the water,” he said. “I thought, I’m not the person for this. But volunteering has given me my life back because I grabbed my fins, hopped in the water, and guess what? I kicked ass.”
Story by Matt Fratus