Disabled surfers ride the swell anew

Few understand more than Dave Winner about the cruel fate that can await in the ocean – and how that same ocean can save you.

The 73-year-old Coalcliff Surf Lifesaving Club stalwart is a level-four quadriplegic, and for a time, his injury deprived him of a life-long passion.

"I've lived and surfed and swam here at Coalcliff all my life. The biggest hardship was being unable to be in the ocean and I just wanted to get back out there,” he says.

Dave survived a near-fatal surfing accident in 2021, when he was hit by an unexpected wave and fractured his neck, fell unconscious, drowned and went into cardiac arrest in the water at Coalcliff.

"Very fortunate for me, another big wave came through and washed me out of the ocean, literally lifted me up and put me at the feet of these two guys who were looking for me,” he says.

It was with great pleasure that Dave joined more than 50 participants who met for community spirit and wave-catching joy in late November at the Disabled Surfers Association (DSA) South Coast Branch's second event of the season at Thirroul Beach.

Dave was revived by quick-thinking CPR trained people on the beach, and spent seven months recovering from his injury before setting up the Dave Winner Foundation, with the goal of training a million people in CPR by 2030.

“CPR saved my life, they brought me back. I'm one of the most unluckiest people, yet one of the luckiest in the same breath,” he says.

"I've got an attitude… I'm here for a purpose. I've been brought back, I'm lucky to be here, so every day is a gift, you know?"

Dave attended the Thirroul event with his grandchildren and thanks the DSA for the opportunity to get out on the water again.

“For me to get back on a board and be pushed onto a wave… you just can’t get the smile off my face,” he says.

"It’s a community thing, and everyone there is on the same page. You're with 40-odd people that have all got various disabilities, and everyone's in the same sort of situation, but we try to make the most of it.

"It's such a great thing – the smiles and looks on everyone's faces when you finish.”

Over 30 years, the DSA South Coast branch has gained a reputation for putting smiles on dials and taking people of all abilities surfing safely. The Thirroul event capped out at 50 participants (ensuring safety), with a further 32 people on the waiting list, and many travelling from surrounding areas to attend. Each participant enjoyed two surfs, catching seven or eight waves each.

"We had people travel down from Sydney, the Central Coast, and the far South Coast, just to come along and have a surf with us. It’s a very social, very safe and well-run event," says Dave.

More than 170 dedicated volunteers assisted, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of participants, with a minimum ratio of six volunteers to one participant.

The events bring joy to volunteers too.

DSA South Coast branch president Ian Picton says he knows volunteers who were ''blown away'' by how they felt at the end of the day.

"Enabling someone with a type of disability to go out and have a surf, and catch a wave, and feel that experience of being caught up in the wave – it’s amazing,” Ian says.

"When volunteers come and help us at one of our days, that day will be a memory for them for the rest of their life."

Ian says the ability to successfully and safely host these events depends on the generosity and commitment of the local community.

“We're lucky down here in Wollongong – we've got a wonderful committee that work really hard and love what we're doing,” Ian says.

“We've gone from one trailer of equipment to two trailers and we've basically just got that through community donations.”

With the help of the community, the DSA South Coast branch carries eight beach wheelchairs, lifting devices, 10 surf boards and 450 rash vests for participants. The committee works to improve the standard of accessible infrastructure, so people of all abilities can enjoy beach life.

“We’ve done a lot of work at Thirroul Beach over the years to get it up to a standard that the people with disabilities can utilise, with matting onto the beach, disabled amenities and access to the pool. The amenities block is first-class along the South Coast,” Ian says.

“We really rely on the community spirit and the volunteers from around our area to get those people into the water and for them to have a smile on their face when they leave – and we certainly do that.”

Each year, the DSA South Coast Branch runs four events in the region, with the next on March 1 at Gerroa and on March 14 at Port Kembla Beach. To register or find out more, visit the DSA website or follow the South Coast branch on Facebook.