Heart of Surfing Creates a Safe Space for Special Needs Families in New Jersey

Heart of Surfing’s mission is to make surfing, roller skating, and skateboarding fun, safe, and accessible for special needs families in South Jersey. What started as a small community for one family grew into a network of thousands of families gathering year-round for activities like skateboarding, roller skating, and surfing.
Cindy and Bob Fertsch created Heart of Surfing in honor of their late son, Jamie.

"His differences became more obvious as he got older," Cindy recalled when talking about her son's ability to make friends. "He didn't have any friends in his life, and it was like 20 years ago. There weren't a lot of services or anything for people with autism." So she created Heart of Surfing.

Heart of Surfing originally started as just a surfing program, though surfing remains its biggest event to this day. Once Cindy and Bob received their 501(c)(3), they expanded the program to include indoor skating events and outdoor skate parks for the off-seasons — but this kind of work is not done alone.

Heart of Surfing runs entirely on volunteer and collaborative work.

"No one is being paid," Cindy said, and it takes a lot of training and mentoring to become a volunteer. New volunteers are partnered with experienced volunteers through a mentorship program, receive one-on-one training, and must fill out a comfortability form. Once a new volunteer feels ready, they can begin helping with the adaptive activities.

For adaptive surfing, there are both land volunteers and water volunteers, along with support from beach lifeguards and beach patrol. Heart of Surfing travels up and down the South Jersey coast, including Atlantic and Cape May counties, choosing a different beach each week to accommodate locals, beach patrol and vacationers. To find out which beach they'll be at, check their website for location, times and any event updates.

"We are not trying to make great surfers — we are trying to give everyone the opportunity to experience the ocean and experience riding the wave in a safe and positive way.

Heart of Surfing makes their program adaptable for people with all kinds of challenges. Surfing is a one-on-one experience, using only soft-top, extra-wide boards, with a volunteer on the back if needed to prevent nose diving. Families travel from all over the New Jersey tri-state area. Participants and vacationers should register online to guarantee a spot. Up to 100 participants can be scheduled from the third week of June through Labor Day, with 15 families arriving every 30 minutes. Pre-registration is required.

Heart of Surfing also offers indoor free sensory roller skating at Young's Skating Rink in Mays Landing, N.J, twice a week year round . This activity is not pre-registration required. The sensory-friendly environment features lower music, limited crowds — open only to families on the spectrum — and no bright lights. Parents and caregivers are welcome on the floor with or without skates, allowing them to stay right alongside and assist their young ones.

"It's a Godsend program," said Jose Santiago, whose 9-year-old son has autism and ADHD.

Santiago has become a regular at Heart of Surfing events, and the indoor roller skating nights at Young's are among his favorites. Unlike the beach, the rink offers shelter from unpredictable weather — and as Jose put it, "It's easier to keep track!"

Rhonda McKinley, who has been attending Heart of Surfing events with her grandson for the past year, agreed. "It's really uplifting and beautiful for children and adults," she said.

Heart of Surfing also has volunteers ready to help families find joy in skateboarding. This activity is not pre-regisation required. Skate events are held on Saturday’s from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the spring at Brigantine Skate Park in South Jersey. Heart of Surfing provides everything participants need — scooters, adaptive boards and knee pads. The only thing families are asked to bring is a helmet, though extras are always on hand for anyone who forgets.

"Helmets are mandatory," Cindy said.

Adaptive skateboarding is Heart of Surfing's fastest-growing free program and calls for volunteers to help balance the participant-to-volunteer ratio. The program is not looking for professional skaters — They need people to help hold a hand, walk alongside, or maybe even spot a participant. For more information on adaptive skating or how to get involved, please check out their website. 

Like all Heart of Surfing events, everything is provided — families only need to show up. The Fertschs have made that a firm commitment, knowing the financial strain many of these families already carry, and families from all across the tri-state area appreciate it. The organization runs entirely on volunteer work and donations that cover the cost of things that directly impact participants, like equipment, programming and insurance.

Those looking to volunteer, attend an event or make a tax-deductible donation can find more information at heartofsurfing.org.  You can contact Heart of Surfing by email Shorelocalcindy@gmail.com 

Thanks for reading the whole story!

At Atlantic City Focus, we're committed to providing a platform where the diverse voices of our community can be heard, respected, and celebrated. As an independent online news platform, we rely on a unique mix of affordable advertising and the support of readers like you to continue delivering quality, community journalism that matters. Please support the businesses and organizations that support us by clicking on their ads. And by making a tax deductible donation today, you become a catalyst for change helping to amplify the authentic voices that might otherwise go unheard. And every contribution is greatly appreciated. Join us in making a difference—one uplifting story at a time!