Volunteers and surfers pack Ocean Grove for DSA 2023 finale

THE Disabled Surfers Assocation (DSA) Ocean Grove have run another successful event to round out their 2023 calendar, with over 150 volunteers turning up to help put smiles on participants dials.

Held at Ocean Grove Beach on Sunday (March 5), more than 70 surfers with varying disability were treated to four hours of surfing in the sun, making it one of the biggest DSA events in Victoria since before the pandemic.

Disabled Surfing Association National Secretary Phil Christie said he was thrilled to see so many new faces supporting the event.

“It was a beautiful day to be on the beach and volunteering, that’s for sure,” Christie said.

“To have between 70 and 80 participants was a fantastic result and up from our first one in February when the weather wasn’t great.

“The volunteers were absolutely epic and stuck around to take the surfers out for a wave even if they were running late.

“The Rotary Club of Ocean Grove put on a cracking BBQ as well and kept the volunteers happy on the sand, making it an all-round fantastic day!”

Christie said that the goal for 2024 will be trying to engage more volunteers to grow the program further.

“We just want more volunteers and surfers to come down,” he said.

“Now that COVID is in the background, we hope people will come out of the woodwork to pump our volunteer numbers up.”

The DSA Ocean Grove thank all the volunteers and surfers for helping to facilitate the program this year and look forward to a bigger and better 2024.

For more, visit www.disabledsurfers.org/vic-ocean-grove