- Camp Waves is a summer surf camp held in Port Aransas for campers with Autism and their families.
- Campers are taught how to surf and to enhance social skills by volunteers for two days.
- Campers came from places as far as California to participate in Camp Waves 2024.
Every year, a group from North Texas called Autism Adventures come to Port Aransas and host a surf camp for students with autism and their families. This year, capers ranged from ages 5 to 18. Camp Waves not only teaches skills on the surfboard, but there is also an entire social skills curriculum that students work on with their volunteer mentors, related to communication and peer relations skills. High school and college students from North Texas volunteer to help with camp. “We started coming down to the beach to basically be able to expose kids to the sensory experience, the confidence building, the lots of different things that they can get from coming down and surfing," Lisa Whipple, Co-Organizer of Camp Waves said.
Camp Waves has been hosting camp in Port Aransas since 2009. One of the original campers who had an idea and a passion for surfing, Spencer Roberson, co-founded the surf camp.
“And so we decided, let’s start a surf camp, you know. But you know, like I said, Camp Waves is my life, and I love it so much. I just want to keep doing it," Roberson said.
Eight campers and their families participated in Camp Waves 2024. One camper's family traveled all the way from Camarillo, California, to Port Aransas just to participate in camp and meet new people.
“To meet other families who have the same, different challenges that everybody faces with children on the spectrum. And being able to share our stories and hear how different it is from state to state. The support that they get here versus the support we get in California. And just seeing how the kids can come together and learn to be friends through surfing. It's great," Vanessa Montoya, the parent of a camper, said.
Camp Waves was not able to take place for a few years due to Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. The crew was happy to be back into the annual routine.
Some former campers, like Will Gibson, decided to return as volunteer mentors for campers this year.
“We sort of, like, do your jobs. Like guide her through social skills, and teach her how to surf, build sand castles, and then we also do arts and crafts, and you know, learn how to use our skills in the real world," Gibson said.
After the campers had worked up an appetite from surfing, a lunch reception and award ceremony were held for them, their families, and volunteers at Dancing Dunes cabins in Port Aransas.
"This is my twelfth camp. I haven't missed one yet. Our plan is to be back next year," Whipple said.
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