Veterans Ride Waves at Virginia Beach Surf Lessons
Wave Warriors gave veterans with service-related injuries surf lessons at Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Surfing
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Veterans living with military service-related injuries received surf lessons at Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach on Wednesday. The program, Wave Warriors, provides surf instruction to veterans who have suffered physical or mental setbacks from their service.
Why it matters
The lessons offer veterans a therapeutic outlet for exercise and camaraderie, with water activity used as a stated tool in the program's approach. For Virginia Beach residents, the event highlights a local option for veteran wellness and community support.
The source describes a single Wednesday session with veterans and members and staff of ADS Inc., but gives no attendance figures or program totals. Whether the program will run on a regular schedule has not been reported.
The players
Wave Warriors
Wave Warriors is a program that provides surf lessons to military veterans living with service-related injuries.
ADS Inc.
ADS Inc. is a company whose members and staff worked with the veterans during the surf lessons.
Chris Jimenez
Chris Jimenez is a U.S. Navy veteran who participated in the surf lessons.
Tom Fortune
Tom Fortune is the marketing director of ADS Inc., which took part in the event.
The details
Wave Warriors paired veterans living with service-related injuries with instructors and volunteers from ADS Inc. at Atlantic Park Surf. Marketing director Tom Fortune of ADS Inc. was among those involved, and Chris Jimenez, a U.S. Navy veteran, took part in the lessons.
Timeline
Wednesday, November 11, 2026: Veterans received surf lessons at Atlantic Park Surf in Virginia Beach.
Season Trajectory
Water-based therapy programs for injured veterans have grown alongside adaptive sports initiatives that use recreation as part of recovery. The Wave Warriors lessons in Virginia Beach place a surf-based veteran program within that broader movement.
Veterans with service-related injuries now have a local surf option through Wave Warriors at Atlantic Park Surf. Anyone interested in joining or volunteering would need to contact the program directly, as the source did not list sign-up details.
The takeaway
Water-based activity can serve as a practical form of exercise and camaraderie for veterans recovering from service-related injuries. Programs like Wave Warriors show how community partners can open that option to people who might otherwise not have access to it.
Further reading
For more on the sport at the center of this event, see Surfing coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WAVY-TV 10 Hampton Roads.
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