Is There a Doctor on Board?

SurfAid International, a volunteer group of surfing doctors established by NZ physician Dave Jenkins, was the first medical team on hand in the wake of the Indonesian earthquake. Jenkins founded SurfAid in Nias 6 years ago while on a luxurious surf break from his job as a corporate doctor. “It looked like paradise, then you go on shore and it all changes,” says Jenkins. “I was optimistic. I thought if (surfers) are coming here in big numbers, maybe there’s a way of coming and creating something unique and leaving a legacy by the surfing world.” SurfAid also played a major role in the tsunami aftermath, treating an estimated 70,000 survivors.