What Ocean Heroes does

Ocean Heroes is an Australian non-profit charity founded in 2016 by Sam Moyle, Luke Hallam, and Tom Johnston, headquartered in Perth, Western Australia. The organization delivers free surf therapy experiences for autistic individuals and their families, operating 50+ free events annually across beaches in Western Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland, with announced expansion into South Australia and Victoria. Sessions are fully equipped with wetsuits, surfboards, life jackets, and trained coaches, accommodating up to 120 participants per event. Since 2016, the organization reports 12,000+ cumulative participants served and 1,156 active volunteers, making it 99.995% volunteer-run.

The organization operates a dual program model. The free-events program is funded by donations, corporate sponsorships (including Telethon, Toybox Australia, Mineral Resources, and Mainfreight), and the annual Revo Fitness 24hr Swim relay fundraiser, which raised $200,000 in 2025. The second arm is an NDIS-funded Surf Experiences program offering 60-minute 1:1 tailored sessions at $110 per session in Perth and Geraldton, billable under NDIS community participation categories. A Shopify e-commerce storefront sells branded apparel and accessories, including co-branded products with surf brand Rusty. Operational infrastructure relies on Rosterfy for volunteer management and Humanitix for event registration. The organization is governed by a board chaired by Tim Dettman with CEO Sam Birmingham and a small paid staff complement of 14, supplemented by the volunteer base, with reported impact metrics of 1,600 participants and 1,200 volunteers engaged in 2025.

Name

Ocean Heroes

Legal name

Ocean Heroes

Website

https://oceanheroes.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Surf Schools & Surf Camps (THAAAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Surfing & Kitesurfing Experiences (Lessons, Camps) (THAJAJAJ), Open Water Swimming Events (OWS Races, Swim Challenges) (MPAKAIAF)

Keywords

• Surf therapy
• Autism support
• NDIS services
• Adaptive recreation
• Disability programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. NDIS-Funded Surf Experiences: Paid Surf Experience sessions at $110 per session for neurodivergent people, funded through NDIS plans under community participation and social interaction categories. Self-managed or plan-managed participants can access funding.
2. Donations: One-off donations accepted through GiveNow platform. Corporate sponsorships and partnerships provide financial support for free events.
3. Merchandise Sales: Online shop selling branded apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, caps, and accessories. Revenue supports free event programs.
4. 24hr Swim Fundraising Events: Annual 24hr Swim event where teams of 12-20 swim relay-style to raise funds. The 2025 WA event raised $200,000 for the free events program. Primary fundraiser since 2021.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Ocean Heroes is a nonprofit that delivers free, fully equipped surf therapy experiences for autistic individuals and their families across Australia. Its core offerings include the Free Events Program (community beach events for up to 120 participants), the NDIS-funded Surf Experiences Program (1:1 tailored 60-minute sessions at $110 per session in Perth and Geraldton), the annual 24hr Swim relay fundraiser, and a branded merchandise e-commerce shop. All programs are staffed by trained volunteer surf coaches certified in autism awareness, first aid, and water safety.

Product overview

Ocean Heroes is a not-for-profit charity organization offering a dual offering: (1) Core programs including Free Events providing up to 120 autistic participants per event with free surf experiences, and a Surf Experiences Program offering NDIS-funded 1:1 tailored surf sessions in Perth and Geraldton; and (2) A merchandise e-commerce shop selling branded clothing (t-shirts, hoodies, jumpers), headwear (caps, beanies, bucket hats), and accessories (socks, towels, candles, keep cups), including collaborative items with partners like Rusty, Bundu, Street X, and Daisies. The merchandise shop runs on Shopify e-commerce platform and supports the organization's mission of providing free surf therapy to the autism community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Surf Experiences Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ people with ASD have surfed with Ocean Heroes since 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Toybox AustraliacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPerth, NSW & QLD Naming Rights Sponsor for Ocean Heroes events. Supports the neurodiverse community's access to the ocean.
• RosterfycoreTechnology or IntegrationVolunteer management platform partner. Rosterfy streamlines volunteer management, communication, and rewards for Ocean Heroes volunteers.
• RustycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurf brand collaboration on merchandise (Rusty x Ocean Heroes collab tees, hooded towels, Harlow T-Shirt designed by participant Harlow age 9). Multiple co-branded products.
• Let's Go SurfingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeach partner providing surf school services at Bondi for Ocean Heroes events.
• Manly Surf SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeach partner providing surf school services at Manly for Ocean Heroes events.
• Go Surf PerthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeach partner operated by co-founder Tom Johnston, providing surf school services in Perth.
• Surf Easy CurrumbinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeach partner at Currumbin providing equipment and surf instruction support.
• MainfreightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent sponsor supporting Ocean Heroes events.
• Autism Association of Western AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides autism awareness training for Ocean Heroes coaches. Ensures proper understanding of autism for effective surf therapy delivery.
• Revo FitnesscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNaming sponsor for the 24hr Swim for Ocean Heroes event. Teams of 12-20 swim relay to raise funds.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Surfers Healing: US-based nonprofit running free surf therapy camps specifically for autistic children and their families. Highly comparable mission, free-event model, and beneficiary population, providing the closest international analogue to Ocean Heroes.
• Best Day Foundation: US nonprofit providing free surf and outdoor experiences for children and adults with special needs. Directly comparable free-event model, volunteer-driven delivery, and special-needs beneficiary base.
• Life Rolls On: US adaptive surfing nonprofit serving people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities. Comparable adaptive surf-event model, volunteer infrastructure, and beneficiary-franchise community positioning.
• Waves of Wellness Foundation: Australian nonprofit using surf therapy to support mental health. Comparable surf-therapy-as-clinical-intervention thesis, volunteer-coach model, and Australian footprint, but broader mental-health focus rather than autism-specific.
• Disabled Surfers Association: Australian volunteer-run nonprofit running free adaptive surfing events across multiple states. Comparable volunteer-driven model, beach-based delivery, and inclusive participant base.

Emerging players

• Groundswell Community Surf Project: US nonprofit surf therapy organization working with at-risk youth and vulnerable populations. Comparable therapeutic-surf model and volunteer network, but broader youth focus rather than autism-specific.
• Challenge Athletes Foundation: US nonprofit funding adaptive sports including surfing for athletes with physical disabilities. Comparable donor-funded adaptive-sports model but physical-disability focus rather than autism-specific.

Regional players

• Let's Go Surfing: Commercial surf school at Bondi Beach providing Ocean Heroes' beach operations. Comparable surf-instruction offering to neurodivergent participants but operates as a paid commercial surf school rather than a non-profit.

Broad incumbents

• Autism Association of Western Australia: Largest autism-specific organization in Western Australia. Ocean Heroes' strategic training partner; comparable beneficiary focus but much broader service portfolio (diagnosis, therapy, advocacy) and a much larger institutional footprint.
• Surf Life Saving Australia: National volunteer-based ocean safety organization. Ocean Heroes' coaches carry Surf Rescue certifications and share the volunteer-pool DNA; comparable volunteer infrastructure but commercial beach-safety mandate rather than therapeutic-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OceanHeroes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocean-heroes
• Instagraminstagram.com/oceanheroes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ocean Heroes