Phone: 303.945.2490 Fax: 866.592.6911 Email: [email protected]
621 Kalamath St. Ste 175, Denver, CO 80204
Adventure is calling! First Descents’ 2026 Core Program Registration opens on Monday, February 2, at 11 AM MST.
Get started today by browsing the amazing destinations we have planned and start thinking about which program you’d like to join. Then be sure to log in to the FD Portal on February 2 to submit your choices! Don’t have a login yet? Submit an inquiry form HERE.
All programs are FREE and include lodging in a spectacular location, plus gear, pro-guided instruction, chef-prepared meals, and time to kick back with fellow members of our incredible FD community.
JOIN US FOR A 2026 HEALING ADVENTURE!
Registration opens February 2026 to surf in Santa Cruz. The First Descents community will be notified via email. To join the FD community and receive updates when Programs are open for registration, sign up here!
Ride the world-famous waves of Santa Cruz, California, on this weeklong surfing adventure with your First Descents community! With a coastline that is also part marine sanctuary, Santa Cruz offers sunny beach days and pristine wilderness that is perfect for catching waves with the incredible guides at Richard Schmidt Surf School.
We’re taking this program old school this year in a way that harks back to First Descents’ early days, when weeklongs were more rustic and intimately connected to the #OutLivingIt ethos. Sleeping quarters in Santa Cruz will be in canvas tents, in small meadows nestled up against an old-growth redwood forest on 22 acres. Your sleeping quarters will be made even cozier with cushy pads atop cots, and the natural harmony extends to an open-air kitchen, where our professional chefs will whip up healthy and hearty fare for each meal.
There will be three separate weeks of Oncology Santa Cruz Surfing programs in 2026.
WHERE: Santa Cruz, CA
WHAT: Surfing
WHEN: September 28 – October 3, 2026 | October 5 – 10, 2026 | October 12 – 17, 2026
COST: Free!
FOOD: Professional chef-prepared meals
AIRPORT: San Francisco (SFO)
TRAVEL: Participants are responsible for getting to/from the program. Travel scholarships are available through the registration form.
HEALTH & SAFETY: All Participants are required to fill out a registration form. FD will select participants based on available space on the program. Once selected, participants may be required to get a medical form from their Doctor. FD strongly recommends that all Participants are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Read more here.
