Veterans Sea Kayak Resilience Program

Developing Skills On and Off the Water
In 2017, The Coastal Expeditions Foundation created the Veterans Sea Kayak Resiliency Program as a response to the staggering statistic that 22 veterans commit suicide each day. In this ten-week program, participants learn resilience and coping mechanisms by connecting to their environment and each other.
Program graduates are invited to become part of the Coastal Warrior program and participate in ongoing environmental service projects in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. Projects include trail maintenance, beach sweeps, and boardwalk construction.
About the Program
The Veterans Sea Kayak Resilience Training (V-SKRT) is offered to veterans in the Charleston area twice a year. Over the course of this program, participants take part in six full-day expeditions into saltwater and blackwater ecosystems to learn how to sea kayak.
Kayaks are available on Sundays from 3-6 pm at our Shem Creek Campus for participants and their friends and families to enjoy.
Taking the principles of sea kayaking and applying them to interpersonal development skills, this program focuses on PTSD recovery and learning how to help- and be helped- on the water and in life.
Coastal Expeditions owner Chris Crolley is an ACA-trained kayak instructor with 31 years of experience teaching and leading groups in the Lowcountry. He brings a holistic approach to his instruction that combines mindfulness with physical skill development.