WAVES Project has been training in the Southern California since 2011. We became a 501(c )3 nonprofit in 2013. In the beginning, training veterans across the country wasn’t really a thought. Being in Southern California, we had a veteran rich community to train. As we began to develop an internet presence with our website and…

JD Chiniaeff grew up on the water, going to the beach or water skiing on the rivers and lakes. “I never knew my dad had gotten certified as a diver in the sixties until I was in my early twenties. He kept asking me when I was going to get certified and I kept saying…

Dave Fitzgerald began his diving career with WAVES Project in 2018, his chosen dive buddy was his son Alex.  After his Open Water Certification, he began volunteering and continuing his dive training. Dave has worked his way up to the level of Dive Master, helping train other Veterans and leading fun dives to keep them…

Occupational Therapists incorporate deep breathing exercises to help promote relaxation and coping techniques to help assist with keeping you centered and focused. Deep breathing is a great mindfulness technique to help with reducing stress and feelings of anxiety. OT’s can use these tools to help assist with self-regulation and resetting your fight or flight response,…

WAVES Project Palmdale serves veterans with disabilities in LA County led by Instructor Jeff Carlon. Jeff is a U.S. Navy Veteran, served with the US Forest Service from 1993 to 2001 then moved to the Burbank Fire Department in 2001 where he is serving as a Fire Captain. Jeff is the Medical Unit Leader for…

After seeing our Social Media post about our accomplishments in 2021, U.S. Marine Corps veteran and WAVES Project diver, Rafael Monroy contacted WAVES Project to share his feelings and the impact of our program on his life. “I was compelled to share my truth about the chart that showed 392 veterans lives that were positively…