Spending time out on the water, casting and reeling a line and chatting with friends are all parts of what can make fishing a very therapeutic sport. The Calm Seas Project looks to provide that form of therapy for veterans and first responders.
The Calm Seas Project is a nonprofit organization founded by a group of alumni from The University of Alabama that uses fishing retreats as a means of healing for veterans and first responders. Ryan Gunning, the president and founder of The Calm Seas Project, is a graduate of the class of 2025 and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
“Fishing is a great way to bring everybody back together and get those natural conversations going,” Gunning said. “We were thinking … wouldn’t this be great for every veteran to have this kind of opportunity?”
The Calm Seas Project was founded in 2025 and, while based out of Tuscaloosa, brings in applicants from across the country. Veterans and first responders can apply to a waitlist for coastal fishing trips with all expenses covered, from flights and charters to food and lodging. It is a grassroots effort with fundraising coming from numerous small donors.
Gunning had experience working with The University of Alabama Student Veterans Association and decided to continue his work with veterans after college. In recent years, the need for this work has become more apparent.
“Our country was in Iraq and Afghanistan for 20 years. With that gone, we’re seeing a huge upsurge in, unfortunately, veteran suicide and veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder,” Gunning said.
The veteran suicide rate consistently outpaces that of the general population. The Calm Seas Project focuses on wellness outside of the fishing trips as well, partnering with programs to provide sauna therapy, breath exercises and sound bath meditation among many other practices.
“We’re not mental health professionals, and we don’t try to be. But there are things that we can introduce these veterans to,” Gunning said. “Those are tools that veterans can take home with them.”
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and anxiety is very common amongst veterans. Along with this, veterans often face financial difficulties and cultural adjustments when seeking employment. This can make the adjustment to civilian life challenging.
“You get out and you don’t necessarily leave all the experiences that you had in the military behind,” Gunning said.
Beyond the week-long retreats, The Calm Seas Project continues its mission through consistent communication, with many group chats remaining active for months after trips.
Gunning said the sense of camaraderie from serving is often lost back home. The Calm Seas Project allows veterans to plan reunions or to make new connections with other veterans.
“A veteran serves, you know, could be 20 years and is always around other service members,” Gunning said. “It is huge for the veterans and first responders to be able to stay in contact.”
The Calm Seas Project is veteran-founded but has a large number of volunteers. Gunning said the goal is to grow and create more partnerships to promote the cause.
“If a veteran identifies ‘I’ve been struggling with this,’ we can get them set up with organizations that can take the veterans in way faster than the Veteran Affairs is able to do,” Gunning said. “We get them together and allow that conversation to start happening.”
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