Nick Knowles

Nick Knowles is a PhD researcher at the University of Exeter whose work explores how and why people engage with support for their mental health. Much of his research is focused on surf therapy, in partnership with Surfwell, a community interest company focused on helping emergency service workers. In 2026 he published a synthesis bringing together the evidence on how surf therapy supports mental health and wellbeing, including how an active, informal setting can reach people whom conventional services often miss. His wider interest lies in finding credible, evidence-based ways to engage those who would not otherwise come forward.