Responsible Surfing

There is a misconception that surfing is a nature loving, eco-friendly past time. Although surfers are nature lovers and have a great appreciation for the beaches and our ocean’s; the sport does have a negative impact on the environment.

The first environmental problem with surfing is the equipment. Surfboards are made of polymers; wetsuits are made of oil. Lacey Nakaguma points out, in a recent University of Southern California study of petrol use among the wider US population that; ‘even the wax that surfers use to add grip to their surfboard is made from petroleum.’ These toxic materials all have an impact on our environmental welfare.

Surfing has become increasingly popular in recent years and is now a multi-billion dollar industry that reaches across the globe. Obviously, a huge part of the surfing industry is connected to travel. Surfer’s are among the guiltiest for flying regularly across the world, purely for short trips to the biggest waves or driving hours just to find that one spot with perfect tide and weather conditions. Needless to say, the surfers are treading heavily on their carbon footprint.

The catch 22 is that surfers are some of the most effected by the damage to our environment. It is the surfer’s that are first to notice changes to our oceans; reefs dying and new offshore industries that affect the waves hitting our shores. Likewise, it’s surfers who are the first to get sick from the sewage and industrial pollutants, polluting our waters.

Fortunately most surfers are aware of the paradox of their sport and are making the necessary changes to ride greener waves. The surfing community has a huge array of charities and companies based on protecting the environment and changing their sport to accommodate an eco-friendly lifestyle.

Surfer’s Path Magazine hosts the Surfer’s Path Green Wave Awards every year to award the surfers, companies and organisations contributing to help environmental causes. The magazine itself is a 100% "green" magazine, printed on 100-percent recycled paper with non-GMO soy inks.

Companies catering to eco-friendly surfing equipment are becoming increasingly popular and are a great way to start enjoying the sport more responsibly. The Green Wave Awards give awards to eco friendly surfboard manufacturers and surf accessory companies for products with low impact such as organic wax and organic clothing.

There are several things surfers can do while travelling to help conserve our environment. Try and surf within your local area (or country) and resist frequent flying to enjoy a surfing holiday. Car pooling and sharing lifts is another great way to save on fuel and emissions (not too mention a good way to save if you split the fuel price). While surfing also look out for the companies that are striving to be eco-friendly. Many surf tours are designed for responsible travel such as the Global Boarder Surf School who offset all their carbon emissions using the company CO2 Balance.

Finally, if you are a surfer or sea lover who is increasingly concerned about the environmental impact cultural change is having on the sea, look into the surfing charities to see how you can help. Save Our Waves is an American company dedicated to preserving surf spots around the globe and SAS (Surfers Against Sewage) is a UK based organisation, dedicated to cleaning up the ocean. SAS has had many successful campaigns and is largely responsible for raw sewage no longer being discharged along our coasts and into our sea’s. There are a multitude of other charities and events days throughout the year if you want to start contributing to surf communities causes.

http://www.responsibletravelnews.com/articles/2009-09-07-018-green-waves.htm