The Cost of Surfing
By Anthony R. Wilbur, CZM


Most think of surfing as low-impact recreation. While in many aspects surfing is low impact, resources required to enjoy waves are far from green. Surfboards are constructed of toxic, petroleum-based compounds, wetsuits are made of neoprene (another petroleum product), and transportation releases greenhouse gases but is a necessary evil to get to the waves. There is a movement to lessen the footprint of surfing on the environment. Until there are practical sustainable manufacturing practices, remember the 3Rs:

• Reduce: Maximize the life of non-renewable resources. Take care of your equipment. You don’t need a new surfboard or wetsuit every year. Buy a used board. Walk, bike, or share a ride to the beach.
  
  
• Reuse: Give old equipment to a friend or repair the ding in your board before trashing it and heading out to buy a new one.
  
  
• Recycle: Hmm, this is difficult when it comes to surfing equipment. Make your old board into art, a table, signpost, or mailbox. Use your imagination to send fewer boards to the landfill. Finding a way to recycle surfboards and wetsuits would be a great step toward reducing the impact associated with surfing.

These may seem like simple ideas, but making individual efforts to lessen your footprint on the coastal environment will help to save resources as the surfing industry works toward sustainability.