
Global Wave Conference
Santa Cruz, California – 2018
2018 | 5th Iteration
The Global Wave Conference brings together the best international minds from the surfing, conservation and innovation communities to tackle the world’s most challenging ocean issues.
For three days in the heart of Santa Cruz, CA, Save The Waves Coalition and the Surfrider Foundation hosted the unforgettable 5th Global Wave Conference, bringing together the best international minds from the surfing, conservation, and innovation communities in an inspiring call to tackle the world’s most challenging ocean issues.
The conference united experts and leaders from more than 14 different countries with over 70 speakers, arriving from over 100 different organizations to form an audience of over 300 surfers, scientists, and activists. Attendees left the conference with a stronger, more solidified connection among the surfing and environmental communities after sharing their challenges, successes and lessons learned in the field of conservation.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
CHRIS MALLOY, FILMMAKER
GREG LONG, BIG WAVE CHAMP
GUY KAWASAKI, SOCIAL MEDIA GURU
LIZ CLARK, PATAGONIA AMBASSADOR
RODRIGO FARIAS MORENO, FILMMAKER & PARLEY ACTIVIST
DR. SERGE DEDINA, WILDCOAST & MAYOR
DR. SYLVIA EARLE, MARINE BIOLOGIST
DR. GARY GRIGGS, UCSC EARTH SCIENCES
GREG MACGILLIVRAY, IMAX FILMMAKER
JULIE PACKARD, MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM
DR. M. SANJAYAN, CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
SACHI CUNNINGHAM, FILMMAKER
SHAUN TOMSON, WORLD SURFING CHAMPION
DR. WALLACE J. NICHOLS, BLUE MIND
AGENDA
Land to sea connection
PROTECTED AREAS
Climate change + Innovation
CONFERENCE ORGANIZERS


The Complete
resource guide
The Global Wave Conference Resource Guide contains all of the presentations from the three conference days as well as videos from each session.
GOALS
Unite the surf, conservation and technology/innovation communities, and mainstream surfing into the marine conservation conversation.
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Raise awareness and share best practices from across the world to address ocean plastics, water quality, coastal development, and climate change / sea level rise.
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Create new working connections between diverse geographies and communities
DELIVERABLES
Declaration by leading surf brands to reduce plastic packaging waste
–Release of 5 Gyres Institute’s BAN List 2.0
–New partnership to support World Surfing Reserves
–New collaborative paper for the IUCN launched on legal tools for protected surfing areas
–New App mobilizing surfers to gather data on coastal issues unveiled
–New Surfing Protected Areas to be established in Chile, Malibu and Point Conception, CA
–Activist toolkit for surfers and scientists launched by Patagonia
–New International Association of Surf Academics formed
–New carbon offset programs announced
–STOKE sustainability certification for the conference achieved
All speaker presentations are linked below – just click on the text to view the PDF file. Please note that if the page is blank or contains a black box, that speaker most likely included a video, which were not transferred to these online files. If the slides from that speaker’s slot are empty or missing, that speaker only gave a verbal presentation of their subject without using Powerpoint.
Monday: Land to Sea Connection
WEDNESDAY: CLIMATE CHANGE + INNOVATION
Keynote: Julie Packard, CEO Monterey Bay Aquarium & Dr. Gary Griggs, UCSC Earth Sciences
Session 1: Climate and Sustainability in the Surf Industry
Session 2: Climate Mitigation: Surfers as Climate Canaries
Keynote: Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, Blue Mind
Workshop 1: Technology for Change
Workshop 2: Activist Tools for Scientists and Surfers – presented by Patagonia