Save The Waves Coalition has officially opened the Preliminary Application Window for World Surfing Reserves. Preliminary Applications are the first step in the World Surfing Reserve Application Process. Save The Waves invites coastal communities that are interested in becoming a World Surfing Reserve to complete a preliminary application by April 31st, 2026.
Applying to become a World Surfing Reserve may be straightforward, but it requires significant work from local communities desiring their wave or surf zone to be designated and implemented as a WSR site.
Save The Waves will review all Preliminary Applications and invite select applicants to submit a full proposal based on the following criteria:
1) Quality and consistency of the wave(s);
2) Important environmental characteristics;
3) Culture and surf history;
4) Governance capacity and local support;
5) Priority Conservation Area
Sites are evaluated on a combination of the criteria above, so in certain instances, areas that score very high in one category and lower in another might still qualify and be accepted. Conversely, sites that score extremely low on one of the criteria might not be accepted despite ranking high on others. Additionally, applications for sites that don’t provide sufficient documentation or evidence regarding the various criteria might be delayed or asked to resubmit an application at a future time.
World Surfing Reserves serves as a model standard for preserving wave breaks and their surrounding areas by recognizing and protecting key environmental, cultural and economic attributes in coastal communities. Save The Waves’ flagship program proactively identifies, designates and preserves outstanding waves, surf zones and their surrounding environments around the world. WSRs represent a global network of designated surfing reserves that are managed, implemented, and protected by local communities.
There 13 WSR sites to date operating under LSC management in Australia, Brazil, California, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. The newest WSR Puerto Escondido, Mexico will be dedicated in 2026.
For more information about the World Surfing Reserve Application process or to submit a preliminary application, go to www.savethewaves.org/wsr-process/
