OUR PROGRAMS
We Surf Ecosystems.
We believe that legally protected areas, effective stewardship and a mobilized constituency result in healthy and protected surf ecosystems.
Protected Areas
We protect surf ecosystems by creating protected areas in high priority coastal ecosystems that overlap with high quality surf.
WORLD SURFING RESERVES
SURF PROTECTED AREA NETWORKS
Program Highlight:
THE AZORES, PORTUGAL
Save The Waves launched a new initiative for creating SPANs in the Azores through the Blue Azores program with Waitt Foundation.
Ongoing Campaigns
International campaigns to preserve and defend threatened waves and valuable surf ecosystems – from Mexico to The Maldives.
Save The Waves App
Recent News in Programs
Understanding changes to surf ecosystems in the era of climate change
Dr. Dan Reineman of California State University Channel Islands teams up with Save The Waves and World Surfing Reserves to understand specific impacts of climate change on world class waves.
New Study: “The surf ecosystem as an emerging framework for managing coastal and marine resources”
We’re excited to announce that the Nature Journal of Ocean Sustainability has just published our new paper, “The Surf Ecosystem as an Emerging Framework for Managing Coastal and Marine Resources.”
World Surfing Reserves: Stewardship Stories – August 2026
In this August report of World Surfing Reserves, we’re looking at the progress of 4 individual WSR locations: Punta de Lobos, Gold Coast, North Devon, and Guarda do Embaú.
From Resistance to Science: Protecting the Waves of Puerto Escondido
How can we understand what’s happening to the wave in Zicatela beyond observed changes by surfers and the community? Conducting the first high-resolution bathymetric and photogrammetric survey of the beaches of Bahía Principal, Marinero, and Zicatela. Article by Almendra Gomezleyva, in English and Spanish.
Summer Update: Santa Cruz World Surfing Reserve
As the season evolves, so does the coastline. Here is the latest on what’s happening along the Santa Cruz coastline and how you can take action to look after this epic surf ecosystem.
Behind the Scenes: Advocating for ‘State Surfing Reserves’ in California
How Save The Waves has been working hand-in-hand with Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, D-Thousand Oaks, to introduce and pass a bill that would help establish ‘Surfing Reserves’ along the California coastline.
Puerto Escondido, Mexico dedicated as the 14th World Surfing Reserve
The designation of Puerto Escondido as a World Surfing Reserve (WSR) is the result of years of community effort to protect its waves, ecosystems, and ocean culture.
Attention Californians: What You Need to Know for Next Phase of Oil Drilling on Our Coastline
A new public comment period for the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement is open through March 30th, 2026. We’re encouraging all coastal stakeholders to submit comments and make their voices heard!
Gold Coast x Huanchaco: East Coast Activation Tour (ECAT) 2026
The ECAT tour served as a living embodiment of the World Surfing Reserve network’s mission: to connect surf communities across borders, celebrate the cultural heritage of wave-riding, and reinforce the case for coastal protection.
