our programs
We Protect Steward Defend 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

Application Window For ‘World Surfing Reserves’ Opens!
The search for the next World Surfing Reserve begins! Save The Waves has once again opened the application window and started the process to select the 13th WSR.

Meet The Coalition: Uriel Camacho – The Campaign to Protect Punta Conejo
“I am very concerned about the threat of destruction of our Punta Conejo….we love this place with all our hearts.”

Our Top Ten Moments of 2022
We’re looking back on our Top Ten Moments – across the globe, through local and global projects, we’re preserving surf ecosystems and protecting the places we love.

World Surfing Reserves at Work: Local Passion, Real Results in 2022
What does change look like at the ground level? As 2022 comes to a close, we look back at the progress of 3 individual World Surfing Reserves in different countries and in different stages of their work.

On The Ground Update: North Devon WSR
Since the announcement of North Devon U.K. as the next World Surfing Reserve in April of 2022, the Local Stewardship Council has been hard at work developing its unique stewardship plan, responding to urgent threats to the surf ecosystem, hosting events, and preparing for their dedication in 2023. Building a Strong Team A key element

BREAKING: Massive Oil Spill in Salina Cruz Devastates Punta Conejo and Surrounding Coastlines
In an ecological disaster, on Sunday, October 23, fishermen, surfers, and conservation groups denounced the presence of oil and hydrocarbons on different beaches near the Port of Salina Cruz, Oaxaca.

Santa Cruz WSR: Update on the Opal Cliffs Project
Save The Waves and the World Surfing Reserve believe that a different approach should be considered in order to protect surf resources.

Major progress in SPANs project to protect Azorean waves
As Save The Waves launches its second phase of work in the Azores, awareness efforts make a significant impact for preservation of surf ecosystems in this unique archipelago.

Representing Surf Breaks at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal
Save The Waves attended the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal which brought together governments, NGO’s, and political leaders to discuss the current state of the oceans and work on solutions to the multiple crises we face.