Through our Surfonomics research, we determine the economic value of a wave. At Save The Waves, we have continued to develop and combine Surfonomics with climate change vulnerability and community resilience.
“Surfonomics” aims to document surfing’s financial contributions to local and regional economies.
Through Surfonomics research, we determine the economic value of a wave and surf breaks to local communities to help decision makers make better choices to protect their coastal resources and waves.
As long as the environment is protected, a surf break is a completely renewable resource, and the economic contribution that a wave bestows is integral in the understanding of coastal economies.
Our Surfonomics Research
At Save The Waves, we‘ve completed over 12 Surfonomics Studies around the world, asking ourselves and stakeholders “How do you put a value on a wave?“
Typically, we use Surfonomics to get a seat at the table to guide informed decisions that ultimately protect surf breaks and promote intact surf ecosystems.
A few of our Surfonomics results include:
Lobitos, Peru: US $3.6 million annually (2020)
Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica: US $14.3 million annually (2021)
Uluwatu, Bali: US $35 million annually (2014)
Santa Cruz, California: US $194.7 million annually (2025)
Next, we asked: “How is that value threatened by climate change?"
In 2025, we published a first-of-its-kind study: “Climate Vulnerability Of California’s Natural Surfing Capital”. This groundbreaking report combines an analysis of Surfonomics, surf break vulnerability to sea level rise, and accessibility barriers to determine the value and natural capital of surfing in Santa Cruz.
The Surfonomics analysis estimated that surfing has an economic value of at least $194.7 million per year in Santa Cruz, CA with over 783,000 surf visits annually.
“We now understand at a granular scale how a local economy is bolstered by the sport of surfing. At Save The Waves, we knew we needed more than Surfonomics. So we studied how that economic value is threatened by climate change through the loss of surf breaks to sea level rise,” said Trent Hodges, lead of the study for Save The Waves Coalition.
Studying 31 surf breaks, the report identified the degree to which Santa Cruz surf breaks will be impacted by rising seas – referred to as ‘surf break vulnerability’.
The data and analysis revealed that all 31 surf breaks evaluated will see a decrease in surfable conditions at 1 foot of sea level rise. Even more alarming, at 3 feet of sea level rise more than half of all the surf breaks will be significantly diminished or lost completely, assuming no adaptation measures are taken.
The result: an understanding of the economic contributions of surf to Santa Cruz and the potential losses due to damaged and lost surf breaks.
Now, we want to find new solutions and solve a new question: “How do you safeguard that value and protect the surf ecosystem and the community?"
Introducing “Surf Ecosystem Insurance” to safeguard both the surf ecosystem and the livelihoods of the local community.
Using the economic value of surf breaks as a driver, Surf Ecosystem Insurance is a financial tool that protects surf ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them from climate-fueled extreme weather events.
When an extreme weather event like a destructive storm disrupts the surf economy, the surf break or its surrounding ecosystem, Surf Ecosystem Insurance releases rapid funding for recovery, response and restoration, helping both the ecosystem and local economies recover faster.
Surf Ecosystem Insurance can help provide rapid access to funds so local businesses can stabilize quickly and critical ecosystem restoration and community-wide resilience-building can follow before damages get worse.
Surf Ecosystem Insurance is a progression from our organization’s long-standing history with “Surfonomics”, our belief in the community’s role in the “surf ecosystem”, and connects conservation science with financial resilience.
Read more about Surf Insurance here.
