The Surfrider Foundation South Bay
We are a community of Happy Warriors who passionately protect our playground - the ocean, waves, beaches and waterways that provide us with so much enjoyment.
Meet the South Bay Surfriders
Welcome to the Surfrider Foundation South Bay, an environmental non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of our ocean, waves, and beaches in Los Angeles' South Bay. Our mission is to ensure that our local coastlines remain clean, healthy, and accessible for everyone to enjoy for generations to come.
Founded in 1984, the Surfrider Foundation is a volunteer-driven organization that has been making a positive impact on our local environment for over 30 years. We work closely with local communities, businesses, and government agencies to promote environmental awareness, provide education, and take action to address the challenges facing our coastal environment.
Our organization is involved in a variety of programs and initiatives that aim to protect and enhance the health of our oceans and beaches. One of our primary focuses is on beach cleanups. We organize regular beach cleanup events throughout the year, where volunteers come together to remove trash and debris from our local beaches and waterways.
In addition to our cleanup efforts, we also have several other programs that help to promote sustainability and protect our local environment. Our Ocean Friendly Restaurants program encourages local restaurants to adopt environmentally sustainable practices, while our Rise Above Plastics program aims to reduce the use of single-use plastics and promote alternatives. We also have a Blue Water Task Force program that tests water quality at local beaches and works to identify and address pollution sources.
At Surfrider Foundation South Bay, we believe that everyone has a role to play in protecting our environment. Whether you are a surfer, swimmer, beachgoer, or simply someone who cares about the health of our planet, we welcome you to join us in our efforts to make a positive impact on our local coastlines. Together, we can create a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable future for our ocean, waves, and beaches.
100% Protection of Our Coastlines
Our model is to excite and engage volunteers with environmental experts to create solutions, unite local and national resources to protect the coast, and leverage our local chapter network’s knowledge with a national perspective.
Our ocean, waves and beaches are everything. Let’s save them.
Our Passion: Community
Our model is to engage environmental experts with community members to create solutions, unite local and national resources to protect the coast, and leverage our local knowledge with a national perspective.
Our Core Values
The Surfrider Foundation believes that getting outside and engaging with the natural world, especially the ocean, waves and beaches, is inspiring, supports healthier lifestyles, improves productivity and ultimately creates a better culture.
1. Honor the mission.
Surfrider is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves and beaches for all people, through a powerful activist network. At the center of every action we take is our mission, our grassroots structure and local perspectives. We aim for positive impact and measurable results on behalf of the communities that we serve.
2. The beach is fun and Surfrider should be, too.
Surfrider comprises people who love the ocean, work hard to protect it, and need to enjoy it as part of keeping advocacy gratifying and fun. We are optimistic about the future of our ocean and coasts because our volunteers make a positive difference every day.
3. We are open and inclusive.
Our ocean, waves and beaches belong to all of us, and we welcome all who are interested in joining our movement. Through our principles of Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI), we seek to engage and represent the communities that we work in, and tosupport, create, foster and champion diversity at all levels within our organization.
4. We cultivate leaders.
We believe that the most effective way to build a coastal protection movement is to provide leadership opportunities for our volunteers. By cultivating their voices and skills, we are preparing the next generation of coastal defenders to lead within their own communities. We focus on working with youth to prepare them to become the next generation of environmental leaders!
5. We are problem solvers.
We are solution-oriented. Surfrider applies science, critical thinking and innovation to assess problems and develop practical long-term solutions that protect our coasts.
6. The Surfrider is yours to create.
The Surfrider culture is defined by the people who show up with a love of the ocean and care deeply for its well-being. Through science, community and respect, we are people who joyfully take on the challenges before us. Our culture is one of selflessness, sharing, and bringing people together to achieve Surfrider’s mission.