The piece first appeared in The Guardian as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
Rising seas and expanding coastal development are putting many of the planet’s most celebrated surf spots at risk. A review of dozens of famous waves within the World Surfing Reserves (WSR) programme found that more than three‑quarters face high danger from shifting tides, hardened shorelines and changing sand patterns. The stakes extend beyond surfers; whole communities that rely on the multibillion‑dollar surf industry could be affected, especially where tourism offers few alternatives.
The study highlighted several waves as especially vulnerable: the “bombing barrels” at Croyde Beach in North Devon, United Kingdom; the point breaks at Noosa in Australia and Oriente Salvaje in El Salvador; and California’s Santa Cruz reefs, including Sewer Peak and the Wind and Sea break.
Great surf waves arise from a precise blend of seafloor contours, swell direction and tidal conditions. “Surf breaks are incredibly unique oceanographic phenomena—a confluence of all these factors that fit together just right to make the wave happen, and so those processes are really sensitive,” explained Dan Reineman, an associate professor at California State University Channel Islands and co‑author of the research.
Global warming is lifting sea levels and altering rainfall, which in turn changes how sediment moves along coasts. Those shifts can upset the delicate balance that creates a wave. The researchers suggest that the deep local knowledge of surfers could be harnessed to protect these breaks. “Climate change will impact surf breaks all over the world in different ways, depending on their unique geographies. We learned directly from the local surfers how they are seeing their waves change. It’s a canary in the coal mine too—when a wave changes, that often means the beach is changing, and everybody enjoys the beach,” said Trent Hodges, senior programs manager at Save the Waves Coalition and co‑author of the paper.
Published in the journal Climatic Change, the analysis concludes that both climate change and coastal management pose serious threats to the future viability of numerous globally significant surf breaks, and consequently to the distinct local cultures, communities and economies they support.
Nearly 200 local experts examined 57 surf breaks across all but two of the 13 World Surfing Reserves, spanning eight countries. The authors warn that thousands of other waves worldwide face similar hazards. A central finding was that natural coastlines tend to adapt better to climate pressures, shifting inland and redistributing sediments, whereas hard engineering—such as sea walls, jetties and groynes—reduces the resilience of beaches and waves.
Adam Hall, co‑founder of the North Devon WSR and one of the contributing surfers, described his region’s diversity: “North Devon is so special. We have Saunton Sands, a world‑renowned long‑boarding wave with really long, mellow rides, and the UK’s best beach break at Croyde. We’ve got left‑ and right‑hand point breaks and a sheltered spot for when it gets too windy and too big. Whatever you want to do, we’ve got it.” He stressed the economic importance of surfing beyond the summer months: “Surfers will come throughout the year. They fill up the pubs, restaurants and car parks when the swells are good in January, February and March, where if you go to any other tourist destination that doesn’t have surf, they’re dead on their knees.”