How we can use Water Sports to transmit knowledge and help us to create “agents of change” about the problem that our waste is causing to the oceans

Surf and Clean objective is mainly targeted towards water sports trainers with two goals in mind:

Teach them about the main threats to the ocean, namely plastic pollution, and inspire them to be active in its defense.
Give them tools to use in their classroom, so they will be able to transmit information about this problem and potential solutions to their pupils.

In this way, Surf and Clean will create a network of what we call “Agents of change”.

Surf and Clean will work with FESurfing and regional surfing federations to reach surfing instructors, schools, clubs and shops as well as other water sports federations like canoeing, stand up paddle boarding, kite-surfing, diving…etc.

The main goals for 2018 are:

Incorporate “Defending the Oceans” as a necessary subject included in the official curriculum to become a surfing instructor in Spain.
Create a manual specially addressed to surfing instructors with pieces of advice, activities, and actions that they could use in their classes to relay environmental values to their pupils. It will be created in collaboration with more than 30 experienced surfing instructors and delivered to more than a hundred surfing schools in Spain. It can also be translated into English and many other languages to be shared worldwide.
Adapt “Defending the Oceans” to other water sports and include it in the lessons to become an instructor. (For example, in the lesson to become a canoeing instructor or a stand-up paddleboard instructor)

Main results of the project :

250 instructors have been trained
The guide has been produced and distributed to 20 surf schools and will continue to be distributed.
Work with the federations to make it compulsory for surf lessons to include an environmental component is still underway. Some federations have already approved the idea and are waiting for the next curriculum re-evaluation session to incorporate it.
5 training courses for canoeing instructors and beach volleyball coaches.

Updated 10/12/2024