Surfrider Foundation Australia is a registered not for profit sea-roots organisation dedicated to the protection of Australia’s oceans, waves, beaches and waterways through Conservation, Activism, Research and Education C.A.R.E.
Over 30 years ago, three passionate surfers in Malibu, California, found out that their favourite wave was about to be destroyed. Those three people worked with their local community and Government until they were satisfied that their iconic wave would be preserved. This was the genesis of Surfrider Foundation USA, which sparked a global movement of surfers and ocean enthusiast to stand up for their coasts and local marine environments.
Today, the Surfrider Foundation movement has grown to 18 countries around the world.
Surfrider Foundation Australia (SFA) was founded in 1991 largely in response to poor water quality issues along Australia's east coast. Local surfers, being at the forefront of water quality, began recruiting volunteers for a series of demonstrations and actions to persuade decision makers to take action on this ongoing issue. The group has been working hard to protect Australia’s coastlines ever since.
Since it's humble beginnings and as we approach our 28th year of operation, SFA has grown to over 22 volunteer branches and many more volunteer beach representatives tackling local and national coastal environmental issues at a sea-roots level around Australia.
With times of uncertainty, it hasn’t been easy. There’s still a lot of work to be done. Our work is critical. And, our long-term success and growth is a tribute to our founders’ vision: that taking on an environmental battle may not be easy, but with constant pressure, endlessly applied, it can, and will, be won. The key to this is what makes our organization unique.