Protect Our Waves – Sites of special surfing interest

Although the Protect Our Waves (POW) campaign was only launched in 2009, we’ve been protecting waves from one threat or another since our conception 21 years ago. But the Protect Our Waves campaign gives us the structure to legitimately expand our remit, concentrating on wave protection like never before.

Using our years of experience the POW campaign identified the most potent and widespread threats to waves around the UK. These include threats from over zealous onshore and offshore developments, surfers and waveriders right of access and of course, environmental impacts.

Since 2009 the POW campaign has been incredible active and has already been quoted by cabinet ministers in the Scottish Parliament, produced and disseminated 2 valuable scientific reports, rolled out multiple grass roots campaign actions and most importantly produced legislation that can specifically protect waves – a first for UK!

With the support of Rip Curl Planet, the strategy for 2011 will build on all of the above and ensure that protecting waves and recognizing potential threats is cemented in consciousness of all waveriders. Over the next 18 months we will be promoting and publicizing the major issues that encapsulate the POW campaign with emotive examples of world class waves around the UK currently under threat.

• The Pentland Firth and especially the Orkneys, Scotland – an array of World-class waves threatened by offshore developments
• The North East (Staithes) – Chronic sewage issues still mean surfing at this fantastic spot could represent a serious risk to your health.
• Broad Bench – Kimmeridge Bay, South Coast – we will continue to work on increasing access to this amazing reef break, one of the best in the UK, to ensure surfers and wave riders can enjoy the full benefits of the spot.

Carve surf magazine are helping us increase the profile of POW issues by running exclusive features throughout the year on these and other threatened waves around the UK. As a special bonus for SAS members, the next four Pipeline magazines will include a big pullout poster, illustrating these threatened perfect UK waves unloading their powerful energy onto our shore. The poster will outline the nature of the threat facing that wave and how the POW campaign is tackling the issue. But most importantly, the posters will detail exactly how you can actively help Protect Our Waves.

So make sure your SAS membership is up to date as these posters will look amazing and they’ll be a great tool to help you protect waves.