LoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyIf surfing is fundamentally about moving in harmony with the ocean, the last thing you want to do is contribute to the ocean's pollution. Although the surf industry has a long, unfortunate history of using harsh chemicals and landfill-bound materials, a new wave of surf gear is emerging with sustainability at the forefront.
This is some of the best eco-friendly surf gear that I've tested while surfing my local break (Venice, if you're interested). Don't see anything you like? Check out the rest of WIRED's outdoor guides, including the Best Gravel Running Shoes, the Best Electric Bikes, and the Best Lightweight Hiking Boots.
A Good WetsuitComfortable, Affordable SwimwearGetting TractionFins and LeashSunblockTowelsSandalsSunglassesBackpack/BagSurfboardsA Good WetsuitFor both men and women, Patagonia’s Regulator line is the crème de la crème. Patagonia has long used Yulex and naturally derived rubber instead of neoprene, which is derived from petroleum or energy-intensive limestone. Up until a few years ago, Patagonia's sustainable wetsuits were a bit stiff, but then the company changed its formulation. It switched to a recycled carbon powder called Bolder Black. Not only did that make the rubber more sustainable, but it made it more flexible. The exterior and inner linings are made of recycled nylon, polyester, and spandex, and they’re made in a Fair-Trade Certified factory.
Photograph: Brent RosePhotograph: Brent RoseChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistPatagonia
The suits come in a wide array of sizes and thicknesses, and their design has improved massively in recent years, adding better flexibility and sealing. This fall, Patagonia will launch a new U-Zip version of the suit, featuring a long zipper that arcs from one shoulder to the other across the chest. I tested it this winter and it kept me extremely warm and prevented flushing (when water gets down your neck), better than any wetsuit I’ve used before. They are on the pricier side, but they are durable and should last you a long time.
If you’d like to save a little money, Billabong’s Upcycler line is another excellent option. I tested the 3/2 Furnace Natural Upcycler ($380) last year and it was one of the most comfortable, flexible wetsuits I’ve ever worn. Like Patagonia, it’s also made from natural, sustainably harvested rubber (Hevea, rather than Yulex), Bolder Black, and recycled polyester and elastane. It did start leaking at the seems faster than the Patagonia suits, but I still love it on less-frigid days. The women’s line is limited to 4/3 thickness, which is unfortunate.
On the men’s side, the most comfortable board shorts I’ve ever worn are also very sustainable and affordable, and that would be the Hurley’s Phantom-Eco Block Party boardshorts ($52). Its four-way stretch fabric is light and super flexible, and it’s made from recycled polyester and ocean-bound Repreve fabrics.
For pure sustainability, it’s hard to beat Outerknown’s Apex Evolution Trunk ($168). 90 percent of the trunks are made of Boreo’s NetPlus, which is a nylon derived from recycled fishing nets (one of the most harmful things that can be left in the ocean). They’re a really well made trunk that sheds water and reduces drag, with a nice zipper pocket in the back. They are on the scratchy side, though, and I definitely felt a bit of chafing after long sessions. They’re also extremely expensive for boardshorts.
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On the women’s side, there are a ton of eco-friendly and surf-friendly options. While I did not personally test these, I’ve heard really good things from female surf pals about Carve Designs. The brand was founded by female surfers and offers a wide variety of functional (and attractive) surf wear. Virtually everything the brand makes is made from recycled (and/or organic) materials, and is Oeko-Tex certified, Fair Trade Certified, and more.
There are few things more frustrating than being in the perfect spot for a great wave, only to have your hand or foot slip off your board at a critical moment. Surf wax was traditionally made primarily of paraffin (a byproduct of oil refining), but now there are alternatives that offer all the performance without all the chemicals.
The O.G. in this space is Matunas Surf Wax, which has been around since 1998. It’s made from locally sourced ingredients on their 25 acre farm in Santa Cruz, California. The wax is organic, biodegradable, and non-toxic.
Photograph: Brent RoseSave to wishlistSave to wishlistSister Betsy's
If high performance is critical to you, a local (to me) brand I love is Sister Betsy’s surf wax ($23). It’s known to be one of the stickiest and longest-lasting waxes, and it’s vegan, non-toxic, and biodegradable. It’s hand-poured in Venice Beach, California. While they keep a lid on exactly what the ingredients are, some of it is sourced in Brazil, which would add to the carbon footprint. Still, their waxes perform (and smell) great.
The majority of surfers who ride shortboards and mid-lengths (and even some longboards) slap a foam traction pad on the tails of their board. They give your back foot extra grip for pushing through turns. Some have a little kick, or rise, to help keep your foot from slipping off the back, or even have arch support.
Deck pads (for your chest and front foot) have become more popular, and I must say I’m a fan, as it means having to use less wax, and it's more comfortable for my sternum and ribs. For both, I’ve been using Firewire’s traction pads for years. Not only are they exceptionally grippy and comfortable, but they’re leading the charge for sustainability. Its traction pads are made of Bloom, a foam made from algae biomass which they harvest from various global freshwater sources. This helps clean those waterways and aids in carbon dioxide capture and sequestration.
Photograph: Brent RoseFor the tail, I like the five-piece designs, like the Slater Designs 5 Piece Action Pad ($58), as it gives you more flexibility in how you set it up. Honorable mention goes to GryptaLite. GryptaLite isn’t really a pad, but a thin film that covers the whole deck of your board, and it’s designed to replace wax entirely. It has a soft, rough texture but it has some interesting hydrophilic properties. When the surface gets wet it becomes tacky, and your hands, feet, and wetsuit booties stick to it like glue. It’s made from a type of plastic, which is a small knock on its sustainability meter, but you just put it on once, and it stays on for the life of your board, and it works in all water temperatures.
Never having to worry about wax again is really nice. I’ve put it on two of my most-used boards, and I really like it, but there are caveats. It isn't quite as sticky as a well-waxed board. While my hands/feet/booties stick to it nicely, wetsuit material is way more slippery, so I often have to use my hands to stabilize myself while paddling, which I don’t love. Still, it's really convenient.
Fins are one of the most critical components that impact the way your board will ride, and yep, there are sustainable versions! Paving the way is Futures Fins Alpha Netplus ($65). Nearly every board I’ve owned over the last 20 years has had Futures finboxes, as I find them to be the most reliable and stable, and basically every fin company makes fins that are compatible. Futures’s Alpha line is an excellent all-arounder, with a great balance of speed-generation and control, and Alpha Netplus incorporates Bureo’s Netplus material, which is made from recycled fishing nets collected in Chile. The fins themselves are made in Huntington Beach, California, and virtually every model they make is available in Alpha Netplus. They are super versatile and ride really well.
Photograph: Brent RoseLeashes are tricky to make sustainable, but some companies are taking a good stab at it. The Revolwe Evo-Bio Leash ($45) has a cord made of 30 percent recycled TPU; the inner cuff is made of Yulex plant-derived rubber; the outer cuff and leash string is polyester made of 100 percent recycled post-consumer PET-bottles; its packaging is recycled cardboard, and it even uses ink made from algae. It also features user replaceable parts, so if the cord breaks, you can just replace that rather than buying a whole new leash, which helps keep stuff out of landfills. Unfortunately it only comes in 6-foot and 7-foot lengths, currently, so longboarders are out of luck.
Photograph: Brent RosePhotograph: Kristin CanningChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistThrive
To me, the number one most important sustainability metric for a sunblock is, “Is it reef-safe?” Most commercial sunblocks have chemicals that kill coral and harm delicate reef ecosystems (Hawaii has fully banned them). Beyond that, it’s got to be skin-healthy and give you lasting protection even when your face is constantly being splashed by saltwater. I’ve tested tons over the years, and so far the best I’ve found is Thrive Bodyshield 50 ($30).
It’s a zinc-oxide base, but once you rub it in it doesn’t leave you looking like Casper the Friendly Ghost. It’s SPF 50 and holds up to 80 minutes of saltwater abuse, but it’s also reef-safe, cruelty-free, vegan, and made from regeneratively-farmed, plant-based ingredients in the United States, the bottle is made from recycled plastic. It’s unfortunately quite pricey, but it does go on sale on Amazon from time to time.
Gotta dry off post-surf, right? For sustainable towels, there are generally two ways you can go: recycled-synthetic or organic-natural, with the former generally being lighter and quicker to dry, while the latter is generally more comfortable. Either way, you want designs that are specifically made to shed sand. On the synthetic side there are two standouts. The Nomadix original towel ($45) is 90 percent recycled, and each towel is made from 30 recycled plastic bottles. They're light, quick-drying, sand resistant, and come in a bunch of styles.
Sand Cloud's Turkish beach towels ($48) come in extra-large sizes that are made from 100 percent organic Turkish cotton that is woven in a way to keep sand from sticking. Quahog Bay Bedding Company’s organic cotton beach towels are also woven to be sand-resistant and are made from organic cotton.
Good news here: There are tons of eyewear companies that are prioritizing sustainability, including using recycled and/or naturally derived plastics in their frames, so there are a lot to choose from. Eyewear is a very personal thing, Camp Eyewear's glasses are affordable (starting around $80), have polarized lenses (very nice for cutting glare when staring out at the surf), and feature frames made from plant-based bioplastic derived from castor bean oil, and most have natural walnut or ebony wood inlays in the arms. Every pair comes with a unique "sleeping bag" travel pouch made from recycled materials, and the company is Climate Neutral Certified. My personal pair is the Camp Arrowcrest ($79), which I wear all the time.
Smith Optics has also been making a big push into sustainability utilizing more and more bioresins in its frames, and while its products are more expensive, it also offers a ton of variety. While I love its Chromapop lenses for clarity, the most sustainable Smith glasses I’ve used are the Lowdown 2 Core, which feature frames made from recycled post-consumer water bottles, polarized bio-based lenses, a microfiber bag made from recycled plastic bottles, and 100-percent recycled packaging. Alternatively, Joycoast makes a line of sunglasses that are all natural wood and metal—no plastics at all—that are worth checking out.
Courtesy of DakineSo, you’ve got all this gear. How are you going to get it down to the beach? Many of the best surf breaks are a bit of a walk from the closest parking spot, and you’ll have your board tucked under one arm. Sure, you can stuff it in any old backpack, but what about when you have a sodden, dripping wetsuit in tow? It took me a long time to find the answer, but for years the best solution has been the Dakine Mission Surf rolltop backpack ($102).
Its massive, top-loading, waterproof interior is large enough for a hooded 5/4 wetsuit, booties, gloves, swimsuit, and a towel, and it’s never leaked on me. It has a fleece pocket for sunglasses, an insulated pocket for wax, a water bottle pouch, a hidden pocket for valuables, a flat pocket for your fins, and more. The body is made from 84 percent recycled polyester, and the bottom is made of 100 percent recycled 600D polyester. I would like to see more recycled components, but it has enabled me to walk rather than drive to my local surf break several times a week (without dripping down my back), which has saved a whole lot of carbon emissions.
I saved the trickiest for last. The surfboard itself is made up of several different materials, many of which have been historically nasty for the planet. The most sustainable surfboard is one that already exists. In other words, buy used! Go to your local board shop, check out OfferUp, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace. (Here's our guide on How to Buy on eBay if you need some pointers.)
If you can't find a used stick, I’d advocate for keeping it local. When I wanted a custom board made for my beach break in Venice, I went to Venice uber-local Guy Okazaki Surfboards. Not only does Okazaki know my specific wave better than just about anyone on the planet, but he gets his foam blanks from US Blanks, which operates in Los Angeles. The company is subject to the most stringent environmental standards in the nation. It’s just a 20-minute drive from Okazaki’s shop to the factory, so the transportation carbon footprint is minimal, and US Blanks is fully solar-powered.
If you’re in Europe, Notox Surfboards is another small company that has been a pioneer in low-carbon manufacturing for years. Based in France, Notox uses components like flax fiber (a natural alternative to fiberglass), cork decking, and plant-based resins. The boards are specifically designed to be non-toxic, both for the environment and the people who shape them.
While better known for making snowboards, Lib Tech has been a pioneer in the world of surfboard construction. Its newest flagship technology is called Eco Impacto 2 Lite, which uses 25-40 percent upcycled epoxy foam, G+ glass (which is safer to work with for the craftspeople as well as the environment), and a Bio Matrix plant-based resin. These boards are extremely difficult to ding, but even if you do, the foam inside is closed-cell so it doesn’t take on water like a standard board, meaning this board is likely to last you a lot longer.
They’re also all made at the zero-hazardous waste Mervin Factory in Washington State, which saves CO2 emissions versus boards coming from overseas. The Lib Tech Lost Puddle Jumper ($850) is my go-to small-wave groveler this summer because it’s light, catches waves super easily, takes off quickly, and will be resilient if I accidentally drive it right into the sand.
Photograph: Brent RosePhotograph: Brent RosePhotograph: Brent RosePhotograph: Brent RoseChevronChevronSave to wishlistSave to wishlistFirewire Surfboards
The second big player is Firewire, whose boards I recently reviewed. Firewire was the first global manufacturer to have its entire stock of boards certified by the Ecoboard Project (you can find a list of other certified surfboard makers here). Firewire reduced its waste per board by over 95 percent and uses Entropy bio-resins in its builds. It's a certified B Corp, too.
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