How To Green Your Surf Practice

There is nothing quite like waking up at 6 am, smelling the salty hair, grabbing a hot cup of coffee, looking at the waves crashing, paddling into cold water, and connecting with the ocean. 

At Sun & Earth, we have a profound love for surfing. After all, it is what inspired Joel to create our signature tinted zinc cream. We are strong advocates for the ocean and want to do our best to keep it safe and clean. But as green as we try to be, it would be small of us to assume that surfing doesn’t have a human footprint. 

Your surf practice does come with its ups and downs, but thankfully, is it easy to make it more green. Today, we share our 4 best tips. 

Consider how your board is made

If you want to green up your surf practice, it may be time to take a look at your board. Surfboards have been around for years, but the way they are made has evolved and not in the best way. While at its beginning, surfboards were carved out of woods, nowadays they are widely manufactured with polyurethane or polystyrene foam. 

This material offers a cheap way to easily shape boards to our liking. However, even though a foam board has a long lifespan, it is nearly impossible to recycle it. 

So what is the solution when it comes to your board? Well, if you’ve already had one, the best option is to take care of it to make its life durable. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a new board, try and consider an eco-friendly and wooden alternative. 

“The most sustainable thing is the one that you already have”

Wear clothes that are ethical

When it comes to surfing, your dip in the ocean will most likely involve swim and wetsuits - unless you know a secluded spot to get bare, but you get the point. While we still believe that the greenest approach is to use what you already own, choosing suits that are made ethically is the second best. 

From swimsuits made of recycled bottles and fishnets to resistant wetsuit threaded from natural rubber, finding options that are sustainable and ethical has never been easier. And yes, it might be slightly more expensive, but by choosing quality pieces that are not damaging the ocean over shopping for 5 different swimsuits, you are making a better pick for your skin and the sea. 

Wax your board with something eco-friendly

We all love a sticky board that can be rode for hours on end, however - like most products - not all surf wax are created equal. Within commercial wax, it is common to find bleaching, chemicals, and paraffin - which is a byproduct of petrol. 

It’s been found that over 90% of commercial wax contains toxic chemicals. These chemicals degrade off the surfboard to enter the ocean and intoxicate marine life.

The solution? Ditch the toxic wax and opt for a more green option made of soy, hemp, or oils. A quick google search for eco-friendly wax or better yet a stop at your local market will help you find safer and more natural choice for your board. 

Use a natural zinc sunscreen

It is no secret that the sunscreen industry can be a very dirty one. Commercial sunscreen often involves plastic packaging, unethical manufacturing, and an overload of chemicals that are harmful to both the environment and the skin. 

And as a surfer, the last thing you probably want is to degrade the reef and inflamed your epidermis. So, ditch the cheap and chemically-filled sunscreen for products that 100% natural and made with zinc. 

Not only you will protect your skin from both UVA and UVB, but zinc will stay put for hours, no matter how long you stay in the water. Plus, it won’t dissolve and intoxicate the fish while you surf. Our tinted zinc cream is 100% safe, natural, and long-lasting. It comes with a recyclable packaging, and can be applied quickly and easily before you jump in the water. 

While you will also want to consider the impact of your travels when going for a surf, along with the water bottles, towels, and coffee cups you use, making your surf practice green simply start with the awareness and understanding of HOW what you use leaves a footprint on the environment. 

What ways have you thought of to green your surf practice? Keep the conversation going and connect with us on socials at @sun.and.earth.zinc