10 Eco Swaps Every Surfer Can Make This Month
You don't need to overhaul your entire kit to surf more sustainably. Most surfers who care about the ocean are already doing plenty right — paddling out, picking up rubbish on the way, talking about conservation with their mates. What's often missing isn't the will. It's knowing where to start.
So here's a practical list. No guilt-tripping, no lecture on the state of the planet — just ten specific swaps, ranked roughly from easiest to most involved, that any surfer can make this month without giving up an inch of performance.
1. Paraffin wax → Natural beeswax wax
Most surf wax is petroleum-based. Every session, a little of it rubs off your board and into the water, where it breaks down into microplastics that marine life ends up eating. A 100% natural beeswax wax performs comparably in most conditions and leaves nothing toxic behind. This is the easiest swap on this list — same routine, same grip, completely different footprint.
2. Virgin plastic fins → Recycled plastic fins
Fins are one of those products nobody thinks about until they snap. Standard fins are made from new plastic every time. Recycled plastic fins offer the same flex and performance without the extra demand on raw materials — a swap that costs you nothing in the water and changes what happens before you ever get there.
3. Synthetic rash vest → Organic cotton rash vest
Polyester rash vests shed microplastic fibres every time they're washed — and you're wearing this fabric directly against your skin in the ocean. Organic cotton, grown without synthetic pesticides or excessive water use, is the lower-impact option for something this close to the water you're trying to protect.
4. A board that gets replaced → A board that gets repaired
Factory boards are often treated as disposable — ding it, ding it again, replace it. A board you actually value gets patched, looked after, and ridden for years. If you're due an upgrade, look for boards built on recycled foam blanks rather than virgin foam. The materials matter, but so does the relationship you have with the thing you're standing on.
5. Disposable accessories → A reusable kit
Reef shoes, a refillable water bottle, a proper food container instead of single-use packaging — none of this is specific to surfing, but surf trips generate a surprising amount of avoidable waste. Pack once, properly, and you'll notice how rarely you reach for anything single-use again.
6. Flying for every swell → Combining trips
Chasing forecasts often means short, frequent flights — a weekend here, a long weekend there. One longer trip instead of three short ones gets you just as much time in the water with a fraction of the travel footprint. It's not about flying less for the sake of it. It's about making each trip count.
7. Renting a board every time → Travelling with your own
Rental boards get replaced constantly, rarely fit properly, and are usually the first thing written off when damaged. A board you own and travel with — even if it means an extra bag fee — gets used properly and lasts years instead of weeks.
8. Driving solo to the beach → Carpooling or riding a bike
This one's small, but it adds up fast over a season. If your local break is reachable by bike, or if you're driving the same direction as three other people in your crew, the case for taking separate cars gets thinner every time.
9. Passing through → Spending locally
Where your money goes on a surf trip matters. Local warungs, family-run guesthouses, and independently owned surf shops keep more value in the communities whose coastlines you're enjoying, compared to international chains that extract and leave.
10. Watching from the lineup → Joining the clean-up
If there's a beach clean-up happening near a spot you surf regularly, show up. It's the most direct way to close the loop between loving a place and looking after it — and it tends to introduce you to the people already doing the work.
None of this requires perfection
We say this often, because it's true: sustainability is a direction, not a destination. You don't need to do all ten of these at once, and you certainly don't need to do them perfectly. Swap your wax this month. Carpool next month. Add the rest as they make sense for how you surf.
The surf industry will only get cleaner if the people who love the ocean most keep asking for better — one small, unglamorous decision at a time.
If you're ready to start with your gear, our natural beeswax surf wax and recycled plastic fins are the simplest first moves. And if a new board is on the horizon, our handmade surfboards are built on recycled foam blanks, shaped to last. Although we don't make them ourselves, we'd also point you toward brands building boards with zero plastic — wooden surfboards are a genuinely sustainable alternative worth knowing about.
Indorider is a UK-based sustainable surf brand. We make handcrafted surfboards in Bali, eco surf equipment, and organic cotton apparel — and we donate 5% of every sale to ocean and river clean-up charities.
