Why We Started Indorider: The Truth About Sustainability in Surfing
Surfing is supposed to be about connection. Connection to the ocean, to nature, to something bigger than the everyday world we live in. It's why millions of people around the world wake up before dawn, check the forecast, and drive to the coast in the dark.
But there's a contradiction sitting at the heart of surfing that nobody talks about enough. The industry built around the sport we love — the boards, the wax, the wetsuits, the apparel — is doing serious damage to the very ocean that makes it all possible.
That contradiction is why we started Indorider.
The Problem Nobody Talks About
Every year, around 800,000 surfboards are manufactured globally. The vast majority are built using polyurethane foam, fibreglass, and petroleum-based resins — toxic materials that are difficult to recycle and slow to break down. Around 400,000 boards are discarded annually, most ending up in landfill. A single shortboard contains 3–4 kg of plastic. A longboard up to 8 kg. The maths is uncomfortable.
Then there's the wax. Most surf wax is made from paraffin — a petroleum byproduct. It degrades in seawater into microplastics, which are consumed by marine life and enter the food chain. Every time a surfer waxes their board and paddles out, they're contributing to the very problem most surfers would say they're against.
Wetsuits are made from neoprene — also petroleum-based. Most surf apparel is made from conventional cotton, which strains ecosystems with pesticide use and heavy water consumption, or polyester, which sheds microplastic fibres every time it's washed.
The surf industry has built a culture of environmental awareness — beach clean-ups, ocean conservation campaigns, surfers as stewards of the sea — while simultaneously producing products that contradict every one of those values.
We thought that was worth changing.
How Indorider Started
The idea for Indorider began in Bali — a place where the relationship between surfing and the natural world is impossible to ignore. The waves are extraordinary. The ocean is right there, alive and present in a way that's hard to describe if you haven't experienced it.
But so is the plastic. So is the waste. So are the consequences of an industry that has grown faster than its environmental conscience.
We started asking simple questions. Why are surfboards still being made with the same toxic materials they've used for decades when better alternatives exist? Why is most surf wax still petroleum-based when natural, biodegradable alternatives perform just as well? Why does an industry that talks constantly about loving the ocean keep making products that damage it?
We didn't have all the answers. But we had enough to start.
What We Set Out to Do
Indorider was built around a simple principle: every product we make should do less harm than the industry standard, and where possible, actively do good.
Here's what that looks like in practice:
Our surfboards are handmade in Bali by skilled craftspeople using traditional shaping techniques. Every board is built on a 100% recycled foam blank — we no longer use virgin foam in any of our boards. A handmade board, built carefully for one person, is a board that gets looked after. It doesn't get ridden twice and abandoned. The antidote to surfboard waste isn't only better materials — it's boards people actually care about.
Our surf wax is made from 100% natural beeswax. No petroleum, no microplastics, no synthetic additives. It performs comparably to conventional wax in most conditions and leaves nothing harmful behind in the ocean. It's one of the simplest swaps a surfer can make — and one of the most overlooked.
Our fins are made from recycled plastic. High performance, sustainably made, and a direct alternative to the standard virgin plastic fins that fill most surf shops.
Our apparel is made from organic cotton — grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, using significantly less water than conventional cotton.
We're Not Perfect
We want to be honest about this. Indorider is not a perfectly sustainable brand — no surf brand is, and anyone who claims otherwise isn't being straight with you.
Our leashes aren't yet made from sustainable materials and we're actively looking for better alternatives. Fibreglass and resin — used in our boards — are not eco-friendly materials, and while recycled foam blanks reduce our footprint, they don't eliminate it entirely. Shipping products around the world has a carbon cost we haven't fully solved.
Sustainability is a direction, not a destination. What matters is that every decision we make points the right way — toward less harm, more transparency, and a genuine commitment to the ocean that makes this whole thing worthwhile.
The 5% Commitment
From the very beginning, we committed to donating 5% of every sale to ocean and river clean-up charities in the UK and around the world. Not 5% of profits — 5% of every sale, regardless of margin.
It's our way of putting money where our values are. Every board sold, every block of wax, every T-shirt — 5% goes directly to the people doing the hard work of cleaning up the mess our industry has helped create.
You can read more about the charities we support and how the donations work on our sustainability page.
What You Can Do
The surf industry will only change if the people who buy from it demand better. Every time you choose a natural wax over a paraffin one, a recycled fin over a virgin plastic one, a handmade board over a factory-produced one — you're voting for a different kind of surf industry.
Those choices add up. They send a signal to brands that sustainability isn't a niche concern — it's what surfers actually want.
If you're ready to make the switch, start with our eco surf equipment — our natural beeswax surf wax and recycled plastic fins are the easiest first steps. Or if you're ready for a board that was made to last, take a look at our handmade surfboards.
The ocean is worth fighting for. We built Indorider because we believe the people who love it most should be the ones leading the charge.
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.
