Surfing generates nearly $200 million a year for Santa Cruz and coastal changes could put it at risk

"But that economic engine, the authors warn, is increasingly at risk not only from climate change and sea level rise, but from how policymakers respond to them. Those kinds of decisions have already reshaped the shoreline, including the historic surf break where the princes first surfed the California coast. In the 1960s, sand was dredged there to begin construction of the Santa Cruz Harbor, permanently altering how waves formed at the river mouth."

"The report argues that decisions made along the coast in the coming years could determine whether Santa Cruz's remaining surf breaks endure. It urges city and county leaders to factor surfing's economic and cultural value into long-term coastal planning, and calls for surf breaks to be made more welcoming to historically marginalized groups, ensuring broader access to the sport's benefits."

Three Hawaiian princes introduced surfing to Santa Cruz in 1885, creating a coastal cultural identity that endures. Surfing now generates nearly $200 million annually in Santa Cruz, with about $150.2 million from surf-related businesses including apparel, lessons, and equipment rental and repair. Climate change, sea level rise, and policy responses threaten surf breaks and the local economy. Coastal modifications such as 1960s sand dredging for the harbor permanently altered wave formation at the San Lorenzo River mouth. Future coastal decisions could determine whether remaining surf breaks endure, and planning should prioritize surfing's value and broaden access for marginalized groups.

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