The report by campaign group Surfers Against Sewage identifies four main areas for concern:

1) Increasing winter rainfall is expected to lead to more raw sewage overflows and pollution from farm and urban run-off. This decline in water quality could lead to more incidents of sewage-related illness among surfers.

2) Sea level rise may result in some reef breaks working less often or disappearing completely. Beach erosion could also have a big impact.

3) The wave climate itself may change, with the winters seeing more storm activity, but the summers becoming less predictable, which will result in longer flat periods.

4) Increasing ocean acidity could be devastating for coral reefs, making tropical surfing destinations less attractive.

Climate change is being caused by an increase in ‘greenhouse gases’. The most significant of these gases is carbon dioxide, which is produced by the burning of oil, gas and coal.

The report argues that surfers should embrace renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, as well as wave technologies. The report concludes: “Even though the exact effects of global warming on the climate are still uncertain, that is no excuse to ignore it.”

Climate Change: A Surfer’s Perspective, Surfers Against Sewage, 2007

www.sas.org.uk