Climate change and coastal management threaten 75% of premier surf breaks

A study published in the journal Climatic Change warns that more than three-quarters of the world’s premier surf breaks are at high risk of degradation or destruction. Researchers analyzed 57 surf breaks across 13 World Surfing Reserves in eight countries, identifying rising sea levels, changing tide levels, and hardened shorelines as primary threats.

Surfing waves depend on a precise interaction between sea-floor topography, swell direction, and local tides. Global temperature increases accelerate sea-level rise and alter rainfall patterns, which modifies sediment transport and disrupts the delicate balance required to maintain these breaks. Additionally, artificial shoreline hardening—such as concrete structures—prevents beaches from naturally replenishing eroded areas, destroying the underlying topography.

Highly vulnerable locations identified include Croyde in the United Kingdom, Noosa in Australia, Oriente Salvaje in El Salvador, and California reef breaks such as Sewer Peak and Wind and Sea. The study notes that the impacts extend beyond recreation, threatening multibillion-dollar surf economies in coastal communities.