In December 2025, two surfboards started traveling up and down the East and West Coasts. They weren’t on a typical surf trip, but did have an important mission: to protect our coasts and ocean from new offshore drilling.
California’s coast powers our economy. From tourism and recreation to commercial fishing and coastal hospitality, a healthy ocean supports millions of jobs and billions in economic activity across the state.
That’s why local businesses are standing up against offshore oil drilling.
Through Surfrider’s Sign The Surfboard tour, thirteen California Surfrider chapters visited local businesses up and down the coast and invited them to join the Business Alliance for Protecting the Pacific Coast, sign a business petition against offshore drilling, and add their names to the surfboard.
In April, one of the boards traveled to DC with Surfrider staff and a group of ocean industry leaders to meet with officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and members of Congress to express unified opposition to the federal government’s plans to expand offshore oil and gas drilling in U.S. waters.
Surfrider's delegation of staff and ocean industry leaders in DC
The following week, more than 180 students, surfers, local business leaders, scientists, and passionate coastal stewards from 28 states and territories met with their representatives in congress as part of Surfrider’s 10th Coastal Recreation Hill Day.
California Chapters and Clubs showed up in force to participate in Coastal Recreation Hill day with 8 delegations participating in 22 meetings. The California delegations had representatives from 12 chapters, 12 clubs and 27 different California districts.
Coastal Recreation Hill Day provides the opportunity for Surfrider volunteers, staff, and partners to speak up to their representatives in Washington D.C. about issues that affect our ability to access and enjoy healthy coastlines. Not only does the event provide an important opportunity for constituents to meet with their leaders in congress, it also helps hone their skills as ocean advocates while building relationships within Surfrider’s network and D.C. offices.
This year, Coastal Recreation Hill Day focused on three key issues:
1) Supporting funding for water quality monitoring on our beaches
2) Protecting National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) funding
3) Opposing new offshore oil drilling
These issues present urgent threats to our coasts, from the Great Lakes to the Gulf, the Atlantic to the Pacific. During Hill Day, we had the opportunity to influence policy solutions at a critical moment in the federal government’s planning for 2027.
If you couldn’t join us this year you can still make your voice heard. Click here to take action today and protect our ocean, waves, and beaches.
1) Contact your members of Congress: Your federal representatives need to hear from you! Complete the action alert to urge your Senate and House members to oppose the federal administration’s plans and pass legislation to protect all U.S. coasts from new offshore drilling.
2) Participate in BOEM’s upcoming comment period: In the coming weeks, the agency is expected to release the Proposed Program and open a final 90-day public comment period. Follow and subscribe to Surfrider’s channels for the latest news and opportunities to take action.
3) Get involved with your local Surfrider chapter. Across the country, Surfrider chapters and student clubs are building grassroots opposition to new offshore drilling through community education, advocacy, and coalition building. Click here to find your local chapter or club.