California chapters are making the most of the summer, and had a busy July with stewardship projects, community events, and policy campaigns.
On Surfrider's largest cleanup activation of the year, 13 Chapters in California hosted 18 Dirtiest Beach Day Cleanups. More than 1,000 volunteers showed up for our beaches and removed nearly 3,300 pounds of trash and recyclables!
Chapters are halfway through the Summer Membership Drive with great prizes for chapters that recruit the most new and returning members. You can become a member of Surfrider for as little as $5, and your membership powers our advocacy work, so choose your local or favorite chapter to support during the drive.
From educational presentations on Surfrider initiatives and programs to comments on shoreline armoring, Surfrider leaders were present in full force at this month’s Coastal Commission meeting in Ventura.
Now let’s dive in to see what each of the California chapters were up to this July:
Starting in the North Coast, the Humboldt Chapter had a busy July, kicking things off with a 5th of July beach cleanup, followed by lots of community engagement and advocating for our coast during Eureka Friday Night Markets, and hosting the first community stop on Catherine Breed’s swim down the entire California coast! Check out the amazing video the Swim California Team made featuring Surfrider and the Humboldt Chapter.
Surfrider Sonoma Coast helped keep the coast clean with a 5th of July cleanup!
The Marin Chapter had an action packed month starting with a 5th of July cleanup, co-hosting the inaugural Surf Films at the Barn event in Bolinas with Bolinas Film Festival and featuring the new Jack Johnson SURFILMUSIC film along with some local gems, hosting a fun chapter social and getting some Love Your Beach postcards signed, and rounding things out with another showing of SURFILMUSIC and a special appearance from Jack Johnson, Kim Johnson, and Emmett Malloy.
The San Francisco Chapter teamed up with Every Man Jack to host a 5th of July cleanup and did some awesome volunteer highlights of the Patagonia crew and the Blue Water Task Force co-leads (Kyle & Amanda) to celebrate the people making things happen.
Surfrider San Mateo County was stoked to support another year of the ALAS surf camp. This surf camp created a special opportunity for local kids to experience the ocean, build confidence, and feel at home at the beach. Access to the coast should be for everyone. Programs like this help make sure that the beach is not just something to admire from a distance, but a place where every child can learn, play, connect, and discover their own relationship with the ocean. Ocean Friendly Restaurants supported the camp by donating delicious lunches for the hungry surfers. The chapter had fun and raised awareness about the Surfrider Foundation at the Kahuna Kapuna and the World Dog Surf Contests!
World Dog Surf Contest! Photo by Kristin Kuch
The Santa Cruz Chapter’s July 5 Seabright Cleanup was a huge success with 45 volunteers removing 146 pounds of trash!
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT! ✨We’re proud to recognize Itomi for her outstanding leadership and dedication to our Blue Water Task Force (BWTF) program!
The Monterey Chapter is introducing the Surfrider Blue Water IPA. Every pint celebrates the volunteers, advocates, and community partners working every day to protect Monterey Bay. From beach cleanups and coastal advocacy to our growing Blue Water Task Force, your support helps make this work possible. A special thank you to @peterbsmonterey Peter B's Brewpub and the @portolahotel Portola Hotel & Spa, proud Ocean Friendly Restaurant partners whose commitment to sustainability extends far beyond the kitchen.
Calling San Luis Obispo foodies! For all of 2026, Lure Fish House, an Ocean Friendly Restaurant, will donate $1 to the Surfrider Foundation for every kids' meal sold across all seven of their locations, including their San Luis Obispo location on Monterey Street. Read more here.
Big thanks to everyone who came out to the Ventura Chapter's monthly C St. cleanup! (One of three monthly beach cleanups the Ventura Chapter hosts!) They had a great morning celebrating the Surfrider Foundation Love Your Beach campaign, which honors the 50th anniversary of the California Coastal Act. This landmark law protects public access and keeps our state's coastline clean and safe. 🌊💙☀️
The Los Angeles Chapter hosted youth from the LA Boys and Girls Club for a day of fun in the sun, catching waves through the One Watershed program. For many, this was their first time on a surfboard, and for some, this was their first time on the beach.
The South Bay Chapter hosted butterfly art workshops at the Gardena Willows Wetlands Preserve, the site of the chapter’s new Blue Water Task Force lab and Ocean Friendly Gardens projects.
The Long Beach Chapter continued to progress on the Ocean Friendly Gardens sites along Alamitos Bay, transforming another area of the bike path with bioswales, berms, and native plants!
The North Orange County Chapter spent a week and a half representing the Surfrider Foundation at the US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach.
The South Orange County Chapter hosted one of their biggest cleanups to date on the Dirtiest Beach Day. The community came out in full force to clean up after the holiday weekend, and they were treated to a free acai bowl from Alohana Acai Bowls.
San Diego Chapter OFR volunteers hit the streets in North Park for a blitz, and their efforts paid off by bringing three new businesses into the program: Bivouac Ciderworks, Bivouac Ciderworks Adventure Lodge, and Rumi Wine Bar.
That's a wrap for July! Check back next month for more updated from across the Golden State.