Surfrider is off to a strong start in 2026 in California! The Surfers' Point Managed Retreat Project in Ventura was recently recognized at the 1,000th Coastal Victory in Surfrider’s history. We hosted an inspirational Surfrider California Chapter and Student Club Leadership Conference that brought 150 coastal activists to Ventura to talk strategy and share ideas on how to best protect the coast. We generated over 32,000 comments opposing new offshore drilling in California and nationwide, and Surfrider chapters have been doing great things locally along the California coast. Here are some more of the highlights:
Northern California Chapters came out in force to oppose offshore oil drilling by hosting People’s Hearings in Sausalito and Eureka. These educational events provided a way for community members to speak up by submitting formal public comments in opposition to new offshore oil and gas drilling after hearing about the proposed plan and comments from local, state, and federal elected officials, along with a variety of stakeholders, ranging from tribal representatives, wildlife response, fishing community, businesses, and more. In March, the chapters continued their opposition to offshore drilling by engaging businesses in a whirlwind sign the surfboard tour that traveled through the San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and Humboldt Chapters over the course of 3 weeks!
The Humboldt, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo Chapters all kicked off their 2026 Beach Cleanups, and after some unseasonably warm weather in March had plenty to clean up.
The Humboldt Chapter got a behind-the-scenes look at Taylor Shellfish Farms as a fun and educational excursion after wrapping up annual planning, and kicked off their Ocean Night series with a screening of ‘Through the Doggy Door’.
The Marin Chapter joined forces with many local organizations to help our kelp at a community screening of ‘Sequoias of the Sea’.
This winter, the San Francisco Chapter continued their partnership with San Francisco Recreation and Parks and the National Park Service to plant over 900 native beach wildrye (Leymus mollis) at Judah and Ocean Beach. Across five volunteer days from November to January, more than 150 volunteers harvested and transplanted beach wildrye to stabilize the dunes.
The Santa Cruz Chapter has been active in the efforts to stop new offshore oil drilling. In January they hosted a community awareness event, got businesses to ‘sign the surfboard’ and join the business coalition opposing offshore drilling. The chapter is hosting awesome cleanups and chapter meetings along with running a great Blue Water Task Force that’s keeping the community updated on local water quality.
The Monterey Chapter recently started water quality testing as part of our nationwide Blue Water Task Force (BWTF). Led locally by Harry Parker, the BWTF program is rebuilding a network of trained volunteers dedicated to protecting the health of Monterey Bay. Water samples are collected regularly from key coastal locations including Asilomar State Beach, Otter Cove, Lovers Point Park, and Del Monte Beach, helping provide timely, independent data about the water where our community swims, surfs, and plays. A new partnership with META Lab at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey brings scientific collaboration and fresh energy to the program.
The San Luis Obispo Chapter recently launched their Oceano Vehicle Free Beach campaign. We propose that the State Legislature, California Coastal Commission, the SLO County Board of Supervisors, and the California State Parks come together and create a plan for a Vehicle Free Beach for Oceano by December 2030. These three entities bear a burden of responsibility to find a solution for the problem they created 44 years ago when Pier and Grand Avenues were designated as temporary access routes for vehicles to the beach and State Vehicle Recreation Area (SVRA). Oceano deserves a Vehicle Free Beach (VFB) to correct the environmental and economic injustice the community has suffered for more than four decades. Click here to learn more.
The Santa Barbara Chapter continues to fight the restart of the oil pipeline that spilled in 2015 as part of the Don’t Enable Sable Coalition. A federal order fast-tracked the restart of offshore oil operations along the Santa Barbara coast, reviving the same pipeline system responsible for the 2015 Plains All American spill at Santa Barbara's Refugio State Beach. Along with California's top state officials and other ocean advocates, Surfrider Foundation is fighting back. Click here to learn more. We also hosted a fun People’s Hearing in January to raise awareness and opposition to the federal government's 5-year lease sale plan that targets the Santa Barbara Channel for new oil drilling.
The Ventura Chapter has been staying quite active with monthly chapter meetings, three beach cleanups each month, a monthly Ocean Friendly Gardens work day, and the Blue Water Task Force collects water samples weekly from November through March when the County of Ventura scales back their testing. In addition to the 1000th Coastal Victory at Surfers’ Point, the chapter is leading a great dune restoration project at Port Hueneme. Check out the chapter website for more information.
The LA Chapter started the year strong with our new team of volunteers. The LA Chapter's Blue Water Task Force continued making waves as a community partner with the USC Clean Waters Project Proteocean Lab, bringing science-based water quality monitoring to local communities.
In January, the Chapter teamed up with RCDS MM and Surfrider LA to mark the one-year anniversary of the Palisades Fire with a beach cleanup at Topanga Beach. Volunteers reflected on how much the beach and surrounding hillsides had changed over the year, and left feeling hopeful about the healing ahead.
The Chapter joined forces at the Santa Monica Beach Dunes for a coastal restoration event, spreading California native dune plant seeds to support biodiversity and long-term coastal resilience, kicking off the morning with a grounding meditation courtesy of Santa Monica Yoga.
Surfrider LA's Ocean Friendly Gardens program led a tour of the Ballona Freshwater Marsh in partnership with Friends of Ballona Wetlands, connecting community members with local wildlife and native plants. The LA Chapter also stood strong on offshore drilling, continuing to organize and advocate against new offshore leases. Read more
The South Bay Chapter has launched a second Blue Water Task Force lab in Gardena! This new lab brings hands-on water quality science to the Gardena Willows Wetlands Preserve, an important urban wetland in the watershed of the South Bay area of Los Angeles, California.
The South Orange County Chapter hosted a marine mammal cruise with the Ocean Institute! Volunteers enjoyed what they work so hard to protect by spending two hours on the water with gray whales, common dolphins, and sea lions.
The San Diego Chapter continues to fight plastic pollution. Inspired by local model ordinances, the City of Del Mar has strengthened the fight against plastic pollution in San Diego County. The Chapter’s Plastic Pollution Co-lead, Janis Jones, and former San Diego County Senior Policy Manager, Mitch Silverstein, (now California Senior Policy Coordinator), were invited to present for Del Mar’s Sustainability Advisory Committee. Their presentation in August of 2025 highlighted the harmful impacts of single-use plastics and showcased successful ordinances adopted by other cities in San Diego County. The City of Vista also took a step forward by voting in favor of the single-use plastic beverage bottle ban for city facilities and events!
Additionally, we’re excited to announce the launch of the Tijuana Watershed Speaker Series. Surfrider Foundation’s Clean Border Water Now Program (CBWN) aims to address the sewage, trash, and industrial waste that plagues communities and ecosystems in the San Diego/Tijuana cross-border region. CBWN’s Tijuana Watershed Speaker Series is open to the public and provides a deep dive on topics related to the magnificent watershed and the pollution flowing through it that has led to a grave public health crisis.
Lastly in San Diego, the Chapter launched Earth Month with an Open House (formerly known as Chapter Meetings) focused on the risks of Offshore Oil Drilling with Ocean Protection Manager, Pete Stauffer. Pete highlighted the importance of opposing new offshore leases, the potential impacts on local beaches and economies, and dismantled common myths.