Surfrider Foundation

Everyone get ready-​The Paddle for Clean Water Event is almost upon us!
The 18^th annual event sponsored by the San Diego Surfrider organization will be happening on September 13, 2009 at the Ocean Beach Pier at the foot of Newport Avenue in Ocean Beach.
The Paddle begins with a free breakfast at 9:00 a.m. The Paddle Around the Pier begins at 10:00 a.m., and then the party continues on until 5:00 p.m., with Clif Bars being the corporate sponsor again this year.
Having been many years attending, I can tell you it is a lot of fun. There are LOTS of free food samples, booths with environmental information, local artists and wares, eco-​friendly vendors, free massages, free surfing lessons, a surfboard demo, and a children’s area featuring arts & crafts. Lots of great music and rock bands on the beach and also a Stone Brew Beer Garden for those over the age of 21.
The Paddle Around the Pier features all kinds of paddlecraft and is open to all. It is a NON-​COMPETITIVE event and done to raise awareness of water pollution along San Diego’s coastline. The decline of near-​shore water quality remains a very big threat to our beaches and bays. Not only does pollution destroy marine habitats, but also poses a significant risk to the health of beach-​goers.
Over 1,000 beach and ocean-​lovers took part last year. And if you are not some big, buff surfer like me, you can still have fun having someone drag you around on your bogey-​board! There is a lot of camaraderie there that is so fun to be around. It’s a great way to get involved with Surfrider and learn more about environmental issues.
For more about the Paddle:
. or contact Bill Hickman at
.

in elementary school when one rotten child was putting the entire class at risk of losing recess, did you feel totally cheated? well that’s kind of what’s going on with the bon fires at Ocean Beach and on a large scale the entire ocean. there are no federal funds appropriated to maintain the fire pits at Ocean Beach (part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). The National Park Service has an agreement with Surfrider and Burners Without Borders to continue to allow the fire pits on the beach IF these two VOLUNTEER organizations maintain the pits.
So my sons and I got involved this past Sunday and saw first hand the mess that the beach is in. The nice thing was seeing the mess go away after just a few hours of work. But this is a weekly task for this organization and they need more volunteers.
Here is what I liked about this volunteer experience:
1. This foundation is not about band-​aid approaches. Education is a key mission that is intertwined in all of their service.
2. We were educated while volunteering. The two young women volunteers in charge of the clean up had degrees in environmental sciences and were happy to answer all of my questions and get my sons involved in the discussion.
3. This foundation addresses how human behavior on land, on the beach and away from the beach, affects the ocean. I love a foundation that gets to the core of the problem.
4. By only investing 2 hours of our week into volunteering, we were able to really focus on an issue that is important to us and the actual task of cleaning the fire pits and beach was extremely peaceful and centering.
and as a side note, the physical act of shoveling all the debris from the fire pits into the metal sieves, then shaking the sand out of them and dumping the debris into the garbage cans is a fantastic workout for your abs!

contribute to the surfrider foundation and help protect the world’s oceans, beaches, and waves.