Staff Reporter
Surfing in Santa Cruz isn’t just a sport; it drives nearly $200 million into the local surf economy. A new study reveals how California surf breaks power tourism and jobs — and how rising seas threaten this lifeline. Santa Cruz’s world-famous waves now face a rising tide of economic and climate risk.
Story Highlights
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Surfing in Santa Cruz generates nearly $200 million annually in local economic impact
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Study analyzes 31 California surf breaks and over 783,000 surf visits a year
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Sea level rise threatens surfability, risking losses of up to $34.5 million annually
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Adaptation measures include beach sand management, revetments, and managed retreat
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Researchers hope to create a statewide “Surfanomics” model for California
Surfing Powers Santa Cruz’s Economy
In Central California, surfing in Santa Cruz is more than a cultural symbol — it’s a powerful economic force. A groundbreaking study released by the nonprofit Save The Waves Coalition, together with Integral Consulting and Black Surf Santa Cruz, finds that surfing the region’s waves generates almost $200 million in economic impact every year.
The report breaks down spending across several categories. Surf trips alone produce about $44.5 million annually for the city, while equipment, services, and other related purchases add up to an estimated $150.2 million. Researchers analyzed 31 California surf breaks in Santa Cruz and surveyed residents to understand how much surfers spend and how often they travel.
The Numbers Behind the Waves
Shaun Burns, reserves network coordinator for Save The Waves Coalition, says the new data finally puts a clear price tag on a pastime long seen as “priceless.”
“Now we can say surfing isn’t just priceless, there is a number to how valuable it is,” Burns told SFGATE.
The study calculates that more than 783,000 surf visits take place each year in Santa Cruz, with each surf trip valued at about $56.82. For a sport not usually measured in dollars, these findings are a first-of-its-kind “Surfanomics” attempt to estimate how much the surf economy really contributes to coastal communities.
Rising Seas Threaten Surfability
But the research also carries a warning. As sea level rise accelerates, the surfability of many Santa Cruz surf breaks is at risk. Surfability measures how often a wave is surfable. Even small changes in sea level can drastically affect conditions:
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At 1 foot of rise, surfability drops 29%
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At 2 feet, it declines 57%
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At 3 feet, it plunges 77%
Without adaptation, the study predicts revenue losses of up to $34.5 million each year.
Burns said these changes are visible to anyone in the water:
“Surfers are some of the few people who see climate change up close in the water,” he said. “A break where I used to boogie board growing up isn’t there anymore.”
Searching for Coastal Solutions
To protect the California surf breaks that sustain both culture and economy, the study examined several forms of coastal resilience.
Revetments and sea walls, which absorb wave energy, can offer only small, short-term gains up to 1 foot of sea level rise. Beach sand management, a middle-ground approach, helps to combat erosion up to 2 feet of rise but becomes ineffective beyond that. Managed retreat — relocating public and private property off the coastline and allowing beaches to return to their natural state — is politically unpopular but offers the greatest long-term benefits for maintaining surfability.
A Model for California Surfing Communities
California has more than 300 surf breaks, but their combined economic value remains unknown. Burns hopes the Santa Cruz research can serve as a template for other surfing communities in California.
“This could help build pathways to working with other coastal towns to form more surf reserves throughout the state,” he said.
He added that the team plans to present the findings to the city of Santa Cruz and the California Coastal Commission, and to share the data with other cities and counties.
“It’s kind of a bummer that we have to do a project like this for people to take surfing seriously,” Burns said. “But then again, the numbers don’t lie.”
Surfing in Santa Cruz at a Crossroads
The new study underscores how deeply surfing in Santa Cruz is intertwined with the local economy and how sea level rise threatens both. With clear figures and a replicable model, researchers hope their work will guide policy decisions and encourage more coastal communities to measure and protect their own surf economies.
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