The Surfrider Podcast

Is Your Beach Safe? America's Hidden Water Quality Crisis

Clean water is essential for healthy beaches, but across the country, aging infrastructure, population growth, and climate-driven storms are pushing our wastewater systems past their limits. In this episode, we're joined by Surfrider's Clean Water Initiative Associate Director, Mara Dias, and Blue Water Task Force Volunteer Mitch Milligan to dig into what's really behind the rise in sewage spills and beach bacteria hotspots from coast to coast. Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force is on the front lines, turning community science into actionable data to help the public understand a simple truth: just because the water looks clean doesn't mean it is. Through hands-on water quality testing and advanced DNA tracking, Surfrider volunteers are connecting the dots between upstream infrastructure failures and downstream health risks, all while building community support to drive real solutions. It's a story about local action with national impact, and a reminder that your local water quality is just as important as your weather forecast when planning your next beach day — so visit https://www.surfrider.org/programs/blue-water-task-force [https://www.surfrider.org/programs/blue-water-task-force] to check the latest water quality data to keep you and your family safe, because no one should get sick from a day at the beach.

Style, Soul, & Stewardship. A Conversation with Surfing Legend Rob Machado

Legendary pro surfer Rob Machado is widely regarded as one of the most influential and stylish surfers of all time. But Rob's relationship with and impact on surfing and the ocean run much deeper than his professional career. In this episode, Rob shares about his deep family roots in Southern California and traces his personal journey as an ocean advocate — from taking water samples for Surfrider's Blue Water Task Force as a high school student in Cardiff to founding the Rob Machado Foundation, which has installed water refill stations across San Diego County schools and eliminated millions of single-use plastic bottles. In this wide-ranging conversation, he opens up about the competitive mindset that took him to the pinnacle of the world tour, why that famous high-five with Kelly Slater at Pipeline actually deepened his connection to what surfing should be, and how becoming a father shifted his priorities from tour life to environmental stewardship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Drilling is Killing: What's Next in The Fight Against Offshore Drilling?

In this episode, we're joined by Surfrider's Ocean Protection Manager, Pete Stauffer, and Surfrider's CEO, Dr. Chad Nelsen, to learn more about what will happen next in the complicated and consequential offshore oil drilling process unfolding now that the initial public comment period has ended. We also discuss what obligation, if any, the federal government has to listen to and "consider" the overwhelming popular opposition to its expansive offshore drilling plans, which are putting over 1 billion acres of our ocean and coasts at risk. Join us to learn more about how your local beach could be affected, who ultimately pays the price when oil spills happen, and what comes next in Surfrider's fight to protect our coasts from offshore drilling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Making Waves in 2025

Despite federal environmental rollbacks and budget cuts to NOAA and EPA, the Surfrider Foundation secured more than 40 coastal victories in 2025 — proving that grassroots activism and community-level action can still deliver real results for ocean protection. CEO Dr. Chad Nelsen and senior staff Emma Haydocy and Miho Ligare reflect on groundbreaking wins, including the completion of the 30-year Surfers Point coastal adaptation project and the Climate Action Program's restoration of 20+ acres of coastal habitat with the help of over 2,000 volunteers. The team also shares how Ocean Friendly Restaurants served 42 million single-use plastic-free meals, and Surfrider brought the plastics crisis to international negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland. But 2026 brings urgent new threats. The Trump administration is proposing to open the coasts of California, Florida, and Alaska to new offshore drilling — sparking bipartisan opposition from coastal communities across the country. With federal protections crumbling and a January 23, 2026, public comment deadline looming, this episode breaks down what's at stake and how you can take action at surfrider.org [http://surfrider.org/]. Whether you're concerned about beach erosion, plastic pollution, water quality, or climate change impacts on your favorite coastline, discover how Surfrider's network of volunteers, chapters, and policy experts is protecting the beaches you love — and how you can join the movement [https://mygiving.surfrider.org/-/XNSRBZFV]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The LA Fires. From Beaches to Burn Zones

The January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires didn't just devastate communities — they unleashed a cascade of toxic contamination into Southern California's coastal waters. When flames consumed over 16,000 structures in the Palisades and Eaton fires, they created a new environmental crisis: ash, heavy metals, PFAS chemicals, and hazardous debris washing directly into the Pacific Ocean. In this episode, we are joined by Eugenia Emacora, Surfrider's LA Chapter Manager, and Mara Dias, Senior Manager of Surfrider's Water Quality Initiative, to dive deep into Surfrider's critical efforts to protect public health and the marine environment by conducting frontlines post-fire water quality testing and keeping the local community informed. We examine what contaminants are actually in the water, what the data reveals about safety for swimmers, surfers, and marine life, and how Surfrider is advocating for transparency and environmental protections during the complex federal cleanup process. This episode explores how communities can build coastal resilience through nature-based solutions. Whether you're a concerned beachgoer, environmental advocate, or coastal community member, this episode provides essential information about navigating water safety in the aftermath of urban wildfires — and how Surfrider's network of local activists is fighting to protect the coasts we all love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]