Surfboard Cradle-to-Grave

Though interest is growing in the surf community to design a surfboard from "green" materials, no life-cycle assessment (LCA) of a common surfboard (polyurethane or expanded polystyrene) has ever been conducted. Without an environmental assessment for the baseline materials used in surfboard manufacture, it is impossible to make informed decisions to reduce the footprint of the sport.

The surfing community is at a crucial juncture; decisions made, if ill-informed, will waste both money and time in the effort to make surfing environmentally friendly. Tobias Schultz has created the carbon footprint of a common surfboard to fill this information gap. He has also assessed the toxic by-products of surfing in the Technical Report.

Recommendations are made based on these results, both for board producers and for surfers in general.

This project is being conducted not-for-profit, with the intention of aiding members of the surf community in decreasing their environmental footprint.

Questions? Comments? Contact Tobias Schultz.

The following companies helped in the completion of the Project by providing information and other logistical support. Thanks guys! The Project couldn't have been completed without your help.

Surfline

Strive Surfboards

Arrow Surfboards

Projects

Surfboard Cradle-to-Grave Reports

Surfboard Cradle-to-Grave