Stoked to protect Washington's ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people!

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend...

Let some of the latest news from the Surfrider Washington world brighten your day as we slip'n'slide into a rainy Washington winter. As yet another atmospheric river dumps evermore rain, we hope you and yours are safe, warm, at least somewhat dry, and gearing up for a restorative holiday season. From the bottom of our soggy hearts, we could not be more grateful for everything you do to protect and enjoy our cold, wind-blown ocean, waves, and beaches!

~ Liz Schotman, Washington Regional Manager 

   Pete Steelquist, Washington Policy Manager

That's a wrap!

It's been a wild ride of a year! As we head into the final few weeks of 2025, I hope you're able to take a moment and celebrate all that we've accomplished this year - from THREE coastal victories, to launching new programs, signing up new Ocean Friendly Businesses, and sneaking in a few solid paddles/surfs/beachwalks, we couldn't be more grateful to send this year off with a massive shout out to everyone who makes this organization such a rad community and powerful voice for our ocean, waves, and beaches!

Cascadia Conference Recap

This October, Surfrider leaders from across the Pacific Northwest gathered in Long Beach, Washington, for the annual Surfrider Cascadia Leadership Conference — a celebration of community, collaboration, and coastal stewardship. Hosted at the Ocean Friendly Adrift Hotel, the conference brought together chapter volunteers, regional staff, and partners to share ideas, strengthen campaigns, and plan for another powerful year of protecting the places we love. This was more than a meeting - it was a reminder of the power of community, creativity, and shared purpose. From policy brainstorms to karaoke ballads, every moment underscored what makes this network special: the people who love their coastlines and want to spend their free time protecting and enjoying them. 

The Fight for Foam Free Waters Continues!

Just his past October, a group of intrepid volunteers spent a rainy weekend with heavy machinery to remove a derelict foam dock from Snow Creek up in the Olympic Peninsula. Shout out to the Olympic Peninsula Chapter and Washington Coastsavers for all the work that went into this removal effort! This event is timely given our Canadian partners up north are working on similar legislation to the bill we passed in Washington a few years ago that banned the installation of open-cell foam docks.

Coastal Resilience Corner: Coastal Hazards Reselience Network ASSEMBLE!

Earlier this summer, Surfrider Foundation Washington had the opportunity to participate in the 2025 Coastal Hazards Resilience Network (CHRN) Annual Meeting—an important gathering of researchers, practitioners, Tribal representatives, agency staff, and community-based organizations working to build coastal resilience across the Pacific Northwest. It was cool seeing our coastal victory from two years ago, HB 1181, being implemented in real time! This convening reaffirmed that true resilience isn’t just about infrastructure or modeling—it’s about people. We left the meeting more committed than ever to ensuring coastal recreation, access, and ecological health are part of the conversation—and the solution.