Huhu, I am Jule, 24 & from Germany 🌞 I joined The Surf Tribe in February this year for my final internship as part of my Bachelor in Global Project and Change Management, which I study in the Netherlands. During this experience, I learned so much about sustainability and surfing and both together, and I would like to share some insights with you here! Also, in this blog entry, you can find my professional product called Surfing towards Sustainability, which I developed based on my research. It is an Inspirational Guide for Small-Scale Surf Tourism Operators on their sustainability journey. So make sure you check it out hehe!
What I did
While working as an intern, I had the opportunity to do different tasks, which I loved. Some of them included reviewing new partners for The Surf Tribe’s 1% for the Planet membership, trying to cut some reels for Instagram, helping to review the new website, and other small tasks. I also translated blog articles into German, which might sound a bit dry at first, but actually taught me a lot (if you have not checked them yet, do so!!). Lastly, I also wrote my first blog article (wuhu hihi) about “reef-safe“ sunscreen & would be happy if you take a look at it!
Besides this, the biggest part of my time went into my Bachelor thesis, which was broadly about how small-scale surf operators can strengthen their sustainability impact. More on that later.
A bit about me & why I ended up here
My interest in sustainability started at the end of high school, where I became more aware of how our decisions and actions regarding our diets, purchases, and travels influence our environment and the people living in it. And I wanted to do something about it. This is why I chose my study program, where we basically learn how to change the world, sounds quite big haha… but who does not want to know how to make the world a better place, even slightly?
My connection to surfing started about three years ago with a random surf camp trip to France, but then I slowly but steadily fell in love… So much, I decided to live in Portugal and Spain for the past eight months to be close to the beach and surf whenever I can. That changed everything about what I was looking for in a potential internship organisation. I knew I wanted to combine my older passion for sustainability with my newer one for surfing. And since The Surf Tribe does exactly that, here I am.
My research topic
For my thesis, I specifically looked at the typical characteristics of small-scale surf tourism operators (surf camps, surf houses, or agencies with fewer than 15 employees) and how these characteristics influence their opportunities to approach sustainability. In addition, I explored which sustainable practices (actions that contribute positively across environmental, socio-cultural, and economic dimensions) exist in the sector and which of these are adoptable for small-scale surf tourism operators.
What I found is that even though these small operators are often highly motivated to act for the planet and the people around them, their resource constraints, including money, time, and people, hold them back from doing as much as they want. So I thought, maybe I could contribute something to that. This is why I reviewed 12 surf tourism operators to understand how they publicly communicate their sustainability efforts and had conversations with several small operators and experts in sustainable surfing and sustainable tourism, most of whom were surfers themselves. Those inspiring conversations were honestly one of the highlights of this whole experience.
What my research showed & and what surprised me
Surf tourism faces a central paradox. The industry depends on pristine coastlines, healthy oceans, and authentic local cultures, but at the same time, tourism itself can place pressure on exactly those things if not managed responsibly. That is the uncomfortable truth beneath all of it…
But what surprised me most was the level of awareness among the small operators I spoke with. Nobody was pretending they do not have an impact, one operator said it simply: “We’re totally aware of what we’re doing. Also, the bad things.” And some were even humble about their amazing efforts, saying: “We are not really doing anything crazy“, but then named seven actions in a row.
And I think it is a bit sad that I was surprised by that transparency, but I think in this current world, where everything is about consuming more, gaining a competitive advantage, and the result of greenwashing, I was relieved to see that there are real people out there.
So the fact that I was looking at small surf operators turned out to be actually the best part of this research because they showed that being small is an amazing strength, besides the barriers they face when it comes to sustainability. They named several sustainable practices, such as local hiring, sourcing food from nearby markets, building real, long-term relationships with communities, maintaining equipment instead of replacing it, and partnering with local NGOs, showing that most of them are already doing meaningful work.
Plus, they can often make decisions overnight, as one example showed where one co-founder raised the minimum crew tip on a Maldives boat trip: “I woke up in the morning and thought, why don’t we just do $150 instead of $100? There’s no decision-making. We can do it, we do it. That’s it.” That kind of agility is so powerful and one of the biggest sustainability advantages of small operators.
Surfing towards Sustainability - what I want to share with other operators
I needed and wanted to create something that would be useful for both The Surf Tribe and for the overall sector. So what came out of all of this research is something I am really proud of (hihi):
Surfing towards Sustainability is an Inspirational Guide developed specifically for small-scale surf tourism operators that want to get started or further strengthen their sustainability impact.
This PDF includes 32 sustainable practices grounded in real stories, including quotes from operators and experts I spoke with, and examples of how surf tourism operators around the world already approach sustainability. It is not a checklist or fixed set of general recommendations, but should serve as inspiration and food for thought.
I also want to acknowledge that I am aware the sustainability and each of small surf operator‘s realities is unique and there is no one-size fits all approach when it comes to how to approach sustainability. Also, this work is just based on a Bachelor thesis of four months, which means there is still much more to explore, refine, and build upon.
So when you read it, pick what resonates with you, leave what doesn’t, and always make sure to adapt everything to your own context. And keep in mind you cannot do everything, which is okay, because who can? But you can definitely do something and you are probably already doing more than you think!
Final thoughts & many final thank yous
Before I close this article, I want to take a moment to thank all the people participating in this research. You inspired me for my future, and I genuinely hope our paths cross again. Also, thanks to my friends and family for the support through this intense time.
And of course, a big thank you to The Surf Tribe for this opportunity! You welcomed me openly, involved me as much as possible in a remote setting, and showed me the kind of environment I want to work in in the future. Every single person on the team gives so much to this company, holding so much interesting knowledge about surfing, and cares so deeply for the people and the planet, trying to make this company more than profitable. They inspired me to keep working towards the things I want to do in life. Thank you & keep it up!!
My last and most special thank you goes to you, Gianfranco, the co-founder of The Surf Tribe and my mentor during the internship. You made me feel safe and included from day one and approached everything with so much openness and flexibility. You always encouraged and trusted me, so I never felt like I couldn’t ask questions. I always felt that my contributions were genuinely valued. I am so grateful for you and this overall experience. Thank you!
I hope to see you all at one of the upcoming The Surf Tribe’s Originals, or somewhere else in the lineup. Until then, enjoy life! xx Jule ⭐️
Download the Inspirational Guide here!
