About Citizen Surfers

Citizen Surfers brings people together for surf and service tours, helping them reach great breaks, experience new cultures, and give back.

Background

Starting in Brooklyn, New York, Ben Sargent began taking kids and their families on exciting journeys of discovery in their backyards, exploring the marine treasures of their local waterways and learning how to most responsibly enjoy them. This concept has now grown into invigorating surf journeys to remote communities, where participants play an integral role in the daily life of the community while being able to enjoy some of the world's greatest surf breaks - in short, giving back to the places we so enjoy surfing at, the places that are often on the losing end of the typical quick surf-spot development scenario.

Overview

Citizen Surfers will not just jet into, drive through, surf the break and leave these unique cultural destinations - you will learn the basics of the local language with the help of our guides learn local cooking and culinary secrets by participating in the preparation of all meals, learn local crafts and arts such as basket weaving, pottery, and mural painting, and surf with and teach the children of these communities how to surf. At some destinations there will be expanded educational offerings depending on the community's schools, educational resources (i.e. a marine biology lab) and the host country's education / university system.

In addition to a cultural experience / exchange, participants will come away with skills, language proficiency, and memories that will last a lifetime - not just hazy recollections from a trashy local bar.

The program will also help the local community in several ways to:

• hold on to local farms and family owned land
• protect local breaks
• gain income from hosting CS volunteers
• learn English
• learn and utilize modern energy sources such as solar, hydro power
• complete needed small community building projects

With Citizen Surfers, you get adventure, great waves, skills, new friends, and the feeling that you are leaving the community a much better place than when you arrived.

Partners

CS has partnered with Waves For Development and Earth Sessions to assess the skills and availability of interested candidates and match them to project needs and opportunities. CS also works with upublic Education Development to create expanded educational opportunities such as for-credit trips and tailored curricula.

Opportunities for volunteering depend on the needs of the organization at the time, but typically include: swimming instruction, surf coaching, mentoring, arts and crafts, sports and fitness training, language instruction, building and construction projects, photography, video production, and business training.