Putsburough, one of the many incredible areas in North Devon. Photo: Rob Tibbles/Save the Waves
Last month, North Devon was added to the list of beaches designated as World Surfing Reserves. The designation “recognizes and celebrates the area’s outstanding quality surfing beaches and brings together the local community and experts in actions to protect them.”
North Devon is now part of a very exclusive club. It’s only the 12th reserve, the other of which are Malibu and Santa Cruz in California, Ericeira in Portugal, the Gold Coast, Manly, and Noosa in Australia, Punta de Lobos in Chile, Huanchaco in Peru, Guarda do Embaú in Brazil, and Bahía de Todos Santos in Mexico.
North Devon is a beautiful place with amazing surf. The natural beauty is nearly unparalleled, and the surf culture there is deep rooted and important to the surrounding community — all of which are staples of a World Surfing Reserve.
“We are delighted to welcome North Devon as a World Surfing Reserve alongside other iconic protected surfing locations around the world,” said Nik Strong-Cvetich, CEO of Save The Waves. “We hope this designation helps give a greater voice to surfers in decisions that will impact the beautiful coastline in North Devon and protect such a diverse range of waves.”
Save the Waves started the World Surfing Reserves program back in 2009. Since then, the coalition has been working tirelessly to protect areas deemed worth protecting. Save the Waves is an international non-profit with a focus on, as the name implies, on saving the waves and the areas around them.
“Our core focus is looking after the quality of the waves themselves and preserving the ecosystems that produce them,” Adam Hall, a local surfer and co-founder of the Surfing Reserve in North Devon, told Save the Waves. “Surf spots need to be celebrated, recognized and protected in the same way we protect and recognize beautiful national parks like Exmoor.”
North Devon is a bit of no-brainer for World Surf Reserve designation. Stretching nearly 20 miles, it includes waves like Croyde, Saunton, Woolacombe, and Lynmouth. It has vast sandy beaches and is full of a variety, from gentle longboard waves to powerful surf more apt for shortboarders.
The variety of waves in North Devon is certainly a redeeming quality of the place. Photo: Rob Tibbles/Save the Waves
Once a location is established as a World Surfing Reserve, a group called a Stewardship Council is tasked with making an action plan aimed at improving the area’s conservation. It’s not just about saving the waves themselves, though. It’s about protecting the whole coastline.
“In North Devon,” Save the Waves explained, “the group includes local organizations such as the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), environmental groups like Surfers Against Sewage, local community groups, surf clubs, local beach businesses and landowners, all coming together to work towards agreed goals and shared ideals.”
If all goes as hoped, the group’s plan will protect North Devon from coastal development, water pollution, coastal access issues, and, on a broader scale, climate change. It’s the first World Surfing Reserve in the UK and the second in Europe, and surprisingly, it’s the first one that’s classified as a “cold water reserve.”
“It’s the organizers’ intention,” Save the Waves continued, “that the successful implementation of this model in North Devon could be replicated by other coastal areas of the UK to protect their own waves and beaches, and ultimately to achieve a Surfing Reserve status, too.”
