1:23 Imperial Beach, CA 2:27 KAHALU'U, HI 3:28 Godrevy Beach UK 4:55 Cangu, Bali 6:38 Fukushima, Japan 7:20 Newcastle UK 8:01 Rio 9:18 Long Island NY 9:48 What can be done??
11 beaches around Durban are seriously polluted due to mismanagement. Ballito Tidal Pool, Westbrook Beach, Umdloti Beach, Glenashley Beach, Virginia Beach, Umgeni River, Umgeni River mouth, Laguna Beach, Country Club Beach, Bay of Plenty and Addington Beach - all have critical levels of E. coli.
I’m from SanDiego and the place I used to live the closest surf was Imperial beach. It’s got some good breaks and the TJ river mouth has some insane barrels. Really nice break but the water is so polluted. The whole town smells bad. Really unfortunate. I know people that have been surfing it their whole lives and they never have been sick. It certainly isn’t clean but I’d go out if it’s firing
Been surfing 32 years. Luckily only had 4 ear infections (Bali, Samoa, Croyde, Hossegor). Have had semi closed ear canals (surfers ears aka: ear exostosis) for about last 13 years and about 9 years ago got the worst ear infection where it totally blocked one of my my already 50% closed exostosis ears. Was sent to ear surgeon where he chiseled out the abscess with no local anesthetic - was a fuckin painful 5mins. But luckily I have never had an ear infection since as I quickly adopted a new regime: Always where ear plugs (I like speedo fusion or Macs silicone). Where wetsuit hood in cold water. Always rinse out ears with fresh water after each surf and most importantly wash ears 1 to 2 times a week with rubbing alcohol (70%) and then use a soft tissue to dry outer ear entrance. I believe the ear plugs have also helped my ear canals from closing any further. So basically good ear management can help resist further ear canal detonation. I'd strongly advise any new or young surfers doing all this from day one to avoid the wretched surfer's ear and general infections.
Yeah, same problem. All the time. My ENT surgeon found sea water and sand in my ears. (friends wanted to know what the wave break was like). Know now to always wash ear holes right out, after EVERY surf, then dry them out with some alcohol based preparation and sometimes a hair dryer. And keep them pretty clear of wax too. (which traps water and shit in there).
Down at La Barre between Bayonne and Biarritz. Collects all the filth from the Spanish Basque mountains after huge storms. Been out there surfing with dead sheep and lots of other assorted beasties. Would clean up relatively quickly if there is an accompanying heavy duty swell.
Aloha Dan FYI. Kahaluu is NOT a surf spot. It’s located in the mud flat area of the inside of Kaneohe bay. The nearest surf spots are located on an outer reef and those spots are not surfed often and require a boat and perfect winds. The waters outside the bay are definitely a lot cleaner than the kahaluu area. 🤙🏾
Long Island is not nearly as dirty as the LA area after rain. I’ve seen beautiful blue or emerald green water days on the Island. Honestly suprised you didn’t mention a place like topanga or first point which are next to nasty sewage/river mouths.
The Tijuana Sloughs was an early big wave testing ground...late 40s through 50s. Bob Simmons surfed there when it broke. I'm sure the water quality wasn't so great back then either.
I used to live in IB and surfed the sloughs quite a few times. I also am a plumber who works at hospital and regularly deal with raw sewage. I would tell people that I built an immunity surfing the sloughs. I was there during the sewage spill in 2015. I was able to smell it at my house 2 blocks from the beach. It’s pretty bad. The wave is fantastic though.
There is a nice little wave in Tarkwa Bay in Lagos, Nigeria. Super consistent, but it's a shame the water is so polluted. It sits adjacent to a major industrial shipping challen, and is kind of near the rivermouth/lagoon. You have urban runoff and heaps of trash and rubbish. It's like surfing in garbage and gasoline. I didn't stop me from getting out there as it's my only option in the near area, but it's a challenge to bear it.
I remember being on a beach in Accra, Ghana, and watching the waves. They looked really good, but I couldn't figure out the weird seaweed that was all over them. Then I realized that it was all black plastic bags. The ocean was carpeted in black plastic bags. Totally heartbreaking. Managed a good surf in Busua, but hardly touched the ocean besides that.
I usually brush my teeth , use mouthwash , and peroxide in the ears. I aways pick up at least 1 load of plastic every time I surf. I always make sure people see me to set an example but also to respect the ocean.
Canary islands - many dont know but also has a big problem, las americas in tenerife youll walk right over the sewage pipes to go surf. People get sick often and dont know why
As a Capetonian I’ve had some serious staph infections exposure. This makes you aware of how little we do and how much we can do. Good episode and awareness thanks Dan.
I have lived in San Diego for 25 years and been a surfing photographer/videographer. Imperial Beach is a national catastrophe. It is not only the ocean that is insanely polluted from the Tijuana, Mexico raw sewage runoff but the entire estuary surrounding IB is so polluted that the pollution is now breaking down into aerosols and people living near there are getting sick from the air. The trash flow from Tijuana is also building up in the estuary with feet deep trash on the shore lines which is not safe for normal beach cleanups because the trash has been soaking in raw sewage so it is not safe to touch or breath in. Dan is correct that the beaches have been closed in IB for an insane amount of days but the pollution gets so bad that it drifts north and has in recent years been closing the beaches in Coronado which is one of the biggest tourist destination in San Diego
Dan, really good topic! I would like to add that incephalitis is probably the most dangerous thing you can gel. Look what happened to Timmy Reyes in Mexico. Living in Costa Rica where it rains a lot, I wait for the tide to clear out the dirty water before surfing.
One of my mentors, and the only surfer back in the day who could give Donald Takyama a run for his money in surf competitions was Barry Ault. In 2014, he and two others out at Sunset Cliffs, two days after a rain..all three got staph infections but Barry succumbed to the infection, 3 days after they went surfing.
I grew up surfing IB. Now I worry about leaving my window open at night because of the smell. We’ve not only been left to rot here, but they wanted to dump a landfill in the fucking river valley. The whole town is fucking pissed. Stop the smell!
Rio is kinda ok cause the bay is not breaking rarely and the other surfspots are outside the area, but still. But I never surf the French Basque Country in the summer. I got in the hospital with an infected leg. The water purification stations can not keep up with the rains and its super touristic (about 10 times the people in winter, )plus several rivers come out and we didn't talked about the plastic than comes from other coastlines in the corner of the golf.
thanks for the shoutout about stopping plastic pollution at the source: the production. Too many people are not aware of this and still think beach cleanups and recycling systems are the answer, which they are obviously not. We have the same pollution problems after heavy rains at a local Break in Marseille, that's why I never surf there after rain ;)...
100% agree. I live in Oregon, and it’s generally a cleaner place than most. But last winter I went for a surf and found thousands of small pieces of plastic littering the beach for as far as I could see that got washed up from the tides. Sorry, but no amount of beach cleanups is going to fix it. It needs to be stopped at the source. It’s absolutely disgusting and we need to do better.
Thank you for bring our attention to these important issues for surfers, and for "common" 😏 folk. I had a surf trip to California foiled by pollution and beach closures last year.
NO ONE talks about the Tijuana river and IB... That place can be a REALLY good wave from time to time. Super sad situation down there (TIjuana and local Baja beaches are no better) 😭💩
I surf just south of imperial beach. In Mexico. There’s never anyone in the water. I think people are afraid of the pollution. I dont go after it rains but any other time is great. I think my immune system is used to it!
I’m glad I live where I live where I live in Australia, despite your overhyping of the crowd issue , not an issue around here compared to your local break Godrevy Beach
@@DanHarmon123 Surfrider has been trying for years but they don’t have influence in Mexico. The only protection is the Tijuana slough which is a wetland that naturally filters the pollution but it can’t handle the heavy rains. I just go down to northern Baja and surf. It’s cleaner and better waves.
Edgewater Beach in Cleveland, OH - beautiful, but so polluted. The water is not good to taste. I did not dare to go right after a heavy rain as all the sewage was coming back to the shore. So sad.
Kahalu'u (kaha loo oo) is also a break on Big island in in Kona. It was my home break when I lived there and also polluted from cesspools, surfed it all the time and had with no problems but I suppose Kahalu'u on Oahu is much worse.
What about the water quality in Salinas, Northern Spain? Right next to huge a huge harbour and next to metal processing companies. Air seems to be really bad too.
Morocco can also get pretty gross. Also on land. I went to visit "Paradise Valley" some ten years ago and it was such a beautiful place just littered with plastic everywhere.
@@DanHarmon123yep. A sewage pipe broke and they let untreated sewage rush out for months. It never used to be posted 24/7 back in the day. I had surf PE at the pier like 20 years ago.
@kellenfury771 happened. The last of the sewage treatment pumps are supposed to be fixed by the end of September. I'm not holding my breath about that solving anything though.
So I went in March to Morocco Tamraght (Next to Tagazhout) and we had our AirBnb on the beach next to a river mouth which was try when we arrived but the 4th day it began raining heavily up in the mountains and a sludge of raw sewage plastic and debris came rushing down. The local next door said to wait at least 3 days to go back in because you would go to the hospital if you didn't, and indeed for three days the lineup was empty, so we moved down the coast to find less poluted beaches. Marrocco is a nice country and are advancing really fast but in terms of waste systems they are 100 years behind.
FYI the water being brown and murky isn’t a sign of pollution (looks are deceiving) but usually a rush of sediment. Any river run off or heavy rain will do that cause the increased water flow will move the sediment. Even ocean currents or large swell on sandbanks will cause that cause the sediment is moved around. Now if a river is polluted aka you dumping your sht in it then yes that will run off to the ocean too meaning there can be a correlation between murkier water and increased pollution but correlation doesn’t imply causation. River moving sediment cause murky water and if that river is polluted then those polluants move with the sediment. That being said murky water like this can be significant as a surfer if you in a sharky place (which is everywhere) cause that sediment run off means food for predators meaning you’ll likely be surfing around some food motivated sharks in murky waters. Not saying this to scare people to be aware and be more cautious in those conditions.
@@DanHarmon123 it's like, 5km from Zicatela, so not the worst, not the best. I don't know if I'd go in the water if the sewage coming out of Colorada was in full flow. The videos my friends have shared were intensely disgusting. Like just full on sludge.
Salinas in the north coast of Spain, famous last years for a Longboard festival, duct tape challenge included. Chemical companies really close to the seashore dumping tons of waste daily into the sea where we surf and some sulfuric lagoons less than a hundred meters from the seashore, a shame.
San Diego surfer here married to a nurse. There is something called necrotizing fasciitis. It will kill you quickly some people have died from it in San Diego. It's really sad how badly TJ pollutes imperial, silver strand, and Coronado. Fortunately the cabrillo point kicks teg sewage out to sea saving sunset cliffs and up.
OB San Francisco. Regular sewage overflows undisclosed to the public, to the point where the city is being sued by multiple regulators for clean water violations (and is making excuses and appealing to the SCOTUS instead of cleaning up). Please support Surfrider.
We live in Rio de Janeiro (guanabara bay) The best spot here is Sao Conrado. Perfect pyramids waves, but there are a lot raw sewage!!! There another call Urca (Urca Fort) restricted military area in guanarabara bay. Rare to break. There are Epic heavy wedges.
@@DanHarmon123 HEy Dan!!! That's it. And It depends on rain, sea current and wind. But in general there is sewage on most beaches. The city is very big.
I've looked at this issue for years looking for a solution. The French are doing research on sewage. What they found is urine self sterilizes after 8-9 days and can be used as a fertilizer . It's when you mix the urine and feces together that you get the issues. Some Indians have a interesting way of dealing with urine and feces by first collecting the urine separately to use as fertilizer. The feces is put into a giant pot. They then let that sit and it starts generating gas which they then use to cook food . A really untapped resource that the city of Fountain Valley, Ca was interested in and installed a test system to harvest energy.
For me the worst pollution I experienced was at Weligama/Sri Lanka. Was really dissapointed following the "hype" about the bay. Bubbly fuel smelling water and closeouts 🙃
I have been staying in Lima, Peru, off and on and the plastic problem in less "developed" countries is really shocking. I blame 100% the greedy corportations only selling plastic products to these countries. The people are not educated on the effects, and are being taken adventage of on a LARGE scale.
Kahalu'u is super dirty and the water is pretty much brown but nobody surfs there. There is no surf break there at all so nobody ever stops there to go in the water.
Dan, way back in the late 80’s after having a tooth removed from a Tiajuana Dentist,I decided to surf the Tijuana sloughs in winter after a rainfall. I was almost Hospitalized and had very high body temps. ( I almost went to the Coronado Hospital, but in true American fashion, did not have Medical coverage,so thus, couldn’t afford to go). My body Temps. We’re so high, my Nurse girlfriend was really worried. Thankfully for Strong Antibiotics coupled with strong Mezcal+ Tequila, I was eventually cured…….. Just another Surf adventure I suppose…….god speed my fellow surfing Brothers!
It's sad the corporations making billions have cuased so much ecological destruction....and at worse pay a fine ....and just keep on polluting becuase the government got paid .
Not ecological but economic, still a good example. The 2008- 2009 financial crisis. I lost my house, probably 120k in equity to the Robosigning scandal, the bank received billions in public assistance, nobody went to jail, and I got something like $2700.00 four or five years later.
This is true, but individuals seem to destroy everything just fine on their own. It’s an education problem for sure. I pick up trash in my yard from passers by daily. If I didn’t, it would make its way to the water. Might still. WTF. Videos like this hopefully help.
The alcohol thing works. Just have a shot or two on empty stomach, don’t chase it. Solved issues from Mexico for me a couple times, and I was in no mood for tequila at the time.
Many of these places make the list because of extensive water quality testing. Almost any urban coast is polluted to unsafe levels of bacteria, medical waste, harsh chemicals, etc due to runoff. There are exceptions but they’re just that
I grew up surfing Imperial Beach all my life. I’ve gotten diarrhea, rashes and finally in the past recent years, I’ve quit surfing my home break next to the pier. I worry about my health and don’t want to put myself at risk. Now have to travel north or even south just to surf. The smell at times at night is so bad we have to close our windows. The smell affects Imperial Beach, Nestor, San Ysidro. It’s very unfortunate we have to live with this pollution. C.R.A.P. , Citizens Revolting Against Pollution!!
I recommend bringing a bottle of hydrogen peroxide along with some Q-Tip ear swabs. Bring some saline eye wash, bring a fresh bottle of water. Swap each ear well.... then gargle well with the peroxide... tilt your head back to get the throat (spit and repeat - then rinse with fresh water). Then wash the eyes thoroughly with the saline solution. All this great stuff is cheap to acquire - and has served me well. In fact... I gargle daily at bedtime - have done so for years... helps fight off colds and flu - even brighten your teeth. You'll notice a burning sensation when there is the presence of germs or bacteria... the rest of the time... if you're healthy - you'll only notice some tingling and bubbling. That easy - no harm done.
I live 10 minutes away from imperial beach. I often walk my dog all the way to the slough. It’s honestly worse than the video makes it out to be. You can smell the water. You see trash all along the shoreline. And not just plastic I mean full on mattress’s from Mexico. I dipped my feet in a while back while walking my dog and my ankles were the itchiest I’ve ever felt before and dried out. It’s disgusting, so I became border patrol out of spite and anger
Sadly, it is raw sewage along the Canggu coastline. Water test results show high rates of it. The irritation systems in Bali cannot handle the capacity. Most toilets use septic pit systems instead of traditional sewer systems and only big hotels are connected to the water treatment. We’re literally surfing in shit.
Ka-ha-loo-oooo def not an actual surf spot. That’s my home town. It’s just on the bay. There is some outer reefs but nothing I’ve heard anybody surfing that I’m aware of.
The plastic pollution in Bali is insane. Just duck diving into plastic, it’s terrible. Even on “nice” days I’m holding my mouth shut as long as possible.
1:23 Imperial Beach, CA
2:27 KAHALU'U, HI
3:28 Godrevy Beach UK
4:55 Cangu, Bali
6:38 Fukushima, Japan
7:20 Newcastle UK
8:01 Rio
9:18 Long Island NY
9:48 What can be done??
11 beaches around Durban are seriously polluted due to mismanagement. Ballito Tidal Pool, Westbrook Beach, Umdloti Beach, Glenashley Beach, Virginia Beach, Umgeni River, Umgeni River mouth, Laguna Beach, Country Club Beach, Bay of Plenty and Addington Beach - all have critical levels of E. coli.
I’m from SanDiego and the place I used to live the closest surf was Imperial beach. It’s got some good breaks and the TJ river mouth has some insane barrels. Really nice break but the water is so polluted. The whole town smells bad. Really unfortunate. I know people that have been surfing it their whole lives and they never have been sick. It certainly isn’t clean but I’d go out if it’s firing
Been surfing 32 years. Luckily only had 4 ear infections (Bali, Samoa, Croyde, Hossegor). Have had semi closed ear canals (surfers ears aka: ear exostosis) for about last 13 years and about 9 years ago got the worst ear infection where it totally blocked one of my my already 50% closed exostosis ears. Was sent to ear surgeon where he chiseled out the abscess with no local anesthetic - was a fuckin painful 5mins. But luckily I have never had an ear infection since as I quickly adopted a new regime: Always where ear plugs (I like speedo fusion or Macs silicone). Where wetsuit hood in cold water. Always rinse out ears with fresh water after each surf and most importantly wash ears 1 to 2 times a week with rubbing alcohol (70%) and then use a soft tissue to dry outer ear entrance. I believe the ear plugs have also helped my ear canals from closing any further. So basically good ear management can help resist further ear canal detonation. I'd strongly advise any new or young surfers doing all this from day one to avoid the wretched surfer's ear and general infections.
Yeah, same problem. All the time. My ENT surgeon found sea water and sand in my ears. (friends wanted to know what the wave break was like).
Know now to always wash ear holes right out, after EVERY surf, then dry them out with some alcohol based preparation and sometimes a hair dryer. And keep them pretty clear of wax too. (which traps water and shit in there).
Thank you Dan for raising more awareness around this sad topic. You're the man!
Down at La Barre between Bayonne and Biarritz. Collects all the filth from the Spanish Basque mountains after huge storms. Been out there surfing with dead sheep and lots of other assorted beasties. Would clean up relatively quickly if there is an accompanying heavy duty swell.
I used to surf over tar balls and hospital waste on the Jersey shore back in the 80s. It’s so much cleaner now.
Santa Barbara county beaches have a lot of tar seepage as well.... I used to blame the offshore oil rigs, but turns out it is natural seepage.
Aloha Dan
FYI. Kahaluu is NOT a surf spot. It’s located in the mud flat area of the inside of Kaneohe bay. The nearest surf spots are located on an outer reef and those spots are not surfed often and require a boat and perfect winds. The waters outside the bay are definitely a lot cleaner than the kahaluu area.
🤙🏾
Long Island is not nearly as dirty as the LA area after rain. I’ve seen beautiful blue or emerald green water days on the Island. Honestly suprised you didn’t mention a place like topanga or first point which are next to nasty sewage/river mouths.
The Tijuana Sloughs was an early big wave testing ground...late 40s through 50s. Bob Simmons surfed there when it broke. I'm sure the water quality wasn't so great back then either.
I used to live in IB and surfed the sloughs quite a few times. I also am a plumber who works at hospital and regularly deal with raw sewage. I would tell people that I built an immunity surfing the sloughs. I was there during the sewage spill in 2015. I was able to smell it at my house 2 blocks from the beach. It’s pretty bad. The wave is fantastic though.
There is a nice little wave in Tarkwa Bay in Lagos, Nigeria. Super consistent, but it's a shame the water is so polluted. It sits adjacent to a major industrial shipping challen, and is kind of near the rivermouth/lagoon. You have urban runoff and heaps of trash and rubbish. It's like surfing in garbage and gasoline. I didn't stop me from getting out there as it's my only option in the near area, but it's a challenge to bear it.
I remember being on a beach in Accra, Ghana, and watching the waves. They looked really good, but I couldn't figure out the weird seaweed that was all over them. Then I realized that it was all black plastic bags. The ocean was carpeted in black plastic bags. Totally heartbreaking. Managed a good surf in Busua, but hardly touched the ocean besides that.
Hey mate!! I've always thought there would be fun waves in that part of the world,. but pollution sounds next level!!
Wow, that's crazy!!
@@DanHarmon123 Surfing Busua was freggin magical, though.
I usually brush my teeth , use mouthwash , and peroxide in the ears. I aways pick up at least 1 load of plastic every time I surf. I always make sure people see me to set an example but also to respect the ocean.
Canary islands - many dont know but also has a big problem, las americas in tenerife youll walk right over the sewage pipes to go surf. People get sick often and dont know why
As a Capetonian I’ve had some serious staph infections exposure. This makes you aware of how little we do and how much we can do. Good episode and awareness thanks Dan.
I have lived in San Diego for 25 years and been a surfing photographer/videographer. Imperial Beach is a national catastrophe. It is not only the ocean that is insanely polluted from the Tijuana, Mexico raw sewage runoff but the entire estuary surrounding IB is so polluted that the pollution is now breaking down into aerosols and people living near there are getting sick from the air. The trash flow from Tijuana is also building up in the estuary with feet deep trash on the shore lines which is not safe for normal beach cleanups because the trash has been soaking in raw sewage so it is not safe to touch or breath in. Dan is correct that the beaches have been closed in IB for an insane amount of days but the pollution gets so bad that it drifts north and has in recent years been closing the beaches in Coronado which is one of the biggest tourist destination in San Diego
Always good content 🤙 Thank you! 🌊
Good overview Dan!
Thanks :)
Excellent topic for a video.
Dan, really good topic! I would like to add that incephalitis is probably the most dangerous thing you can gel. Look what happened to Timmy Reyes in Mexico. Living in Costa Rica where it rains a lot, I wait for the tide to clear out the dirty water before surfing.
Barranca could’ve been on this list. That place is filthy regardless of excessive rain.
One of my mentors, and the only surfer back in the day who could give Donald Takyama a run for his money in surf competitions was Barry Ault. In 2014, he and two others out at Sunset Cliffs, two days after a rain..all three got staph infections but Barry succumbed to the infection, 3 days after they went surfing.
I grew up surfing the north end of Coronado Beach. Super fast and hallow on a South swell, its being closed constantly from pollution now. Pretty sad
I grew up surfing IB. Now I worry about leaving my window open at night because of the smell. We’ve not only been left to rot here, but they wanted to dump a landfill in the fucking river valley. The whole town is fucking pissed. Stop the smell!
Bondi Beach, Sydney & Kirra Gold Coast QLD dirty af due to PFAS run offs near the airport and waterways that run into the actual groin..
Good info, cheers
Rio is kinda ok cause the bay is not breaking rarely and the other surfspots are outside the area, but still. But I never surf the French Basque Country in the summer. I got in the hospital with an infected leg. The water purification stations can not keep up with the rains and its super touristic (about 10 times the people in winter, )plus several rivers come out and we didn't talked about the plastic than comes from other coastlines in the corner of the golf.
thanks for the shoutout about stopping plastic pollution at the source: the production. Too many people are not aware of this and still think beach cleanups and recycling systems are the answer, which they are obviously not. We have the same pollution problems after heavy rains at a local Break in Marseille, that's why I never surf there after rain ;)...
100% agree. I live in Oregon, and it’s generally a cleaner place than most. But last winter I went for a surf and found thousands of small pieces of plastic littering the beach for as far as I could see that got washed up from the tides. Sorry, but no amount of beach cleanups is going to fix it. It needs to be stopped at the source. It’s absolutely disgusting and we need to do better.
Very educational, normally I’ve heard of every place you talk about.
Thank you for bring our attention to these important issues for surfers, and for "common" 😏 folk. I had a surf trip to California foiled by pollution and beach closures last year.
Damn that sucks!!
Yea..everytime I surf the North East UK I glow green for days..)
NO ONE talks about the Tijuana river and IB... That place can be a REALLY good wave from time to time. Super sad situation down there (TIjuana and local Baja beaches are no better) 😭💩
I surf just south of imperial beach. In Mexico. There’s never anyone in the water. I think people are afraid of the pollution. I dont go after it rains but any other time is great. I think my immune system is used to it!
I’m glad I live where I live where I live in Australia, despite your overhyping of the crowd issue , not an issue around here compared to your local break Godrevy Beach
A place called La Barre in Anglet (France) is really polluted also. After heavy rains is always brown and polluted
Thanks Dan!
I live in San Diego and imperial beach is super polluted. Tijuana river is nasty!
Thanks for the video!
Hey Scott! Damn, looks so gnarly there! Are they doing anything to sort it out?
@@DanHarmon123
Surfrider has been trying for years but they don’t have influence in Mexico. The only protection is the Tijuana slough which is a wetland that naturally filters the pollution but it can’t handle the heavy rains. I just go down to northern Baja and surf. It’s cleaner and better waves.
Sayulita, in Nayarit Mexico sometimes has "black water" after a heavy rain. It used to be awesome but now its overcrowded, dirty, and full of garbage.
really? you think sayulita is that bad? i surfed there last year was pretty clean and nice honestly
Edgewater Beach in Cleveland, OH - beautiful, but so polluted. The water is not good to taste. I did not dare to go right after a heavy rain as all the sewage was coming back to the shore. So sad.
Kahalu'u (kaha loo oo) is also a break on Big island in in Kona. It was my home break when I lived there and also polluted from cesspools, surfed it all the time and had with no problems but I suppose Kahalu'u on Oahu is much worse.
What about the water quality in Salinas, Northern Spain? Right next to huge a huge harbour and next to metal processing companies. Air seems to be really bad too.
Morocco can also get pretty gross. Also on land. I went to visit "Paradise Valley" some ten years ago and it was such a beautiful place just littered with plastic everywhere.
IMPERIAL Beach has been nasty back in the 80's Santa Monica is fealthy real bad now.
Damn! Has the problem gotten worse there since the 80's??
@@DanHarmon123yep. A sewage pipe broke and they let untreated sewage rush out for months. It never used to be posted 24/7 back in the day. I had surf PE at the pier like 20 years ago.
@kellenfury771 happened.
The last of the sewage treatment pumps are supposed to be fixed by the end of September. I'm not holding my breath about that solving anything though.
@@gergc4871 anything can be better then that gnarly cat piss smell a week or so back. The smell has gotten worse.
So I went in March to Morocco Tamraght (Next to Tagazhout) and we had our AirBnb on the beach next to a river mouth which was try when we arrived but the 4th day it began raining heavily up in the mountains and a sludge of raw sewage plastic and debris came rushing down. The local next door said to wait at least 3 days to go back in because you would go to the hospital if you didn't, and indeed for three days the lineup was empty, so we moved down the coast to find less poluted beaches. Marrocco is a nice country and are advancing really fast but in terms of waste systems they are 100 years behind.
Pleased to see that New Zealand breaks arn’t mentioned…not even famous Takapuna reef; sometimes refered to as Takapoona, or poo corner.
FYI the water being brown and murky isn’t a sign of pollution (looks are deceiving) but usually a rush of sediment. Any river run off or heavy rain will do that cause the increased water flow will move the sediment. Even ocean currents or large swell on sandbanks will cause that cause the sediment is moved around. Now if a river is polluted aka you dumping your sht in it then yes that will run off to the ocean too meaning there can be a correlation between murkier water and increased pollution but correlation doesn’t imply causation. River moving sediment cause murky water and if that river is polluted then those polluants move with the sediment.
That being said murky water like this can be significant as a surfer if you in a sharky place (which is everywhere) cause that sediment run off means food for predators meaning you’ll likely be surfing around some food motivated sharks in murky waters. Not saying this to scare people to be aware and be more cautious in those conditions.
Godrevy is fine mate although I second ur strategy so maybe it gets less crowded this way lol
Would love to see a full France guide
Definitely going to done one for there at some stage!!
Punta Colorada, just up the coast from Puerto Escondido. Just straight up thick, raw sewage sometimes.
Hey mate! Yeah, i've heard about that place actually! That's a threat to Puerto itself also, right?
@@DanHarmon123 it's like, 5km from Zicatela, so not the worst, not the best. I don't know if I'd go in the water if the sewage coming out of Colorada was in full flow. The videos my friends have shared were intensely disgusting. Like just full on sludge.
Great video and
Sayulita and Acapulco Mexico, not as bad as Tijuana, but the bacteria levels are still pretty bad.
Yeah good shout on Acapulco, I surfed there after a huge storm and the water was awful!!
Salinas in the north coast of Spain, famous last years for a Longboard festival, duct tape challenge included. Chemical companies really close to the seashore dumping tons of waste daily into the sea where we surf and some sulfuric lagoons less than a hundred meters from the seashore, a shame.
San Diego surfer here married to a nurse. There is something called necrotizing fasciitis. It will kill you quickly some people have died from it in San Diego. It's really sad how badly TJ pollutes imperial, silver strand, and Coronado. Fortunately the cabrillo point kicks teg sewage out to sea saving sunset cliffs and up.
OB San Francisco. Regular sewage overflows undisclosed to the public, to the point where the city is being sued by multiple regulators for clean water violations (and is making excuses and appealing to the SCOTUS instead of cleaning up). Please support Surfrider.
Man, that's so so bad! No wonder I couldn't find anything about it online...
We live in Rio de Janeiro (guanabara bay) The best spot here is Sao Conrado. Perfect pyramids waves, but there are a lot raw sewage!!! There another call Urca (Urca Fort) restricted military area in guanarabara bay. Rare to break. There are Epic heavy wedges.
Hey mate!! Yeah I can imagine the whole place to have awful water quality after rain! Although, when I went to Rio, the water was super clear!
@@DanHarmon123 HEy Dan!!! That's it. And It depends on rain, sea current and wind. But in general there is sewage on most beaches. The city is very big.
I got badly sick from surfing Lundy Bay, North Cornwall
Vivo cerca de imperial beach...no es tan malo...asemas tenemos buenos travecos en lá zona...buenas olas y te vas de huevo seco a casa...
Ventura CA gets really polluted as well
I've looked at this issue for years looking for a solution. The French are doing research on sewage. What they found is urine self sterilizes after 8-9 days and can be used as a fertilizer . It's when you mix the urine and feces together that you get the issues.
Some Indians have a interesting way of dealing with urine and feces by first collecting the urine separately to use as fertilizer. The feces is put into a giant pot. They then let that sit and it starts generating gas which they then use to cook food . A really untapped resource that the city of Fountain Valley, Ca was interested in and installed a test system to harvest energy.
Surfed Godrevy yesterday, it dose get bad there, always very busy. 🐍🐍🌊🌊 still a very beautiful place. just don't surf there after heavy rainfall lol.🤙
For me the worst pollution I experienced was at Weligama/Sri Lanka. Was really dissapointed following the "hype" about the bay. Bubbly fuel smelling water and closeouts 🙃
I have been staying in Lima, Peru, off and on and the plastic problem in less "developed" countries is really shocking. I blame 100% the greedy corportations only selling plastic products to these countries. The people are not educated on the effects, and are being taken adventage of on a LARGE scale.
Go surf chopes! (on a small day obvi)
Kahalu'u is super dirty and the water is pretty much brown but nobody surfs there. There is no surf break there at all so nobody ever stops there to go in the water.
Dan, way back in the late 80’s after having a tooth removed from a Tiajuana Dentist,I decided to surf the Tijuana sloughs in winter after a rainfall. I was almost Hospitalized and had very high body temps. ( I almost went to the Coronado Hospital, but in true American fashion, did not have Medical coverage,so thus, couldn’t afford to go). My body Temps. We’re so high, my Nurse girlfriend was really worried. Thankfully for Strong Antibiotics coupled with strong Mezcal+ Tequila, I was eventually cured…….. Just another Surf adventure I suppose…….god speed my fellow surfing Brothers!
Haha love the story dude. Ive just had a tooth out at el salvador k59 and thankfully i didnt get your troubles. Bless
Man, that's gnarly!! Thanks for the story though mate!
Kahalu’a is on the Big island Dan? Which island are you on about please? Oahu of Hawai’i ( Big island). Mahalo Nui Loa.
Kahaluu on Oahu u haole 😂
It's sad the corporations making billions have cuased so much ecological destruction....and at worse pay a fine ....and just keep on polluting becuase the government got paid .
Not ecological but economic, still a good example. The 2008- 2009 financial crisis. I lost my house, probably 120k in equity to the Robosigning scandal, the bank received billions in public assistance, nobody went to jail, and I got something like $2700.00 four or five years later.
This is true, but individuals seem to destroy everything just fine on their own. It’s an education problem for sure. I pick up trash in my yard from passers by daily. If I didn’t, it would make its way to the water. Might still. WTF. Videos like this hopefully help.
Bolsa Chica is full of tars: on my bottom feet, sticks on my board. But it's still my favorite spot.
Surfed Dounreay Scotland in the 90s. Apparently, radioactive particles on the beach from the nuclear power plant close by.
Yeah I've heard about that place actually!
Great content!! I bet the uk has been bad after the sewage going straight into our mother big blue.
Thank you!! Yeah, I know, it's unbelievable really!
Former resident of IB( Imperial Beach ). Yes. GROSS!! Also avoid the nearby Silver Strand and Coronado Beach. 🤢🤮
The alcohol thing works. Just have a shot or two on empty stomach, don’t chase it. Solved issues from Mexico for me a couple times, and I was in no mood for tequila at the time.
Canggu rivermouth was so gnarly didn't even paddle out..
Yeah that's rivermouth is rancid anytime after rain!!
Bondi was once known as sewer beach. Floating syringes and chikito bars. And it stunk too.
Yeah I've heard that before also!!
Got a bad ear infection from Canggu, it was dry season even...
Hectic!
Dry season Seminyak/Kuta, Bali not only did the water stink near a stream run out, but I ended up with horrible skin rash. Will never go back.
Gnarly! Even in dry season!!
Many of these places make the list because of extensive water quality testing. Almost any urban coast is polluted to unsafe levels of bacteria, medical waste, harsh chemicals, etc due to runoff. There are exceptions but they’re just that
Myrtle beach South Carolina water is gross and the waves suck . Double the whammy :(
Made a mistake of surfing a hurricane swell in Pensacola after it hit the Cedar Key area. The water was grey. Got pretty damn sick.
Risk vs reward there I guess haha...
Philippines is filthy during rainy season…
And a lot of good breaks are near rivers…
No surf spots near Kahaluu
Surprised Sidmouth didn’t make the list
I grew up surfing Imperial Beach all my life. I’ve gotten diarrhea, rashes and finally in the past recent years, I’ve quit surfing my home break next to the pier. I worry about my health and don’t want to put myself at risk. Now have to travel north or even south just to surf. The smell at times at night is so bad we have to close our windows. The smell affects Imperial Beach, Nestor, San Ysidro. It’s very unfortunate we have to live with this pollution.
C.R.A.P. , Citizens Revolting Against Pollution!!
Apply isopropyl alcohol to ear before/after surfing
Imperial beach the sloughs at the river mouth breaks like pipe in the 40 yrs I’ve surfed only seen 2 people paddle out its fukin disgusting
Hectic! Basically unsurfable down there?
The gare is worse than any of those spots in England , fizzing brown foam
Schnapper point in NZ is literally on the human waste water outlet and I'd rather surf there than some of these spots.
I recommend bringing a bottle of hydrogen peroxide along with some Q-Tip ear swabs. Bring some saline eye wash, bring a fresh bottle of water. Swap each ear well.... then gargle well with the peroxide... tilt your head back to get the throat (spit and repeat - then rinse with fresh water). Then wash the eyes thoroughly with the saline solution. All this great stuff is cheap to acquire - and has served me well. In fact... I gargle daily at bedtime - have done so for years... helps fight off colds and flu - even brighten your teeth. You'll notice a burning sensation when there is the presence of germs or bacteria... the rest of the time... if you're healthy - you'll only notice some tingling and bubbling. That easy - no harm done.
I haven’t seen more polluted beaches then in Bali
Any beach in indo....its super poluted
Surfing in Newcastle!?!?
Cangu bali I got sick there my partner got really sick there 2 days in hospital
Yeah, I don't think you can surf there in wet season without getting sick at least once unfortunately!
Hi Dan
In Cornwall - where riding on logs doesnt mean longboarding 😂 💩💩💩 thanks South West Water
I live 10 minutes away from imperial beach. I often walk my dog all the way to the slough. It’s honestly worse than the video makes it out to be. You can smell the water. You see trash all along the shoreline. And not just plastic I mean full on mattress’s from Mexico. I dipped my feet in a while back while walking my dog and my ankles were the itchiest I’ve ever felt before and dried out. It’s disgusting, so I became border patrol out of spite and anger
Sadly, it is raw sewage along the Canggu coastline. Water test results show high rates of it. The irritation systems in Bali cannot handle the capacity. Most toilets use septic pit systems instead of traditional sewer systems and only big hotels are connected to the water treatment. We’re literally surfing in shit.
You gotta play the standells: Dirty Water
Best song ever!!!!
Kuta beach after rain got skin rash and my home beach Middleton use to have sewerage pipe in the 90,s after onshore storm seringes poo
Yeah anywhere along that Kuta stretch is terrible after rain!!
Ka-ha-loo-oooo def not an actual surf spot. That’s my home town. It’s just on the bay. There is some outer reefs but nothing I’ve heard anybody surfing that I’m aware of.
The gare - on the mouth of the river tees. Gets horrific.
Nuclear waste water
Sewage
Chemicals from factories
All three 😅
🤫
@@maxowen6739 it aint a secret spot bro aha
The plastic pollution in Bali is insane. Just duck diving into plastic, it’s terrible. Even on “nice” days I’m holding my mouth shut as long as possible.
Yeah it's gnarly there!!
U mean u don’t open your mouth when u duck dive?
When i surfed newcastle and i dipped my nose of the board, it went brown and dissappeared, like surffing in hot, cold chocolate.
Yeah it's always like that up there!!
I wouldn’t set foot in the water anywhere in the UK, sorry