The Pacific coastline along the U.S. and Mexico border was once a hub of surf culture, but the Tijuana River sewage crisis has cast a shadow over the scene. 

Raw sewage has been flowing into the ocean for decades, creating a public health and environmental disaster. As a result, the surf community is significantly threatened.

Iconic surf breaks have been tainted, surfers are exposed to dangerous conditions, the younger generation is losing its deep-rooted connection to the ocean and much more.

“A surf spot, albeit a tiny speck in the grand scheme, provides a lens through which one can better understand and analyze a much more existential threat that goes beyond a surf break or even a coastline,” said surf studies scholar and historian Dr. Jason Old, a graduate of the University of South Florida. “It’s the repercussions associated with economic policies and political decisions that prioritize profit over protecting the planet.”

Surf haven largely unridden, surfers falling ill

Surfers from around the world who once caught pristine waves in Imperial Beach now risk exposure to contaminated water, jeopardizing both their way of life and health. 

The combination of rock reef and deep water at the Tijuana Sloughs in Imperial Beach produces some of the best waves on the West Coast. Beginning in the 1930s, the wave was considered the benchmark for big wave surfing in southern California.

“If one wanted to make a name for himself, he first had to make a wave at the Sloughs,” reporter Brad Melekian wrote in a Surfrider article.

The iconic break now goes largely unridden due to the health risks posed by the contamination. 

Hank Warner, a San Diego-based surfboard shaper and surfer, noticed the decline in surf at the  Sloughs in the 1980s. He said that locals used to believe they were immune to the pollution, so they continued to surf the wave. 

Today, their big wave days are behind them, and the new generation of surfers, better educated on the dangers, mostly steer clear.

While some still take the risk, most have lost interest.

The crisis extends well beyond the Sloughs. Nearly 12 miles of coastline have been heavily affected, with some public beaches closed for over 1,000 days and counting. 

“San Diego County is one of the crowdest surfing areas in the world, and we’ve lost several miles of surfing beaches,” former Imperial Beach mayor and lifeguard Serge Dedina said. “People’s identities are tied to their local surf spot, beach and community. When that’s taken away from them they lose parts of themselves.” 

Surfers and beachgoers in Imperial Beach and nearby areas have long experienced a range of serious illnesses linked to the polluted water. The water, contaminated with raw sewage and toxic chemicals – some banned in the United States as early as the 1960s – remains a severe health risk.

“It’s a ticking time bomb. I am extremely concerned that people may begin to perish because of this,” Paloma Aguirre, the mayor of Imperial Beach, said in a California Insider video.

Take, for example, surfer and former Imperial Beach resident Sean Franks, who spent years surfing in the water.

“It’s just the risk you take to get uncrowded, good waves,” Franks said. 

That risk came with consequences. Franks has experienced several health issues from the water, including sinus infections that take months to heal. He recently moved away from Imperial Beach, and the pollution was a major factor in his decision.

“I love surfing, but it’s gotten to the point where I question if it’s really worth it,” he said. “When I was a kid, I thought that the waves were so good it didn’t matter. But now, I have bills to pay, and I can’t pay them if I can’t work because I’ve been surfing in the poop water.”

Franks’ story is not unique. Similarly, Dedina has had two sinus surgeries and two ear surgeries, all caused by the ongoing pollution. 

And it’s not just the water that’s dangerous. 

A recent study released by San Diego State University has revealed that the contamination is also in the air. It’s now not only hazardous to enter the water, but also to simply breathe.

The bubbles in the water are bursting. When they burst, they release toxic gases, including hydrogen sulfide, which can be harmful in high concentrations to humans.

“It doesn’t take a medical degree to know that if you’re living with sewage running in your backyard, you can get sick,” South Bay-based doctor Kim Dickson said in an Inside Climate News article.

Losing the next generation of surfers

“It’s especially harmful to children,” Surfrider’s Clean Border Water Now program manager Sarah Davidson said. “It’s a huge concern.”

Surfers often say that surfing has shaped their identity and provided life-changing opportunities. Now, many will never have that chance. 

Several surf-related youth programs throughout South County are struggling to provide ocean experiences due to the ongoing crisis. As a result, the younger generation is being deprived of both important cultural experiences and essential education about the ocean and its safety.

For instance, YMCA Camp Surf was recently forced to relocate from Imperial Beach to Mission Beach.

The move cost the nonprofit an extra $100,000 and the camp has since seen about a 40% decline in enrollment, according to YMCA waterfront manager Kapili Pasa in a FOX 5 article.

“Part of Camp Surf’s curriculum is teaching the kids ocean safety,” said Davidson. “For generations, children have learned important safety tips from Camp Surf, and now they aren’t.”

Microcosm of the broader problem

The ocean is a communal space where tradition and community intertwine.

Near surf zones, this connection runs deep. For many, the beach is not just a place for recreation but a foundational part of their identity.

Furthermore, when a surf spot is destroyed–whether by pollution or development–it’s not just a loss for surfers.

“It’s a microcosm of a much larger concern: A changing planet,” Old said. “The situation with the Tijuana River sewage is just one example of many. There are numerous nonprofits, scholars, and activists out there pushing back against these unfavorable changes — many of whom, like Surfrider, are right there in Southern California. Others, such as Surfers Against Sewage, just to name another, are actively addressing similar concerns in other parts of the planet.”

The beach closures and associated pollution from the Tijuana River sewage crisis have had a detrimental effect on surf tourism- a vital component of the local economy.

“Local businesses, particularly those reliant on beachgoers and water sports enthusiasts, have faced economic downturns during peak Tijuana River pollution incidents, highlighting the extensive economic ramifications of the sewage crisis beyond just environmental and health concerns,” executive director and waterkeeper for San Diego Coastkeeper Phillip Musegass wrote in a Coastkeeper article.

What’s happening in Imperial Beach is not an isolated issue – it’s a warning. When pollution contaminates surf breaks, it disrupts not just ecosystems but entire communities built around them. The fight to protect these spaces is ultimately a fight to preserve culture.