Where the Tides of Life Make Sense: Insights from Surfers in Hong Kong

Surfing is becoming increasingly popular, and is alleged to provide personal, social, environmental and economic benefits to an estimated 35 million surfers and thousands of coastal communities worldwide. Anecdotal evidence suggests that surfing is associated with positive mental and physical outcomes, greater community cohesion, health-promoting lifestyles and better ocean stewardship. However, despite its popularity, there is limited scientific research to date investigating the outcomes of surfing, particularly in Asia. This project aims to assess the effects of surfing in Hong Kong (HK) on its people, the community and the environment. Thus, adopting an underlying social constructivist framework, this mixed-method study collected online survey material from 106 participants investigating the personal, social and environmental outcomes of surfing in Hong Kong. Quantitative survey findings indicate that surfing had a positive effect on participants, particularly in terms of their personal lives and environmental awareness. Thematic qualitative analysis from open-ended survey questions and semi-structured interviews suggests that surfing has a positive effect on psychosocial wellbeing and environmental awareness. However, surfers are bewildered at the rationale behind the ban on surfing in HK, particularly since its inclusion as an Olympics sport and given that it is actively promoted in Mainland China. It is hoped that this research will draw attention from the public and policymakers into the importance of surfing in terms of psychosocial wellbeing and environmental protection.