From Forecasting Swells to Upcycling Neoprene:
My New Role with Surfrider Atlantic
TL;DR:
The News: I’ve officially joined Surfrider Atlantic as a volunteer supporting the Wetsuit Reincarnation program.
The Mission: Keeping old neoprene (which takes 100+ years to break down) out of Nova Scotia landfills by upcycling it into new, usable surf accessories.
The Partner: We are working directly with The Ark in Bridgewater, an amazing organization that employs individuals of diverse abilities to transform the old suits.
My Role: I’ll be managing the ground logistics, coordinating drop-offs to The Ark, and leading local fundraising efforts to help the program scale.
Building SurfMatch has been an incredible journey. Spending countless hours deep in ocean data, offshore buoy metrics, and custom bathymetry algorithms to build a better surf forecasting app naturally deepens your appreciation for the coast. But one of the most rewarding parts of developing this platform has been how it connected me more closely with the local surf community—specifically, an organization I have followed for years: Surfrider Atlantic.
I am stoked to share that I have officially joined Surfrider Atlantic as a volunteer supporting their Wetsuit Reincarnation initiative, part of the national ReSurf circular economy program. This program works to divert end-of-life surf gear from our landfills through repair, up-cycling, and recycling. This is crucial because traditional neoprene wetsuits can take over 100 years to break down.
Here in Nova Scotia, the initiative has partnered with The Ark, an incredible organization located in Bridgewater that provides paid employment to individuals of diverse abilities. With support from DivertNS and in partnership with Lawrencetown Surf Co. and Rip Curl Canada, The Ark takes old, clean wetsuits, booties, and gloves and upcycles them into brand new products. Your old gear is transformed into surf change mats, sunglass cases, zippered pouches, and yoga mat holders, while the remaining scraps are shredded to create stuffing for pillows and boxing bags.
In my new role, I will be managing the ground logistics of the program, handling the pickup of donated gear and coordinating the drop-offs directly to The Ark in Bridgewater. Beyond the logistics, I am also diving into fundraising efforts to help sustain this fantastic made-in-Nova-Scotia solution and, hopefully, extend our support areas across the region.
If you have an old suit gathering dust in your garage, don't throw it away. You can learn more about the initiative, the amazing work being done at The Ark, and find drop-off locations at Surfrider Atlantic's Wetsuit Reincarnation page or read about the broader national effort at Surfrider's ReSurf page.
See you in the water (and at the donation bins)!
