The Development area identifies some of the key focus disciplines that make up the sport of surfing:
- Environmental Development.
- Youth Development,
- Female Development,
- Performance Surfing,
- Big Wave Surfing,
- Water Safety and Instruction Training.
Compared with the many other surfing countries across the world it is recognised some of these areas are still in their infancy within Scotland. Take for example Big wave tow surfing such a discipline is relatively young in development within Scotland but nearby in Ireland teams are pushing the boundary of the sport within this discipline. As far as performance surfing goes Scotland hasn’t had international team representation in some time – countries such as Austria and Switzerland (who don’t have a coastline) are well represented at the ISA World Games and have recognized coaching, beach lifesaving courses where they’re members train at world class training camps in Morroco and Portugal over the summer months).
The SSF provide a means of linking its members nationally who want to progress and help develop the sport in pushing the boundaries of existing disciplines. Where practical the SSF will offer national leverage to assist accelerate development in such disciplines.
Environmental
On the Environmental front the SSF has had a diverse range of input from helping promote and organizing local beach clean ups across the national support for UV treatment to address pollution issues. More recently the focus has been on consultation as main stakeholders for the planning of marine onshore and offshore developments within Scottish seas.
As the sport of surfing has grown it now finds it is competing in demand for the use of Scotland’s Seas with the fishing, oil and gas and new renewable sectors. The Marine Renewables sector (Offshore Wind, Tidal and Marine) began to take shape with ambitious plans ahead and the ‘Crown estate’ releasing blocks around Scotland’s Coasts for Marine Renewable Development.
The scale of the Scottish Marine Renewable Sector is massive with billions of pounds of investment forecast in the next few years. The renewable sector is fundamentally set to change the shape of Scotland’s Marine Environment.
To date the SSF have worked with groups of surfers and developers alike on the north coast as well as the Scottish Isles to ensure the interests of Scottish Surfers are well represented and new developments have limited impact on the current surf environment.
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are also working to tackle the issue of protecting surfing areas through the ‘Protect Our Waves Campaign.’
To raise awareness the SSF have created two documents the first one aimed at surfers to give them an understanding of the scale of Scottish Surfing.
Surfing and the future of Scotland’s Seas
The second to give potential developers an awareness of the surf environment and why the Scottish Surfers are passionate about safeguarding it.
SSF Marine Recreational Resources Awareness from a surfers perspective
Where practical the SSF aims to offer a bridge between local Scottish surf communities and potential developers. It has been identified the earlier that the SSF can become involved with such consultation the more positive the outcome.
Youths
The Scottish Surfing Federation are commited to ensure youths that want to take part in the sport of surfing can have access to the adequate resources to allow them to continue with the sport. Outwith the local surf schools, noteably to date the largest impact the SSF has had in this area was in 2009 where the Scottish Surfing Federation worked with O’Neill to provide a mobile surf academy. The Surf Academy was ran by 5 proffessional O’Neill sponsored surfers and this toured around Scotland with a dedicated surf school lorry with 50 boards and 50 wetsuits. SSF members helped out on each day and over a 5 day period 250 youths were given the opportunity to try the sport free of charge across Scotland.
Women in Sport
More and more females are also taking to the sport of surfing within Scotland and this has been evident year on year. Founded in 2007 The Joxy Girls (Scottish equivalent of the Roxy Girls) were established to to help promote female participation. Having already held numerous events such as development weekends, shoreline foraging courses as well as surf and skate meet up sessions ‘The Joxy Girls’ have a promising future ahead with significant interest in their activities.
Performance Surfing
The SSF would like to provide a means for its surfers to improve surf performance and feed where those with the ability and ambition can progress and reach the best standard they can. Historically this has allowed the winners of the Scottish Championships to progress as Wild Card Entries to Professional events such as the World Qualifying Series Cold Water Classic and United Kingdom Professional Surfing Tour Highland Open.
Water Safety and Instruction Qualifications
There are many aspects that make up surf qualifications, as well as the surf instrution there are numerous beach lifeguard and surf lifesaving qualifications present. The Scottish Surfing Federation adhere to the ISA (International Surfing Association) guidelines for competition administration and and judging. In 2008 and 2012 ‘Ester Spears’ and the UK Proffesional Surfing Association respectively provided surf judging courses in Thurso for SSF members. The rules associated with competitive surfing are constantly being updated, the regular surf events that the SSF hold allows for such updates to be cascade amongst its members making them aware of the latest requirements.