On May 22nd we teamed-up with CUBA (Canterbury University Boardriders Association) for this epic event. CUBA held its annual Learn-to-Surf event alongside our beach clean-up with CUBA members, Uni students, and locals. Usually the Learn-to-Surf event is run during February, but due to the Christchurch earthquakes, beaches had been closed since February.

On the day around 20 keen learners got out in the water, and Canterbury put on its most amazing sunny May weather. After the surfing, we got stuck into the issue of trash on and around the high tide line at Taylor’s Mistake, Harris Bay and Boulder Bay.

50 or so volunteers from Canterbury and Lincoln Universities, and a few locals from the community, came out to enjoy the weather and help pick up the rubbish. A cornucopia of plastics, foams, rubbers and metals were collected from the beach, sand dunes, and in between the rocks. Together the volunteers picked up 140 kilograms or 950 litres of trash which was sorted and audited by more keen volunteers, before being recycled/disposed of by the kind folk at Christchurch City Council. 3,301 individual pieces of trash were collected and removed from the beautiful Christchurch beaches, featuring 97 cigarette butts, 181 bottle lids, 293 pieces of foam and 77 plastic bags.

Huge thank you to all the volunteers, and of course those epic people at Arnette, West, Quiksilver, Paul’s Camera Shop and Rodney from CCC.

Finally Christchurch has a beach that is safe to swim at!

So, on Sunday 22nd May is the annual CUBA LEARN-TO-SURF Day. In conjunction with CUBA and Sustainable Coastlines there will be a beach clean up run during the afternoon!

The Learn to surf is open for CUBA members and starts at 11am with discounted hire rates for wetties and boards for CUBA members. The Learn to surf will run all afternoon until 4pm.

At 2pm at the Taylor’s Mistake Surf Club there is a Coastal Clean Up happening! Anyone and everyone is most welcome to come along on Sunday arvo and help us keep our beaches trash free.

Sacks and gloves will be provided. We also have some epic prizes up for grabs from Arnette sunnies and West Wetsuits. See you all there! Email [email protected] for more info.