Surfrider recently had the opportunity to sit down with Vipe Desai, Executive Director of the Surf Industry Members Association (SIMA). Surfrider’s 20 year history as a partner and beneficiary of SIMA’s Environmental Fund has resulted in not only tremendous support of our programmatic endeavors, but it has engaged a meaningful industry voice in coastal advocacy.
For those new to SIMA, it is a U.S.-based nonprofit trade association founded in 1989 that represents and supports the surf industry. Guided by the vision “healthy oceans, healthy industry,” SIMA advances its mission in part through its Environmental Fund, which raises money to support environmental and ocean-focused organizations.
With Surfrider’s 2026 Coastal Recreation Hill Day taking place later this month in April, and a special meeting with the Bureau of Ocean Management this week, Vipe will join Surfrider activists in Washington, D.C. to push for stronger protections for our ocean and coasts. We followed up with Vipe on which Surfrider initiatives matter most to him—as a leader in the surf industry and as he prepares to head to Washington this week.
Can you explain how SIMA’s Environmental Fund and leading organizations like Surfrider work together?
The SIMA Environmental Fund channels this collective influence into real impact by supporting nonprofit organizations doing the hard work on the ground and in the water. We partner with leading organizations like the Surfrider Foundation by providing funding, visibility, and industry support. The groups we support lead essential efforts in advocacy, education, research, and activism, and SIMA helps fuel that work through grants raised at the Waterman’s Ball. We see this as a team effort: we raise the resources, they drive the mission forward. Together, we ensure the surf industry doesn’t just benefit from the ocean, it actively works to protect it.
From left to right: Vipe Desai, Surfrider’s first ambassador Shaun Tomson, 2023 WSL Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Caroline Marks, Vissla’s CEO Paul Naude, and Surfrider’s CEO Chad Nelsen. Photo Credit: Ian Kose
What role do you envision SIMA having in the future of the ocean and coastal conservation movement?
SIMA plays a vital role in uniting the surf industry around shared environmental goals. As a trade association responsible for supporting the business of surfing, we bring together brands that not only depend on a healthy ocean but also shape culture, innovation, and consumer behavior.
What is the biggest environmental challenge facing the surf industry?
Every day, we learn more about the environmental impact of our industry. The challenges go beyond beach access, sea level rise, plastic pollution, and overdevelopment. Brands are actively working to reduce this footprint and increase sustainability measures throughout the supply chain, but it’s a huge challenge when the entire industry depends on a clean, healthy ocean for survival.
What recent positive changes within the industry leave you feeling encouraged?
One of the most positive shifts I’ve seen is how the SIMA Environmental Fund has helped brands discover their own paths to supporting groups like Surfrider directly. We’ve demonstrated, by distributing over $10 million in grants, that giving back isn’t just good for the planet — it’s good for business.
The SIMA Environmental Fund was supporting nonprofits before it became mainstream. Many of our industry leaders are lifelong surfers who understood early on that protecting the ocean is just as important as running a business. That’s real leadership and something everyone in the industry and every surfer should be aware of. SIMA is more than a trade association; it’s a force for protecting the ocean that keeps our sport, culture, and industry alive.
Desai testifying before Representative Porter following the Huntington Beach oil spill of 2021.
Thank you for your participation in D.C. and during Surfrider’s Coastal Recreation Hill Day. We are honored to have your participation during this important moment for ocean and coastal advocacy. Do you have any final parting calls to action?
The enjoyment of our coastlines does not exist without a healthy, clean, and protected ocean.
I encourage everyone reading to become a member of a local environmental organization such as Surfrider Foundation, find your voice, and stand up for what you believe in.