Join us as we hang with Derek Dodds, founder of Wave Tribe. His vision has made an awesome range of environmentally sustainable surf products a reality.
Great to meet you, Derek! Have you had any good waves lately?
I have. I just did an awesome trip along the California coast through Big Sur and scored some great waves. Last month I went to Baja, Mexico, about fours hours south and scored – I love California.
Where do you live and spend most of your time?
I live in a small town called Ojai, California, sandwiched in-between Los Angeles and San Francisco. I travel internationally a few times a year to Europe, Asia and South America in search of waves on eco adventures. I spend most of my time floating in the majestic blue.
Your favourite things: place and product?
My favorite place is the ocean – I like southern France and Brazil lately. My favorite product is the Mini Simmons surfboard, I just shaped a 5’3″ Mini using all wood and eco resin and I am stoked to have made a surfboard with a very small eco footprint.
What are your top 5 tips for a greener, healthier future?
My top five tips for keeping it green are:
- eat organic and mostly (or all) vegetarian
- bike or walk instead of taking your car
- support local merchants and try and buy stuff made close to home (dude, buy your sticks from local shapers)
- don’t use paints or cleaning products that pollute the environment
- live simply and surf regularly (a sane mind is a healthy mind)
Tell us about your company / products and how they can help us become more environmentally sustainable.
I always wanted eco surf products, it seemed like a natural evolution in my life’s journey. When I couldn’t find anybody making them I decided to take things into my own hands and do it myself, that is when Wave Tribe was born. It hasn’t been easy and I’ve had to overcome many challenges along the way but I’d like to think Wave Tribe has helped reshape and challenge people’s thinking about surfing and ecology. We make eco surf products, in fact every product we make has some kind of eco roots. As we all know plastic is a huge problem, the production process is gnarly and the disposable issue is ominous. I read the other day that Americans use 4 million plastic bottles every hour – yet only 1 bottle out of 4 is recycled. That is absurd! Right? At Wave Tribe we use hemp in many of our products or we upcycle plastic, it’s a rad movement right now and I am stoked to be part of it.
Thanks Derek, we’re big fans of your work!
To get your gear for eco rad surfing visit: www.wavetribe.com