Women make up 35% of surfers: New Diversity in Surfing Report by SIMA
SIMA, the Surf Industry Members Association, has published their Diversity in Surfing Report, based on a total of 18,000 online interviews carried out during 2022 in the US.
While the data is now from a few years ago, only focuses on one country, only on surfing (not wakeboarding or windsurfing for example), and doesn’t cover elements like LGBQTIA or disabilities, it does provide us with a somewhat useful snapshot of the current trajectory of growth for diversity in this watersport.
There are so many ways that inequality still exists in surfing, and all watersports in fact – from catcalling in the water, to a lack of cold water equipment for women. That said, we’re happy to see that this report does highlight a few strides made in the right direction.
Key Takeways
• Currently in the United States, African American/Black, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Island surfers comprise close to 40% of the total surfing population.
• Women comprise 35% of the total surfing population
• Non-Caucasian surfing ethnicities currently outpace Caucasian surfers in participation growth.
• African American/Black surfers had the largest growth over the past 3-5 years.
• African American/Black surfers have the largest number of “Casual Surfers” (surfed less than 8 times per year) within their ethnicity.
• Hispanic surfer growth has been very impressive as well.
• Hispanic surfers have had an equal or greater percentage of “Core Surfers” (surfed more than 8 times per year) within their group than Caucasians.
• Asian/Pacific Island surfers have had the largest increase of core surfers within their group over the last 2 years than any other group.
• Overall all non-Caucasian surfing ethnicities outpaced Caucasian surfers in participation growth
In 2022, Caucasian/White surfers accounted for 65% of the total, but this percentage has since decreased to 61%. This decline suggests that more individuals from diverse backgrounds are getting involved in the sport, which can be attributed to the efforts made to promote inclusivity and create opportunities for underrepresented communities.
The data also reveals an increase in Hispanic representation among surfers. In 2022, 17.2% of surfers were Hispanic, but this figure has risen to nearly 20%. This upward trend suggests that more individuals from Hispanic backgrounds are embracing surfing and finding their place within the surfing community.
Similarly, there has been a notable increase in African American/Black surfers. In 2022, they accounted for 8.7% of the total, but now they make up 11% of the surfing population. This speedy rise indicates that efforts to engage and support African American/Black individuals in surfing have been effective in attracting more participants from this demographic.
Furthermore, the data highlights an increase in Asian/Pacific Island surfers. In 2022, they represented 7.6% of all surfers, and this percentage has now increased to 8%. This suggests that more individuals from Asian and Pacific Islander backgrounds are engaging with the sport, potentially due to greater visibility and inclusivity initiatives.
For next year, we’d like to challenge SIMA to include more diversity categories such as LGBQTIA, disabilities like parasurfing, age, other locations, as well as breakdown more of the data on the women. We’d certainly like to see more on issues such as racism and sexism. Will you take up the challenge?
Love surfing? Check out our other articles on surfing here, or dive into more equality topics here.
