Surfrider's 18th Annual Paddle For Clean Water Festival

18th Annual Paddle For Clean Water Festival set for Ocean Beach San Diego on Sunday September 13th
 
SAN DIEGO, July 27, 2009 - Beach lovers and ocean enthusiasts unite for clean water!  The Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter hosts the 18th Annual Paddle for Clean Water Festival presented by Clif Bar on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2009.  The event starts with free breakfast at 9 a.m., features a paddle around the Ocean Beach Pier at 10 a.m., then the festival continues until 5 p.m. at the Ocean Beach Pier parking lot.

This 18th year of the Paddle for Clean Water Festival presented by Clif Bar promises a full day of fun for everyone.  The Paddle For Clean Water Festival will feature booths highlighting environmental awareness and action, local artists and eco-friendly vendor; free massages; free surf lessons, a free surfboard demo from Holeman Surf Designs, a kids’ fun area featuring arts and crafts activities, food, great bands and a Stone Brew beer garden for folks age 21 and over.

The paddle around the OB Pier at 10 a.m. features all sorts of paddlecraft – surfboards, bodyboards, kayaks, outrigger canoes, etc. – in a non-competitive paddle out and around the Ocean Beach Pier to raise awareness to pollution problems along San Diego’s coastline. The event will also include breakfast for all paddlers starting at 9 a.m., along with special guest speakers, live music, a huge raffle with a Holeman Surf Designs surfboard as the grand prize, a beach cleanup, and bands all afternoon.

The decline of near-shore water quality remains one of the biggest threats to our world’s beaches and coastlines. In addition to destroying marine habitats, it poses a significant risk to the health and welfare of beachgoers. Two local issues will be highlighted at the event this year:

* No B.S. - The No Border Sewage coalition to clean up the waters around the Mexico border
* San Diego’s water supply and how it relates to the marine environment – Know Your H2O!

Over 1,000 beach and ocean lovers took to the waters off Ocean Beach at last year’s San Diego event and 2,500 are expected for the festival this year.

“Whether you paddle or not, the Paddle for Clean Water Festival is always a fun way for people to get involved, and a great place to get the latest information on local coastal environmental issues,” said Scott Harrison, chair of Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego Chapter.
 
Schedule of events:
9am: Light breakfast is served
10am: Paddle around the OB Pier
11am: Group photo, guest speakers and raffle
11:30am: Live music begins
5:00pm: Festival ends

Surfrider is making every effort to have the event be zero waste - from a solar powered sound stage to comprehensive recycling and analyzing what will be used at the event. Please walk, bike, take public transport or carpool to the event. Visit www.sdcommute.com or www.icarpool.com for more information.

More information about the Paddle For Clean Water Festival can be found at www.surfriderSD.org or www.paddle4cleanwater.blogspot.com

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Now in its 25th year, the Surfrider Foundation has grown from a small group of dedicated surfers in Malibu, California to a global movement made up of over 50,000 members and 90 chapters worldwide.