Sustainability & Community
The ocean is our workplace. Lagos is our town.
We’ve run this camp on the same stretch of Atlantic coast since 2006. Looking after the water, the people, and the gear we use isn’t a separate initiative. It’s how the place works.
Here’s what that looks like in practice, sorted into four areas. Some of it is small. Some of it is partnerships we’re proud of. All of it is real.
01 – People & Community
The people around us keep this place alive
Locals, schools, partner organizations. Here’s how we work with them, year-round.
- In the water with usWeekly surf theory days: sustainability, surf etiquette, and what it means to be a respectful guest in someone else’s lineup. It’s part of every course.
- Local schoolsWe partner with Gil Eanes and Clube Azul so their students can wakeboard and windsurf as part of their PE program. For many, it’s their first time on the water.
- Sitwake, with NECI & CASLASInclusive sessions for people with disabilities. Mornings are for wakeboarding with their carers, afternoons open to anyone who wants to try.
- For Lagos residentsFirst SUP tour free, surf lessons 50% off, and kite, wing & windsurf lessons 30% off. If you live here, the ocean should be yours too.
- End-of-season donationsOld bedding, lost & found, and a yearly monetary donation go to Narcotics Anonymous, Grato Portimão, and Agape Homeless.
02 – Ocean & Environment
We work on the water every day
That comes with a responsibility to look after it. Not in theory, but in the small, repeatable things.
- Monthly beach cleansAt Meia Praia, Lagune, and Batata. Guests are welcome. We put up sign-ups in the camp the week of.
- Workshops you can joinSurf wax making, neoprene upcycling, friendship bracelets from old kite lines, cup coolers from worn-out wetsuits. Hands-on, and free.
- Reef-safe sunscreen, zinc & surf waxFor sale at the camp. The cheapest sunscreen on the shelf isn’t kind to the ocean, so we make the better option easy to grab.
- Cadela Carlota dog-shelter walksEvery weekend we walk the shelter dogs on the beach. You can also donate towards their food and medical care at our office.
03 – Circularity & Repair
Use what we have, pass it on
Gear has a footprint. The best way to shrink it is to keep it in rotation as long as we can, then pass it on instead of throwing it out.
- Le Gold ApparelOur worn-out kites get a second life as bags and purses. JJ ships the dead kites over; they come back as something you can buy at the camp.
- Troca e VendaA 2nd-hand gear market at the start and end of every season. Bring what you don’t use, take what you need.
- In-house repairKites (Lagos Kite Repair), SUPs (Jakob Büttelmann), surfboards (Ansan). Boards and kites stay in rotation for as long as they hold up.
- Equipment partners chosen with careNorth, Mystic, and Cabrinha. Picked for quality, and for what they’re doing on the industry’s sustainability side.
04 – How We Run the Camp
The everyday stuff that adds up
It doesn’t make a poster, but over a seven-month season it’s where a lot of the difference is made.
- Solar panelsFor hot water and a good share of our electricity.
- Filtered water stationsAround the camp, plus reusable AWS aluminium bottles. We’d rather not sell you plastic.
- Full waste segregationWith the local recycling firm, including what we pick up from the cars.
- Food waste managementLeftovers from the kitchen become the next day’s lunch. Lucille runs a tight ship.
The people we work with
None of this happens alone. These are the partners and organizations who make it real.
When you’re here, you’re part of this
Come to a beach clean. Walk a shelter dog. Bring gear you don’t use anymore to the Troca e Venda. Offset your travel through the Global Forest Fund. None of it is mandatory. It’s there if you want it, and the days are better when more of us join in.
See this season’s camps
