So you're over Surfers Against Sewage? It was like so 1995 right? And anyway how clean is the sea now? Why bother joining they've done what they were supposed to do? Now they're just a bunch of chancers with a giant inflatable turd, right? Wrong, we need these fellas even more than ever at the moment. Lets face it climate change, pollution and general degradation of the coastal environment is still a massive issue and we as surfers are on the front line of all of this mess and destruction.   So especially after the recent heavy rain and storm run off we thought we'd have a couple of words with head honcho Andy Cummins on why you need to re-sign.
So Andy where are we at with sewage, it's not a problem anymore is it?  
Have a good look at the shot above, it was taken early July 2009. You're looking at a Combined Sewage and Stormwater Overflow drain, known as a CSO. This CSO discharged raw sewage and rainwater into Godrevy, a popular Cornish beach break. There are over 22,000 CSOs around the country, so odds are there's one that impacts on your local surf spot. So be careful after heavy rain and contact SAS to find out where you nearest CSO is and what we can to do about it.    
What would you say are the main pollutants a surfer or beach user now encounters?
After heavy rain, raw sewage and the harmful bacteria and viruses it contains are still a major problem. Because CSOs are often hidden up rivers, fitted with grates to stop the sanitary towels and condoms appearing in the lineups, we can mistakenly think it's no longer a problem. It is!  
Everyday, at every surf spot in the country (and other experts suggest the world) you can find marine litter dumped there if you look hard enough. Most of this marine litter is plastics, a persistent problem in the marine environment. Marine litter is not only unsightly, but can cause harm to surfers and death to hundreds of thousands of marine mammals and millions of sea birds every year.  
Our coastline is coming under new and increasing pressures do you see the steady urbanisation of areas being a big issue in the future?
The new SAS Protect Our Waves campaign safeguards waves from impacts by overzealous offshore and onshore developers and also protects access to surf spots. This is increasingly important as our coastline continues to be opened up and exploited. Surf spots are fragile environments, surfers and wave riders often seem to be the only people who care about them. Maybe that's why we make such great campaigners, it's the purist form of localism!
Join here sas.org.uk