We commissioned award-winning, Cornwall-based, sustainable designer Niall Jones – owner of Benthos Surf – to create ‘The Floater’. Using recycled materials to form the board and actual raw sewage from the sea, which was turned into resin. To add impact, Jones also included two transparent windows in the top of the board that display two liters of sewage water contained within.
The sewage used to make the surfboard was collected from St. Agnes and Godrevy – the hometown of one of our Creatives, Jake Smith, after heavy rainfall in Cornwall which caused the systems to overflow.
Our campaign film highlighting the extent of the sewage scandal in the UK, features Ben Skinner, 11x European Longboard Champion, and other surfers riding the waves on The Floater.
‘The Floater’ officially launched at a flagship SAS paddle-out protest in Brighton, seeking to convert public outrage into action by staging a mass protest against sewage pollution, featuring simultaneous events at beaches and rivers across the UK on Saturday 20th May.
Swimmers, paddlers, surfers, canoers, kayakers, paddle-boarders, windsurfers and anyone who cares about the health of their local blue spaces took to the water, beach or riverbank to make their demands heard.
The PR-ability of the board got Surfers Against Sewage featured nationwide from national press, including Channel 4 news, to local news and was supported by many influential voices in social. The Floater an enduring iconic image of their ongoing campaign, which has now seen almost 200,000 signatures of support.
If you want to get on board and end the dumping of sewage into our seas, sign the Surfers Against Sewage ‘Dirty Money’ petition here.
