Black Surfers Collective Builds Ocean Access Through Surf Lessons, Therapy and Community
The Black Surfers Collective pairs free surf lessons with therapy, swimming and beach education, building a community where more people can find a place in the lineup.
For the Black Surfers Collective, a wave is an invitation. The Los Angeles group uses surfing to build connection with the ocean and with one another, pairing free lessons with therapy sessions, swimming instruction and beach education. Its work starts with access, then makes room for the skills and shared experience that help people feel at home in the water.
That mission became personal for one member on a run along Santa Monica Beach. A Black woman appeared on a wave, her locs streaming behind her as she rose and fell with the water. The runner had heard of Black women who surfed while traveling abroad, but had never seen one in person. The sight felt almost unreal: a figure glimpsed in the surf, then lost from view.
When the surfer came ashore, the runner learned she was Mary, a mother and journalist. Mary traded her mat for a surfboard and returned to the water. Watching her make that choice turned curiosity into a desire to surf. The draw was more than learning to ride a wave. It was the possibility of feeling a connection to the ocean while recognizing that the coast is shared, not owned.
Access is the starting point
Through Mary, the new surfer found the Black Surfer’s Collective, known as the BSC. The group describes its aim as creating a safe, empowering place for everyone to access, enjoy and connect with the ocean. Its motto, “Diversity in the Line Up,” captures a goal that reaches beyond who is visible on a wave: more people should have the chance to learn, participate and build relationships along the coast.
In more than 10 years, the BSC has grown from a local community into a 501C3 organization with strong ties and support in the area, as well as an international presence among surfing communities of color. That growth has given the group something else to draw on: a history of its own. For a community building pathways into a sport, its accumulated experience can help new participants find their way in.
The practical work is deliberately broad. The BSC offers free surf lessons for people who want to catch a wave, ride inside the break or simply float. There’s no single version of participation to aspire to. That flexibility matters: the ocean can be a place to develop a skill, but it can also be somewhere to spend time, find calm and learn alongside others.
The group also connects its programs to care for the coastline. Members teach about human impact on the beach and the importance of protecting the natural resource, with the aim of preserving the coast’s restorative qualities. Surf therapy sessions extend that approach to women and first responders, offering time in and around the water as part of the group’s community work.
A beach day with more than surfing
Each BSC session includes a free lunch, and partnerships with other organizations bring additional experiences to participants. Those can include swimming lessons, camping trips and historical information about the local surf community. Together, these activities give people more ways to connect with the beach and with the stories attached to it.
The mix also makes the group’s idea of access tangible. A surfboard may be the first point of contact, but learning to swim, understanding the coastline or sharing a meal can be just as much a part of belonging. The BSC’s model treats those experiences as connected: familiarity with the water grows through time, instruction and community, not one dramatic ride.
The essay’s author calls surfing a “life hack,” recalling a lyric by Kyle Rapps that Surfer Magazine editor-in-chief Jake Howard introduced them to. That phrase fits the way the BSC approaches surfing: as an activity with effects beyond the lineup, rooted in shared time and a stronger sense of connection.
Related: Why Community-First Surf Events Like A Great Day In The Stoke Matter So Much
Keeping programs free in 2027
The BSC plans to raise funds for its programs at a Wave-A-Thon on November 8, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Inkwell on Santa Monica Beach. The event will include a silent auction, and proceeds are intended to help the organization continue offering free access to its programs in 2027. The Kyle Rapps lyric, the Wave-A-Thon details and the invitation to donate all point back to the same aim: keep the water accessible to more people.
For anyone who first sees themselves in the surf through someone else, a welcoming community can turn that moment into a first lesson. The BSC is building that next step on Santa Monica Beach, one shared session at a time.
