Skip to main content

Waves for Water: Quenching the Thirst for Adventure

People tend to think of living their lives and giving back as mutually exclusive activities. The thing is, the reader, it’s so goddamn easy to live your normal life and make a positive difference in the world. Case in point: Waves for Water, a non-profit organization that allows surfers and other world travelers to provide clean drinking water to those in need. 

At first blush, surfing seems like a self-indulgent sport. When you’re on the water, sometimes you feel like the only person alive. However, you might say that Waves for Water makes surfing a team sport by encouraging traveling surfers to pack water filters in their luggage, then distribute said water filters among people who really need it.  

W4W // What We Do – 2013

This is all part of “Clean Water Couriers,” a DIY volunteer program initiated by Waves for Waters and surfing company Hurley International. Once you become a Clean Water Courier, you can either purchase filters yourself or organize a filter fundraiser. Then, you simply pack your filters in your luggage and coordinate a drop off with a local non-profit or government agency on your way to your next adventure.

Recommended Videos

Related: Feel Good Friday: Head High Wines and Sustainable Surf

Just one $50 water filter can provide 100 people with up to five years of clean water. To date, Water for Waves has delivered more than 100,000 filters to 20 countries, and facilitated clean, drinkable water for more than 10 million people. Of course, there’s a long way to go; roughly 700 million people, or one-tenth of the world’s population, doesn’t have access to clean water.

about-image-3
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Surfers aren’t the only ones who can be Clean Water Couriers, of course. Whether you’re a mountain climber, a backpacker, a base jumper, or just a fella who thirsts for adventure, you can make a huge positive impact by simply saving some space in your suitcase. Even if you’re not much of a traveler, you can still facilitate clean water for those in need by donating funds or filters.

TJ Carter
Former Digital Trends Contributor
TJ Carter wears many hats, both figuratively and literally. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2011 with a degree…
Highly limited 2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 APXGP Edition based on new F1 movie
The limited edition model has design elements used by APXGP team in the movie F1
Actor Damson Idris in new movie F1 standing between F1 car and 2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 APXGP Edition.

Mercedes-AMG introduced a very special limited edition model during the 2025 Miami Grand Prix. The 2026 Mercedes-AMG GT 63 APXGP Edition incorporates components and design features of the fictional APXGP F1 team in the new F1 movie that will be released in June.
F1 the movie

Directed by Joseph Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the Apple Original Film's movie was filmed at Formula 1 races worldwide during the previous two seasons, with appearances by real F1 drivers. The film stars Brad Pitt and Damson Idris. characters.

Read more
The first trailer for the final season of Squid Game is here
The show will return for its third and final season on June 27
The cast of season 3 of Squid Game.

After a long delay between the show's third and second seasons, the third season of Squid Game is coming less than a year after the second. Now, we've got our first trailer for the new season, and it follows up on the major cliffhanger that ended the show's second season. The second and third seasons were filmed at the same time and written as a single long arc.

The first teaser for season 3 suggests that Player 456 and the Front Man will meet one last time. It also reminds us that the show has more twists and turns to come, and promises to bring the story it started all those years ago to a satisfying conclusion.

Read more
Nina Dobrev talks love for F1 & the ‘electric’ feeling of race day
From Netflix to the paddock: Nina Dobrev on her passion for Formula One
Nina Dobrev holds a Peroni and smiles.

When Nina Dobrev first attended an F1 event over a decade ago, she went as a casual observer. Similar to many recent Formula One fans, she streamed Netflix's Drive to Survive and immediately fell in love with the sport. Fast-forward to now, and Dobrev is all-in with F1 thanks to her greater appreciation for the world-class drivers and their sensational teams.

This past weekend, Dobrev attended the 2025 Miami Grand Prix on behalf of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% to support their iconic partner, Scuderia Ferrari HP. The Vampire Diaries star is also friends with Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, who competes for Ferrari.

Read more