With European elections coming up in May 2019, you probably want to know how the European Union impacts your daily life, before you think about voting. In the latest in a series of posts on what Europe does for you, your family, your business and your wellbeing, we look at what Europe does for surfers.

The EU makes it easier for you to enjoy riding the waves in several ways.

Most importantly, you can enjoy improved water quality at many EU surfing spots, thanks to EU rules that protect the environment, including against sewage and industrial waste. This reduces your chances of getting sick. The EU also publishes information on bathing water quality online, so that you can easily check the water quality at your favourite surfing spots.

Group of friends going to surf at the beach
© oneinchpunch / Fotolia

As a surfer, you know how hard it can be to find the best surfing spots. If you love surfing but live inland, there’s nothing to stop you trying out the surf in another EU country, as there are no borders within the EU Schengen Area. The EU has provided financial support to several projects that can help you explore new destinations. One example is ‘SURFINGEUROPE‘, which enables you to discover an entire surfing route, from Bundoran in Ireland to Viana do Castelo in Portugal. Another example of EU funding is ‘Green Room‘, which helps you plan a sustainable surfing experience in six Surf Camps, including in Bornholm in Denmark and Gran Canaria in Spain. Such projects promote local tourism and increase employment, from which you might also benefit.

Finally, a special free app called ‘MeteoSurf‘ uses data from the EU-managed Copernicus earth observation programme to provide surfers with information on sea conditions in the Mediterranean Sea. Once you select a surfing spot, MeteoSurf produces a table with the forecast for wave height, wave direction, wind speed and wind direction. All you need to do is catch the perfect wave!

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