There are still waves in Australia that almost no one has seen. Not because they’re secret, or guarded by locals, or hidden behind some mythical code – but because they’re genuinely hard to get to. Properly remote. Untouched. The kind of waves that exist well beyond roads, ramps and reception.

They’re rare. And they’re getting rarer.

Which is why Surfers For Climate is rallying surfers and ocean lovers in WA and across the rest of the country in order to stand up for one of the few remaining rare spots that still exists: Scott Reef.

Scott Reef sits 270km offshore in the Indian Ocean – a pristine coral atoll that holds quality waves, barely sees humans and has somehow avoided the industrial creep that’s swallowed so much of the coastline elsewhere. Now it’s staring down the barrel of a $16 billion gas project proposed by Woodside, which plans to drill up to 57 gas wells around the reef.

The crew at Surfers for Climate will be holding a ‘Wild Waves Forever’ event tonight at The Common in Margaret River featuring rare surf footage from Scott Reef alongside updates on Woodside’s plans and what they could mean for the reef, the waves and everything living there.

The timing isn’t random either. The WA Environmental Protection Authority is expected to hand down its recommendation on Woodside’s amended proposal early this year, making this a pretty key moment to show that surfers are paying attention.

Why Scott Reef Matters

For surfers, Scott Reef is the sort of place we talk about in hypotheticals. A world-class wave with zero development, no crowds and no infrastructure. No marina. No resort. Just reef, ocean and deep water energy.

“Once drilling starts, it’s changed forever,” said Josh Kirkman, CEO of Surfers for Climate. “You can’t drill 57 gas wells around a reef and expect the place to stay the same. The seafloor changes, the reef structure is compromised and even if there are still waves, the soul of the place is gone.”

It’s not just the drilling either. The project includes a 900km pipeline that would slice through two marine parks and pass near the Rowley Shoals – another untouched reef system that also happens to have waves.

There’s also the added risk of something going wrong. Anyone who remembers the Montara blowout in 2009 knows how bad things can get. That spill burned for 74 days and spread pollution across hundreds of kilometres. A similar event up here could affect multiple reef systems and surf breaks along WA’s remote northwest coast.

Scott Reef is also home to endangered pygmy blue whales, green sea turtles and whale sharks. Sandy Islet, a tiny island in the middle of the reef where turtles nest, could literally sink if gas is pulled from beneath it.

Which puts things into perspective pretty quickly.

FIFO Frothers welcome

In classic WA fashion, the event is making a point of welcoming FIFO workers – many of whom spend their time off surfing, fishing and diving the very environments this project threatens.

FIFO workers will score two free Gage Roads beers on arrival instead of the usual one and all ticket sales go straight to Surfers for Climate.

“This isn’t about politics,” said Kirkman. “It’s about protecting the places that make WA what it is. If you love the ocean in any way; surfing, fishing, diving, or just being near it then Scott Reef is worth standing up for.”

To purchase tickets for the event, click here.