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GOT OLD SURFBOARD FINS?
We’ll get them under a grommet’s feet in Vanuatu.
Takes 20 seconds. We’ll send you the address.
Got old FCS I, II or Futures sitting in the garage?
We rescue Tip boards
Tidy them up and send them to the Vanuatu Surfing Association for a new life.
But we need fins to go with them!
We'll take any, FCS I, FCS II or Futures!
If You don’t need them - They do!
Get Young Vanuatu Rippers in the water!
Vanuatu Surfers Need Fins - Can you Help?
Tip Shop Boards getting a New life in Vanuatu
Shells for Boards Program
Every kilo of kava we sell gives back through our Shells for Boards program, supporting the Vanuatu Surfing Association with the gear that actually gets kids in the water -fins, leg ropes, and more.
In Vanuatu, the stoke is there – but without equipment, boards can’t be used. That’s where this program makes the difference.
We also rescue boards from tip shops, clean them up, and give them a second life under the feet of local grommets.
More gear. More waves. More kids surfing.
The Vanuatu Surfing Association - The South Pacific's Over Achievers!
Early Origins (Pre 2008)
The origins of the Vanuatu Surfing Association trace back to the early 2000s on Pango Beach-where kids were surfing on scraps, sharing whatever they could find.
At the centre was Kathleen John, a local matriarch who unknowingly became the foundation of it all. By helping distribute and care for a handful of donated boards, she created access where none existed.
From those few boards, a system formed-and nearly every surfer from that region came through it.
What exists today started there.
Domestic Growth
Following its formal establishment around 2010, the Vanuatu Surfing Association began building a true domestic surf scene. Local competitions gave young surfers structure, purpose, and a clear pathway to improve.
Events like the Easter Classic and Independence Day village comps created momentum across communities.
Savvy viewers will see a young George Pittar cutting his teeth in the VSA comps in this video!
Regional Dominance
How is it that a country with the least resources and less prominent waves and surfers dominated the regional scene?
A lot of answers to this, but it primarily came down to 1 thing – getting boards under the feet of as many young surfers as possible.
Vanuatu beat its highly regarded regional cousins winning the Melanesian Cups in 2012, 2013 and 2014. An incredible achievement!
Community, Culture & Inclusion
From around 2015 onwards, the Vanuatu Surfing Association expanded beyond competition and leaned heavily into community, inclusion, and female participation.
A major part of this was the rise of Solwota Sista, creating real pathways for women and girls in surfing. Initiatives like “Day blong Girls”.
This momentum led to the Leimalo Classic —Vanuatu’s first all-female surf event—run by local women, for local women.
The Happiest Line Up in the world!
There is no other palce we have ever surfed that is like the line ups in Vanuatu. Kids with absolute PURE stoke!
Sitting in the line up watching kids maximise what they have for pure fun, strips it back to the essence of what surfing is about.
We are proud to be able to help bring the fun and YOU can help.
Simply send us your old fins and we’ll match them up with a refurb board and help get another young Ni-Vanuatu kid in the water!
Our History with the Vanuatu Surfing Association.
Cam McLeod from Australia Kava Shop’s connection with the Vanuatu Surfing Association goes back to the early 2000s—when surfing in Vanuatu was more scraps than structure.
After seeing kids sharing battered boards (or whatever they could find), Cam started bringing over second-hand boards from Australia, working with locals like Kathleen John to get them into the water. It wasn’t a grand plan—just a simple idea that stuck.
As things grew, so did the role. Cam later served as Secretary of the VSA (approx. 2007–2016), helping support the association through its early development phase.
Since then, the relationship hasn’t changed much—just scaled. From The Kava Emporium to Australia Kava Shop and Shells for Boards, it’s remained focused on one thing:
More boards. More waves. More kids surfing.
Got questions? Here’s everything you need to know before sending your fins.
Any Futures, FCS I and II fins are welcome.
Doesn’t matter if they’re:
- used/damaged
- mismatched
- older models
If they can be used on a board, we’ll find a way to use them.
👉 Even a single or mismatched set makes a difference.
Even 1 is enough.
Most of what we receive is from surfers clearing out gear they’re no longer using.
👉 We don’t need a box full — I mean we’ll take them for sure, but one set helps get a board in the water.
They’re paired with refurbished surfboards and sent to Vanuatu through our Shells for Boards program.
From there, they go directly to local surfers via the Vanuatu Surfing Association.
👉 Your fins end up under boards — and back in the water.
If you’ve got screws or keys, include them — it helps.
But if not, still send the fins.
👉 We’ll match and make it work on our end.
No.
If you request the shipping address, you’ll receive one email with the details.
👉 That’s it — no follow-ups, no marketing, no spam.
Fill in the email form and we will email you our postal address.
When you receive the postal address, pack the fins into a small box. Any box will do.
Pack your fins securely and send them to the address provided.
👉 Standard post is fine — no special shipping required.