The Gulf Coast of Louisiana may be not be known for their perfect sandbars and dedicated surfing populace, but under the radar, beneath the veneer of the oft-forgotten Third Coast, there are indeed waves in Cajun Country and a congregation of surfers loyal to them. As the now-famous oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico continues to pump an estimated 3 million gallons of oil into the sea onto the beaches of Louisiana, it’s become a fraternal problem for us as, along with the bevvy of plants and animals, because this oil spill is affecting surfers.

According to a recent release from the group Below the Surface (BTR) the situation in the Gulf is currently looking more dire than ever, with the local South Louisiana communities preparing to take a potentially unparalleled economic hit from the greasy deluge.

“The cost to the fishing industry in Louisiana could be $2.5 billion, while the impact on tourism along Florida’s panhandle coast could be $3 billion,” Neil McMahon, analyst at investment firm Bernstein, said on Friday. “We’ll be out of business, basically, pretty much devastated. I see no recovery. If you lose two to three years, I can see absolutely no way to come back from it.”

The release also stated that “the local economic impact could surpass that of Hurricane Katrina. Oil has begun to wash ashore in remote areas of Louisiana so it is important that the team moves quickly along the coast.“

The immediate effect on the local surfing population has yet to come to light. Stay locked to GrindTV for more on this and a forthcoming interview with a Louisiana-based Gulf Coast surfer. In the meantime, we swear, the stretch of coast from Louisiana to Alabama gets good. Check the video below.