Billabong, one of the world's largest surfwear brands, is founded in Australia in 1973.

Ocean Pacific (OP) starts selling surfwear in Southern California in 1972 after being founded as a surfboard shop in the 60's.

Despite participating in the sport for centuries prior, it took until the late 1970's for the world to start paying attention to women's competitive surfing. This is in part thanks to the "California Golden Girls" who caught the spotlight for the first time in competition tours.

The Women's International Surfing Association (WISA) is founded in 1975 to advocate for female surfers and equal pay, a major issue in the sport.

The photographer Jeff Divine gains popularity during the 1970's for his photography of fellow surfers in Southern California. As of 2024, he has documented several decades worth of the subculture and has become one of the most famous surf photographers of all time in the process.