Alumni of Surge Radio include broadcasters Spencer Kelly, Scott Mills and Chris Stark.

The early 1980s brought major developments, including the station's first regular service of student news, a consistent programme schedule, the construction of a second studio and new music library, refurbishment of the main studio with cartridge machines and a new student-built mixer, and a sung jingle package.

[3] In 2000 the station began broadcasting on 1287AM, having before only reached Glen Eyre tenants, and in 2001 it commenced FM transmissions for one week per year.

[7] In June 2005, Surge successfully received funding of £25,000 from SUSU for construction of a new studio in the Students' Union building on the University's Highfield Campus, which was completed and launched in October.

In February 2017, a rare EMI BTR-3 tape recorder, previously used at Abbey Road Studios in the 1960s, was recovered by members of the Surge committee from the old Glen Eyre Halls studio after information on its whereabouts was provided by former Radio Glen Technical Manager Henry Walmsley, who had used the machine at the premises throughout the 1990s.

The station was heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdowns; its final broadcast was on the evening of 13 March 2020, which coincided with the Southampton Student Film Festival.