Sustainable wooden body boards available for free hire across Cornwall
It comes during the summer months where polystyrene boards are seen broken on beaches
Free belly board hire is on offer on beaches across Cornwall and the UK as part of a nationwide scheme to encourage sustainable surf by the sea.
The bodyboards are now accessible across 24 locations around the coast as part of the 'Surf Wood for Good' programme, offering people a better alternative to harmful boards which are often left once they've been used.
It comes as spring and summer months sees boards often broken in beaches across Cornwall and causing a lasting impact on the environment.
Keep Britain Tidy estimates there are more than 16,000 of these low-quality polystyrene bodyboards discarded on UK beaches every year.
Jamie Johnstone, Dick Pearce Bellyboards, who set up the scheme said: “It’s one of the main reasons I first got involved with making bellyboards.
"Apart from riding them as a little kid and knowing how much fun it is, I wanted to offer a sustainable alternative to those disposable boards. I wanted to make a version that lasts forever".
He felt the need to act after seeing a huge amount of snapped bodyboards across his local beach during the summer as he grew up.
He continued: “Bellyboarding is the most simple and fun way to enjoy the sea and riding waves. Low performance and all about connecting with nature. Our boards are built from entirely natural and sustainable materials, each one designed to last generations so perfectly fits with the ethos of being in the ocean.
“We hope that the scheme will inspire people to think about what they are riding in the waves and promote a positive change away from disposable plastic in general. I love the idea that each board handed out represents the potential for a cheap alternative to be saved from landfill.”
The boards are now free to borrow in Cornwall as well as around 24 other locations around the UK coast, with the goal to prevent people worldwide from needing to buy "cheaper and more flimsy boards".
Dan Bassett, Little Goat Gruff store in St Ives, who also worked to develop the scheme said: “Surf Wood For Good is all about community and collaborative efforts to eliminate cheap toxic polystyrene from our coastal towns.
Environmental Charity Surfers Against Sewage are among those supporting the movement towards more traditional wooden boards like those created by ‘Surf Wood for Good’. A spokesperson commented:
“Here at SAS, we’re all about getting our communities involved in replacing single-use items for re-usable alternatives.
“Plastic pollution is a huge issue, with eight million pieces of plastic entering the ocean every single day. Not only is Surf Wood For Good kinder to our planet, it provides endless fun in the water, where you can use the board over and over again.
“Having the bellyboard hire for free makes it 100% accessible and we know as soon as anyone gives wood a try, they won’t want to go back to the single-use polystyrene boards".
You can find an interactive map and the full list of Surf Wood for Good outlets involved in the scheme on their website.