Christmas bodyboard tree at Croyde

With so many of our parks in beautiful coastal locations, protecting these environments is a key priority at John Fowler Holidays. At Ruda Holiday Park in Croyde, our Ranger team works hard to care for the beach, run educational sessions and raise awareness of local environmental issues.

One growing problem on Croyde’s surf beach is the number of cheap, throw-away bodyboards left behind. This year, the team collected around 350 broken or abandoned boards, showcased in their creative Bodyboard Christmas Tree project.

These boards are usually imported, classed as beach toys and made from flimsy materials. They break easily, their covers rip and release thousands of polystyrene balls into the sea. Not only does this pollute the beach and ocean, but the plastic can be ingested and harm wildlife as well as leaching chemicals into the water.

For many years, the Rangers have worked with Keep Britain Tidy’s Ocean Recovery Project to recycle the polystyrene and covers. Local firm SWM turns the polystyrene into insulation blocks, and in the past it has even been used to insulate bee hives at Quince Honey Farm. The fabric covers have been upcycled into bunting, cushion covers and even a dress.

However, recycling is difficult due to salt and sand contamination and cannot solve the issue alone. That’s why, alongside Keep Britain Tidy and Earth Action North Devon, the team successfully campaigned to stop the sale of the cheapest bodyboards in Croyde. While this has reduced the problem of polystyrene balls, the overall number of discarded boards remains high.

So what can holidaymakers do?

The biggest change starts with us as consumers. Before buying a bodyboard, ask yourself:

• Do you really need a new board for this holiday?
• Will it be used again, or is it a one-time purchase?
• Could one board be shared between siblings, borrowed, or hired instead?
• If you want something to use for years, consider investing in a high-quality board (£60+ ideally) or renting a durable option.

There are also great hire options locally:

Wooden bellyboards from Earth Action North Devon (available free from their Braunton office)

Quality hire boards from our Offshore shop

Classic wooden boards from Dick Pearce

If you do choose to buy a polystyrene board, avoid the material-covered types — they often fail within hours. Look for the most rigid, well-made board you can afford.

Together we can help protect the beaches and coastlines we love.