Gumbies Ambassador Series: Beach Day's With Isla

We are celebrating National Beach Day here at Gumbies - where better to wear your Gumbies flip flops! The UK has some of the best beaches in the world with over 11,023 miles of coast line.

We asked our latest ambassador and Cornwall resident @islamarsh, how the beach plays an important role in her life and any advice she can offer us to get the most out of it?

Hi Isla, tell us a bit about you ?

I grew up in Dorset, near Durdle Door. After I finished my A levels, I worked as a Ski Instructor for 10 years travelling from winter to winter but when COVID hit and the ski world came to a halt, I was lucky enough to move to Newquay, where my sister lives.

I now work part time with businesses focused in sustainability, helping them to create content for social media platforms and advise on their sustainable development. I also have a few side hustles that fill up the rest of my time!

Where is your local beach spot?

My local beach is Towan Beach in Newquay.

How often do you go to the beach, and how important is it to you?

I go to the beach about 4-5 times per week, sometimes for as little as a one minute dip in the sea in winter and then rush home to warm up!

The beach brings a sense of calmness that is hard to find in life. It gives my mind a break from everything else that is going on and allows me to be present. Whether I’m in the sea, listening to the waves, picking up rubbish or enjoying it with friends, I can be totally present at the beach. It’s my form of meditation.

Other than the obvious stuff (walking, sand castles, swimming) what else can our UK beaches offer ?

UK beaches can teach us. We can learn about tides and rips, plastic pollution, ghost nets, nurdles, erosion, rock formations and many more. If we spend time on the beaches without rushing ourselves, we can learn from nature.

Any advice on how to get into those things ?

Places to check out for pollution on beaches and organised beach cleans are; Surfers Against Sewage, 2 minute beach clean, the great British nurdle hunt.

You can ask lifeguards on the beaches about tides and rips or go on the RNLI website or social media and watch their information videos.

Most importantly, slow down and spend time looking at the sand, the sea and everything around you!

And Finally, what are your favourite Gumbies Flip-Flops?

I've been wearing the Gumbies Corkers while adventuring for the last couple of months and am loving the durability of the soles. They are thin but protective which means I can really feel and react to the surfaces I walk on, as they are constantly changing, which keeps my balance in check but also protects my feet on a big adventure. Not only that, but they are made from recycled rubber, recycled cotton and sustainable cork so are the perfect fit for a sustainability advocate like myself!