The north Cornwall coast is one of our favourite natural habitats. Here, surfer, Max Zimmer shares his love for the waves at Mawgan Porth.

"I have grown up by the sea, living in Mawgan Porth for my whole life. None of my family have ever surfed, so my inspiration was always the local guys, such as Angus Scotney, Peter Abell, and Tommy Greaves, who always took care of me, and called me into the big ones! I think if it wasn’t for Pete would never have started surfing in the first place. It all started with me walking to the beach with a big inflatable, and Pete, being the “deceivingly professional” surf coach he is, tells me “you can’t go out on that thing!” He then gave me a swellie, and told me the basics of popping up, whilst my mum watched with obvious amusement. I don’t think anyone was really expecting me to stand up my first time, but as I popped up it almost felt natural. All I could hear was my mum shouting, and cheering from the beach, and all I can say is thank goodness she doesn’t do that now! After that, I never looked back.

Surfing to me is not just a sport, it’s a way of life. It takes over everything and anything and there is not a lot I can do to hold back on that. I have been late for countless family meals and parties due to Mawgan pumping off the scale. Summer days, waking up at half four in the morning and walking over five miles to our favourite little secret spot. Charging it until the tide got too high. When we would walk home and stuff our faces with breakfast. Before trekking another 3 miles to north Watergate and shred that for another 3 hours. I remember on my last birthday, my Mum said she would take me out for breakfast, after my surf of course! After surfing northy for 3 hours, from 6 am and then walking back, it turned out that the breakfast place closed at 9! Safe to say my mum was pretty upset but I couldn’t have been happier. Stuffing down a bowl of cheerio’s before yet another birthday session, this time at mawgys on my fresh new birthday board."