When Should Kids Start Surfing?
November 30, 2009
If you’d like your child to become a pro tour regular or even just a local ripper, there are a few guidelines to follow to make sure you’re introducing the steps at the right ages. Get them started gradually, having them become confident in the ocean, and things should go smoothly.
From birth to age 2, have the child take showers with you. Believe it or not, water splashing on the face and head, and in eyes and nose can be a huge deterrent to future water activities if the child isn’t used to it. Shower spray will get them used to it. Take them to parent/child aquatic classes and have them get used to movement in the water, holding their breath, blowing bubbles, etc.
When the child is 2-4 years old, continue swimming lessons. Get them wetsuits and have them splash around in the surf, under adult supervision, of course, and wearing a PFD for extra safety. Wetsuits are great for beach activities because they keep the child warm whether they’re wading in the surf or digging in the sand. Having them get used to putting on and taking off wetsuits at an early age will prevent them from hating that aspect later on. Also at this age, have the child lay atop your surfboard while you hold it in the shallows. Have them practice the paddling motion on the board.
At 5-7 years of age, continue swimming lessons and introduce related sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and boogie boarding. Begin teaching them how to surf only if you yourself are an experienced surfer. If you’re not, pay for regular lessons through a local surf shop. Children should be on softop surfboards. Have them practice jumping to standing on their board onshore then push them into whitewater waves and practice standing and riding on the moving board.
As the child grows to 8-10 years old, he or she will have more strength and stamina, be able to carry their own board, and will have more patience and focus for all the practice they’ll need to improve. The learning curve for surfing might be the largest of any sport, so make sure you have a lot of patience for your child!