Kids Surfing: How To Teach Your Child To Surf

Teaching anyone how to surf is never an easy task. Teaching kids surfing? It is on another level of difficulty. It can be challenging to ensure the experience is safe but fun. The good news is that children are more resilient than most adults in the face of a challenge. It’s up to you as their parent to introduce them to surfing positively.

If you want your kid to love the waves and surf alongside you, here are some tips to make the learning stage fun for both of you.

1. Work On Their Relationship With Water
2. Pique Their Interest In Surfing
3. Start Your Lessons On Land
4. Teach Them How To Surf On Warm Water
5. Choose The Right Waves

1. Work On Their Relationship With Water

Teaching your kids to swim at an early age will make it easier for you to engage them in water activities.

Your child should know how to swim before they learn how to surf. Not only will this give you peace of mind while they’re out on the ocean, but it can help them develop a good relationship with water.

“The more comfortable your child is with swimming, the more confident they’ll feel in the water.”, according to Hayley Carter, a lifestyle writer at Big Assignments and UK Services Reviews. “This confidence will help them tremendously during their surf lessons.”

2. Pique Their Interest In Surfing

It’s much easier to teach a child excited to surf than one who has no interest in it. Kids who enthusiastically want to learn how to surf are far more likely to succeed and not give up during their lessons.

To engage your child’s interest in surfing, consider taking them to the shore with you to watch other surfers. Now that surfing is an Olympic sport, there are plenty of videos of surfers having fun and dominating the waves. Watch these videos with your kids to boost surfing’s cool factor in their eyes. Another way surfing can capture their interest is by watching you surf and have fun doing it.

Kids should only take up surfing on their terms. Forcing them to learn how to surf if they have no interest in it will only result in a negative experience for both of you.

3. Start Your Lessons On Land

Different surfing stances and other basic skills can be practiced on land first before bringing them to the waters.

In the same way that adults begin their surfing lessons on the sand, your child should as well. It will help your kid familiarize themselves with the feel of the board and the movements necessary to surf.

Teach them the basic maneuvers and demonstrate them on your board. To make it more fun for them, you can treat the lessons like a game. You can practice the pop-up movement together. Whoever can do the most pop-ups in an allotted time wins. It’s essential to provide plenty of affirmations and positive feedback so your child will look forward to these lessons.

4. Teach Them How To Surf On Warm Water

This next tip to teach your kids surfing may not be possible for some parents depending on where they live. However, for those with access to warm water, this is a great place to teach your child how to surf.

If your child isn’t used to the ocean, the cold water might discourage your kid and have them give up on their lessons. Teaching them how to surf in warm water will help eliminate the discomfort of being in cold water for most of their surf lessons. Another alternative is to buy them a wetsuit.

“Places such as Hawaii and the Philippines have warm water perfect for surf lessons,” advises Katie Fleming, a travel blogger at Via Writing and AcademAdvisor. “These places are awesome for introducing your kid to surfing.”

5. Choose The Right Waves

Let them start practicing on small waves. Making them surf big waves on their first try might end their interest in surfing.

The last thing you want is for your child to wipe out on a scary wave, acquire a trauma, and never want to try surfing again. That is why choosing the right waves for your surf lessons with your kid is exceptionally vital. You want to take them out on the ocean, where the waves are low and slow. Standing on the board here will give them the confidence they need to tackle bigger waves when they’re ready.

Takeaway

Surf lessons are always tricky but even trickier for a kid. As a parent, it’s your job to ensure they develop a positive relationship with the ocean and surfing. Patience is a must when teaching a child how to surf. Most importantly, demonstrate how fun surfing is for them by having fun yourself.

Guest Post By: Christina Lee is a lifestyle content manager at Top essay writing services and Assignment writing services. She writes about travel and recreation for such services as Simple Grad and others.