Introducing any sport to children and grabbing their attention is anything but easy. However, the challenge is one of the most fascinating indeed. Each kid is a unique universe. Read more on how and when is best to get your kid motivated in surfing.
Age
Who knows their kids best? Parents, that’s for sure. If you regularly spend time at water and water sports are an integral part of your daily life, your child will see that you have a good time and rejoice and he / she’s most likely to take an interest in water and surfing at an early age. In order for a child to take up surfing, the first thing in place is the interest on his / her behalf.
Tenerife Surf Point teaches children surfing starting from the age of 6 in a kids’ group. Speaking of individual classes with an instructor, these can start even earlier than that. Rather than counting age, follow your kid’s interest in the ocean and such active sports.
Many factors come into play here: swimming ability, fear or love for water, character and experience in other sports. Therefore, there’s no definite age for setting off, it all turns on the kid.
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Christine’s youngest ward started at eighteen months!
How the course goes?
Kids love making merry and playing, so we try to conduct the surfing course sapid for the child. Kids must have fun, and an important sign for us is when they smile, laugh and ask for more and more! But then again, it’s crucial to make it clear that surfing is a really responsible kind of sport. We teach kids to understand and respect the ocean, as well as find their own approach to it.
While training, children must feel that they’re being helped, but at the same time shouldn’t be over relaxed. They must immediately get it that soon they’ll have to carry the boards themselves, row themselves, and later navigate the ocean themselves as well.
The chief goal is to make training safe, fun and effective!
Tips for parents
- It’s important for kids that their hobby is of some interest to you, dear parents. Not keen on surfing? Then show your interest and support. However, try to be invisible while training (do not swim nearby, do not wave from the shore), so that your child is not distracted by you, but listens to the instructor. If you praise his / her success and say you’ve seen from afar what a long wave he / she’s caught, your kid will be even more eager to train.
- Watch a couple of surf videos, a movie, a cartoon about surfing with your kid, or take him / her to the surf shop.
- Give your child a hand while stand on a balance board. That’s a good balance training and just fun.
- If you are on joint holidays with other families, bring your kids’ friends along. They’ll be excited about competing with one another and motivate each other even more.
- Do not impose surfing on the child, but wait until he / she shows interest.
- Learn more about surfing (e.g. on our website), find out more about your kid’s hobby. It’ll make your mutual socializing even more interesting. Tell your child as much as possible about surfing so that he / she’s completely immersed in the atmosphere and is eager to have a go. These may be stories about surfers, big waves, boards, etc.
❗️Remember to apply a high-level sunscreen (50+) on your child’s open body parts (face, hands) before training!
Use of surfing
Surfing definitely improves kids’ physical and emotional state.
It develops strength, endurance, flexibility, improves dexterity and coordination, and also helps to splash out energy, get juiced up and make friends with the ocean!
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