Kids surfboards - recommendations
I bought my 10 year old son a foam board a few years ago and it has served him (and others) well. I wouldn't buy the rubbish off Ebay - I got mine from Zacs in Thornbury. Its worth getting a reasonable brand and the price difference wasn't huge anyway. Make sure it has a wooden stringer - solves the breaking issue and gives the board a bit more life when he can turn and for heavier friends who want to paddle out with you but don't have a board :)
Hi mate!
I have been surfing all my life (19 now). My option as a kid was buying an old school fibre glass from a pawn broker or dealer when I was about 6... They have a large range surprisingly of cheap boards. My first board was a 1970's Burford which was cracked, and sunburnt (yellowing) it only cost me $50 and is still going strong with my nephews who had it from about 6 to now (10 and 12), plus they are a bit of a retro head turner to and I could easily lift it at that age - it was about 6'6" but really wide. Otherwise I bought my old man a MASSIVE 8'6" BIC surfboard - who is the company that make pens. There boards are cheap as and are made of Plastic!! but are actually stronger than new fibreglass boards. You should be able to buy them from all or most surf shops. I'm in Adelaide and got mine from midcoast surf (South Road) for about $300!!! They are heavy but certainly strong as! It fell off my car at 100km's and dragged along - still attached with the leg strap to the car for around 100 metres, but only scratched it slightly haha! it is SUPER easy to stand on and paddle... (my beginner mates use it all the time) Otherwise foam boards are great to... but they do break easily, I suppose your child wont be surfing anything big though - so that could be an option... they can get expensive though!
cheers,
Jamesony (Adelaide Surfer)
dralyagmas, i got my son a crazy clints boogie board at 1 & 1/2 a old wahu boogie board at an op shop for $5 at 2, at 2 & 1/2 i bought a generic brand from amart super sports under $100, its lasted well for the year we have had it. If your assisting your kids surf forget fiberglass almost broke my sons nose going over a wave, go the foam cheap as possible thick as possible so you can trail behind.
Dont forget The SURF MAT
I got my first wave at 6 years old on an 'Amoco' servo surf mat. $2 for the mat if you filled the car up any Amoco servo back in the early 70's.
My dad would body surf and push me into little waves at Elephant Rock down at Currumbin.
From that point on I knew I wanted to ride waves.
Bodysurf with them on your back with
http://www.hydrosportz.com/_webapp_1101024/Body_Surfer
or make a wooden version
OMG Backbeach is on the money there. At 3 the best introduction to the waves and ocean is confidence and fun! Getting them on a board early can scare them off in one small wipeout, I speak from experience...my son (mid teens) is, a lid rider. Yeah I screwd up with the kid, the must surf stuff to early and too young failed. He was three.
My daughter's though, love surfing on a board and led themselves to the waves and actually hasseled me to get them boards without any encouragement, go figure!?!
You sound like a good Dad wanting to spend time with your son, thats what matters more than anything.
i will add my 3 yrd olds comments today i want the surf mat its got handles.,
dont push em to hard, good luck everyone, yesterday he wanted to stand up, 2 days ago he wanted the hand plane 3 days ago he wanted out the back body surfing, what ever we all achieve in life a love of the ocean is the best we can do for our kids
WAHU VESTS, my 3 yr old would be dead with out it, no joke large ripping surf
HI I want to get my 3 year old into the water on a board and looking for good options for a learner surfboard. Obviously being 3 he will only be playing in local (VERY small) waves just learning to paddle and maybe stand up. Turning not a priority at this stage.
I like the idea of a foam board but want to know of a decent brand that is not going to fold in half. Like anyone with little kids cant be too expensive as its always a possibility that he hates it.
Cheers
By: "dralyagmas"
Going through the upgrade exercise at the moment. Daughter has had a 'Redback 5'5" Kirra pro since she was 1 1/2 ... we'd take it to the beach everytime we went and push her on small broken waves ... she'd play in the shore and 'practice' surfing by standing on it facing toward the ocean and 'ride' the waves as they washed up the beach toward her. She's now outgrown it, she's 6 1/2, and the bulky rails are 'catching' as she tries to ride across waves (lying down), and it's too small for her to try and stand up on.
We've been recommended, 6'0" is about the right size. 7'0" too big and hard for a gidget her age to handle, etc ...
Elnino flow and fluid have been given a good 'rap, and so too the new 'redback' quick stik (distributed by land and sea), and also prodigy softboards ... but, I like the look, feel and design of the Softech TC Pro (as per the thread I started on this board, we're not sure of any users feedback).
Good luck. I think I get more stoke from watching her enjoy surfing, than I get from doing it myself.
Have to agree with the 'dont push too hard too early' comment..i did with my 1st kid..one wipeout too many too young and that was it. my second i let them find there own way slowly and he loves it. the other point that hasnt been raised is get them to join nippers (life saving club) excellent way for them to learn about rips and be more confident in the ocean. do your research 1st some clubs have better junior programs than others.
Good point Amb, it amazes me that people spend large dollars on surfschools to teach their kids to stand on a surfboard when the SLSC of australia have run programs for decades, teaching how to handle the ocean, cheaper longer process better way to spend your funds.
more fools following marketing,
Outcome Surfschool stand on surfboard $50 a lesson
outcome SLSC understand the surf $50 a season
Hi forum , if you want a hands on approach i.e surf together,
today i dragged the 20 yr old clubby boards from under the house after some restoration the young fella 3Yr old reckons its the best vehicle yet, its got handles he was confident enough to stand up because it was stable.
Side note another bloke had his 7 yr old standing up together on a SUP, nice
Plus i saw a kid of about 12 yrs old hang 5 today what a great day
get the kids on the goat boat. its the way of the future
HI I want to get my 3 year old into the water on a board and looking for good options for a learner surfboard. Obviously being 3 he will only be playing in local (VERY small) waves just learning to paddle and maybe stand up. Turning not a priority at this stage.
I like the idea of a foam board but want to know of a decent brand that is not going to fold in half. Like anyone with little kids cant be too expensive as its always a possibility that he hates it.
Cheers