Any surfers out there?

Pagliacci

Pagliacci

Well-Known Member
Looking for advice; my ten year old daughter is completely obsessed with learning to surf.

Whether she still believes, or is just playing it out for mom and dad, she'll be crushed if Santa doesn't come through with a board this year.

What kind of board does she need? She's 4'5" or so; 80~85 lbs.

Despite practically growing up on the beach, I know nothing about surfing. Any info will be greatly appreciated.
 
Hows her athleticism and balance? A lot of people will wind up learning on a longboard because of the bouyancy and ease of catching waves, however, the downside is the agility of them. The reason I ask, is because she can skip learning on a longboard and jump to a shortboard if she wants. I learned on a shortboard, but thoroughly enjoy riding longboards b/c they are a lot of fun. Imo, "Most" people wind up on a short board of some sort at some time. This is usually do to the ability to turn/carve on a shortboard. As she improves, she'll probably want to carve on the wave a bit more and the shorter board will allow for more maneuverability. So, having said that, the alternative to the longboard is either going to be a "fish" or a "funboard". Both are shorter than a "longboard", but have some extra width for stability and bouyancy.
We really don't have big surf during the summer here in NJ. Its our worst season for waves while the best season tends to be in the fall and winter. With the lack of powerful waves during the summer this is another justification for longboard/fish style board. The extra width and thickness in the tail of the board will help her "take off" on smaller, less powerful waves.
I hope that helps a little bit. Check out some of the local surf shops. And the board size is going to greatly depend on the style that you ultimately wind up choosing.
 
Best bet would be to start off with a "fun" board which is basically a longer board that is soft and great to learn on. It's also a good way to gauge whether she will develop a commitment to the sport or she might end up hating it right from the start. The good thing about these fun boards is that the board is made of foam. Obviously this is nice when it comes to wiping out and potentially getting hit by the board. It's also nice to have a lighter board especially when you are the size of your daughter. In terms of board size, I can't really give a good recommendation, but any surf shop will be able to provide better insight into this.

I think it would be wise to just explain about what a learning curve is and how surfing has a rather steep curve. But also explain to her that with practice and a good "don't give up" attitude, she should be able to start riding waves on her own. It's amazing exercise and in many ways therapeutic, as many of the other MTBNJ surfers will agree with me.

Best of luck with getting your daughter into the sport. It's a great thing to learn and undoubtedly this will bring the two of you closer. For me, surfing was something my father and I shared a passion for. To this day, we still can talk for hours about epic surf sessions and the same kinda shop talk one can do with bikes.
 
I've got a 7' foamy that's taking up space in my basement. It'd be like a canoe for your daughter, but it'd also be super-stable and as safe as it's possible to get out there. Also, it's got a leash! My nephew learned to surf on it and I've loaned it out to friends on the west coast when their non-surfer pals wanted to try without the fiberglass chin-smacking. Also, it carves fairly decently for grown-ups, should you want to venture into the water after you get a fish for your daughter.
 
Great stuff, thanks guys.

My daughter appears to be the kind of kid who will have to work hard at developing skills, but she seems willing to do so.

On her birthday (June 6), I explained to her why we weren't going to buy a board yet, and then I took her to Brave New World and let her pick out clothes and a boogie board. Throughout the summer, she spent hours at a time getting pounded in the surf on the bb, demonstrating that she loves being in the water and scrapes and bruises don't slow her down.

She had been taking a gymnastics class (until she broke her arm last week), and was constantly reminding me that it will help her when she starts surfing.

I would much prefer that we spend our free time biking together, but she is hell bent on learning to surf, so I'm pretty sure she'll commit to it.

As a fat old man (5'11", 235lbs), I wasn't sure that this is something we'll be able to learn together; I assume that I'll need something the size of a dance floor to keep me afloat.

I wasn't aware that the best season here is the winter; is there any decent surfing along the Jersey shore in the summer?
 
You could totally learn how to surf and doing it w/ your daughter would be awesome. You guys would have some great stories (and laughs) to share as you both learn.
And there are waves in the summer. They're just on the smaller side and not firing as often. Plenty of fun stuff though 🙂
You can always check surfline or call up one of the surf shops for surf reports in the mornings before you head to the beach too.
 
You're getting me more and more psyched to get out there with her.

Jordan is my oldest of 3 (10, 6 and 4), and a year ago, I was wondering if I'd see them all hit their teens. When she got on this surfing kick, my wife asked if it would be something I could do with her, and I was pretty convinced that I'd only be able to watch her from the shore as she took lessons and practiced.

1 year and 2000 road miles later, I feel healthier than I have in 15 years. I'm thinking this is a real possibility now.

How's the surfing in the Seabright - Monmouth Beach area?
 
Usually when people, especially kids, try to learn an activity that is moderately difficult and requires a learning curve involving constant failure till you can master the new skill, they tend to quit before they acquire the skill. So obviously don't go for something high in price unless you are rich, because chances are she will abandon it.
 
Nicholas said:
Usually when people, especially kids, try to learn an activity that is moderately difficult and requires a learning curve involving constant failure till you can master the new skill, they tend to quit before they acquire the skill. So obviously don't go for something high in price unless you are rich, because chances are she will abandon it.
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Sound advice, but she's been hounding me about surfing since the summer of 2010. Friends of ours have hundreds and hundreds of dollars tied up in video game systems and games; as long as she's asking for stuff that can only be used outdoors, I'll keep shelling out the cash.
 
Pagliacci said:
Sound advice, but she's been hounding me about surfing since the summer of 2010. Friends of ours have hundreds and hundreds of dollars tied up in video game systems and games; as long as she's asking for stuff that can only be used outdoors, I'll keep shelling out the cash.
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Great point. I was the same way with my kids and snowboarding, although I've been snowboarding for a long time. Like above I'd start with a foam board it will be easier to catch waves on and it won't beat her up as much which as a parent will make you feel better. As far as surfing in the winter that's a while notched level of dedication, ice cream headaches, gray skies, etc. Let her learn in the warm waters of the summer thru mid fall before testing her commitment level and your wallet by buying cold water wetsuits.
 
Go to Brave New Wolrd and ask for Gordo or Kyle Murray, they are straight shooters. Then take your daughter to Manasquan Inlet. During the spring and summer there is no shortage of young girls learning to surf.
 
I don't surf but my kids do. IMO if you live near the water its a great thing to learn growing up. My 12 year old cant stand school but will study surf reports and waves during the summer like he need to write a thesis on it.

It sounds like she is excited to surf. The boogie board was a good move and it what my guys all did and still do. My son got a cheaper fiberglass board off the bat but he had been surfing soft tops for a couple months prior. Now he has a shorter board and it the longer one will get handed down. Like FFT said, hit up Brave but search out the guys with knowledge - they usually lay low but you can tell within a few minutes who knows what. Dirf at Island Style in Sea Bright might be worth a visit too and pretty close to you.

Another option is maybe give her some lessons for Xmas. They will loan boards and then for her birthday get her a board. My kids did SummaLove and learned pretty fast. This summer I hope to have all 3 down there as the little guy will be old enough.

My wife and I will be looking to learn too and we are 41. I've done every other board sport so excited to learn the one that started it all.
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I only skimmed the previous posts, so I may have missed it ... but the most important aspect of this IMHO isn't equipment or balance, etc., it's comfort level in the water. Surfing (or body surfing or body boarding) demands a high degree of swimming proficiency and earned confidence in the water.

Work with you children in the pool and get them comfortable pushing their limits there. Your parenting style and the kid's personality will dictate what this looks like, but you cannot be too prepared before paddling out.

I am working with my 5 year old on this. He's been body boarding with me in stages since he was 2. We are going to move up to surfing this summer. From day one, whether in the pool or the ocean, I've hammered into him the number one rule in the ocean: DON'T PANIC. Because when you panic, you aren't thinking, and you need your head to be in the game at all times, especially when it gets tough out there.

(back to gear: O'Neill springsuits are great items for the kids in all seasons and they extend their ability to stay in the water when other kids lips are turning blue and are shivering.)

Have fun with it, and see you in the line up! 🙂
 
jwave - huge point to add and the most important.

The surf camp I mentioned gave great instruction to the kids on how to handle themselves in the water and etiquette on taking waves and what to do when it's gets crazy. I've heard the instructors ask the kids "what if" questions like if they get caught in a current before they go into the water.

All my kids have been in water since they were born and swimming since 3 or so. They are probably better in the water than me but I still keep an eye on them from the beach when they are out. It's great to see how they handle themselves and have so much fun but also just in case things go south.
 
Christmas Fail; no Surf Bettys available. Jordan wanted one with pink hibiscus flowers on it.

Since I waited too long to get the board she wanted, I'm going to take everyone's great advice and start with a foamy or two, and maybe some lessons when it's warm enough to get in the water with a cheap wet suit.

I'm sure she'll be a little disappointed xmas morning, but her next birthday will be the greatest ever.

Thanks for all the help; many more questions to come.

Sean, I'll talk to you in a few weeks about the boards.

-Dean
 
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