What age to Start ???

[teighto]

Hey guy's hopefully you can help me out with this :)

Ive only been surfing for a little while know but the last 2 sessions i have gone out my sister has brought her son with her to watch !!! he is 5 and really wanted to have a go !!!
He is an ok swimmer for a 5 year old, but was just wondering what age someone could actually start learning to surf and if so where is the best place to buy kiddie boards and which sizes would be best ???

He is already wanting to come with me everytime i see him so i guess he has the BUG !!! even tho he hasnt been in hahahaha

Let me know what ya think guy's

[Adrenaline Fueled]

I think it's 'Endless Summer II' that has a bit with this 5 year old kid who's totally better than me at surfing... I want to kill him so bad It said he can't take off by himself though, so his Dad pushes the board into the wave, then lets go once his son has caught it.
Don't know anything about kiddie boards though... Just get a real short short board?

[Mitur Bin'esderty]

i remeber seeing som1 with a longboard with a small kiddie on the nose of the board...maybe you could try that

[GowerCharger]

you can get groms boards, or maybe a really small fish. Just stick to little waves in safe places at first, those bays which are always to small to surf it only need be 6 inches to a foot for him to get standing.

Im guessing thats about the right age to start to get to the standard that will be required for competition once he reaches competition age.

[surfishlife]

no age is too young, i'd guess, so long as the kid can stand up.

[teighto]

Cheers Guy's looks like im gunna have to get him a board for his Bday !!! and a wet suit !! if they do them that small !!!!

I will keep you all posted as to how he gets on !!!

[lardyarse]

Get him a board. Mine started when she was eight but she is really small, she is ten now and only 4'2'' I bought her a 5'10'' fish to start with and it was ideal, really stable so she had plenty of time to get to her feet etc. She just dragged it out by the leash until she was about chest deep. She has now got one of the salomon noseless boards the 5'. She finds it a lot easier to paddle than the fish being a bit narrower, it is a challenge for her though. But be warned you will spend a lot of time pushing your littlun into waves as well as spending time knee deep watching them with a big grin on your face that will stay with you all week.

They make some really good kids wetsuits, got mine an Alder winter suit and she kept going right through Jan and Feb last winter.

Where abouts are you based? Filf in Rottingdean do some great kids stuff, give Steve a call (and I might have a fish for sale soon).

Here are a couple of Daisy , the first one is her on the fish, being small they get going on the smallest ripple, the next one is a day I went in with her because she wanted to try some bigger waves.

Sorry for the long post but surfing with your kid is just the best

[surfishlife]

Sweet pictures. I wish my parents had started me surfing, instead of learning my multiplication tables early.

[isaluteyou]

thats looks dead cool. I really want to get my nephew surfing he's only 4 but he already thinks my board is his

Funniest thing i have seen is two girls no older than 7 both popping up on the same longboard and riding it into the sand. Dang wish i had started when i was young i would probably be half decent now

[teighto]

been incontact with my local surf shop and they rekon i should get him a 5'10 short board and if i take him to the shop they would be able to order in a suitable size wet suit for him

cant wait to see how fast he learns !!! They always say you learn quicker when your younger !!!

[kemmer]

I was at the OP Pro on weds and after the contest there was a kid who couldn't have been older than 7 or 8 surfing on the shoulder. He must have either been a quick learner, or started when he was 5. He was really good. I've seen little kids out with mom or dad on longboards as early as 1 or 2 years old.

[northswell]

My eldest son started when he was five, he's now 10 and finally carrying his own board, this was taken last year. So had four years of this.

My other lad was popping up at three.

[dougirwin13]

Both my kids pop up in the lounge a treat.

Oldest ride an indo pretty hot.

We have one important rule - carry your own board onto the beach.

Riding another is great. But you gotta bring your own.

Seems to keep em stoked too.

Bloody work. ZZzzzzzzzzzzzz..............

-doug

[essex sucks]

i see a kid that was about 5 too 7 years old. sitting at the line up on a five ft day and when he took waves he was on the face doing cut backs and every think i was so mad

[dougirwin13]

Met a 10yo last night who came 4th in our Rip Curl gromfest under 12.

Little sod pulls into 7th barrels.

And was noseriding a saktey.

Shithead.

-doug

[jethrodog]

Owner of a surf shop in Samara CR has a kid who when he was five his dad would push him into a wave, he'd jump up and ride it all the way in, cutting back, riding the crest, pretty amazing.

[gdude335]

yesterday i saw this 10 year old kid who was doing 360's and landin them almost all the time.
it was freaken crazy!