Learning to surf at any age can be an incredibly humbling, invigorating, life changing experience. Teaching your child to surf, or learning to surf with your kids can be a real bonding experience. Not only is it an exhilarating and fun activity, there are also a whole host of other reasons why learning to surf at a young age can be so enriching…
- Builds confidence, awareness and respect of the ocean.
- Teaches you about the wind, tides and swell formation.
- A great way to instill a respect for sharing experiences with others.
- It’s a great physical activity, outdoors, in nature.
Pool time gives campers the oppotunity to learn critical technique such as the “turtle roll” before paddling out for the first time.
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to learn to surf when I was young. Although I grew up on the coast, we didn’t have any surf at our local beaches. So my amazing parents used to make the 4 hour round trip every weekend to spend the day together as a family, and so I could go surfing.
It taught me to appreciate experiences over material goods. I prioritized by saving all my money for a new surfboard, wetsuit or plane ticket, so I could travel and surf more, instead of buying the newest computer game or the latest gadget. When I grew older, I would always be the designated driver; so I could get up early the next day to surf, instead of staying in bed with a hangover.
Surfing has opened up a world of experiences to me. Being out in nature has gifted me with the opportunity to surf with dolphins, humpback whales, schools of golden eagle rays, turtles, penguins, big seals and even bigger sharks, an experience people often pay top dollar to enjoy. Had it not been for surfing, I would not have traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Indonesia, the Caribbean, France, Spain, California, Nicaragua and, of course, here to Costa Rica. Thanks to Surfing, I have witnessed fascinating cultures and met some amazing people who have positively influenced my life in so many ways, not to mention given me a profession I love.
Jacob’s progression within a short time in Costa Rica working with Martin.
As a Surf Coach, one of the most fun and rewarding parts of the job is teaching kids. Their endless energy and enthusiasm is infectious, even the shy ones who are quiet in the beginning are laughing and cheering after their first wave. Living here on the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica, has given me the opportunity to work with some of the local ‘groms’ on an ongoing basis. Watching their progression and growth over the months is has been just as enjoyable for me as it has for them.
One of my students, Jacob, moved to Costa Rica in November 2011 with his family from Chicago, who opened the fantastic Amici Ristoraunte & Pizzeria. Having grown up in the city, he was a little apprehensive at first, but he took his first surf lesson with me in December, and has been hooked ever since. We spend our sessions out in the water, doing video analysis, talking theory on how the tides work, basic meteorology, surfboard design, ocean safety and lots of other topics. On his 13th birthday we went to a local shaper to get him his very first custom surfboard, that we had designed together in one of our surfboard design theory classes. His eagerness to learn and soak up as much information as possible has really fast tracked his progression. Even Jacobs’ Mom, Kamila, has been impressed by his new found love of surfing, “…he’s never been so passionate about anything before, I never thought I would see the day when he would be up, and out the door at 5am voluntarily!”.
6 year old Poppy Sargeant slays it on her first session at Peaks n Swells.
We believe that by giving our guests the knowledge and the tools to surf safely we can start to eliminate that ‘fear of the unknown’ and replace it with confidence and excitement, no matter how old you are.
We always make sure there is at least one person with every child in the ocean, and all of our coaches are Internationally Qualified Lifeguards. By staying in shallow water with soft top fun boards, we can maximize our younger guests learning experience and enjoyment in the water.
We all know the ocean can be a big and scary place, (this can be especially true if your less than 5ft tall…), so here at Peaks n Swells we do everything we can to remove the anxiety that comes with being out of your depth and make learning to surf a fun experience for the whole family. With safety and fun covered, as a parent, you can put your mind at rest and concentrate on getting the most out of your own surfing experience.