How To Articles For Kids
How to Buy a Surfboard for Your Kids
The sport of surfing is increasingly popular among kids. It's a tremendously fast-growing sport. Since parents don't often have time to take their kids to the beach themselves, many children learn to surf at summer camp, surfing school or with a private instructor.
Your childs surf camp director or instructor will generally provide your child's surfboard for the lesson(s). But once your son or daughter has surfed a few times, they'll probably become hooked on the sport because it's so much fun. And then they'll want you to buy them a surfboard!
How do you go about picking the right surfboard for your child? In general, there are several factors to consider, including your child's height and weight; skill level; the safety features of the surfboard; and your budget.
In no uncertain terms, your child's safety should be your first consideration when buying a surfboard. Most surf camps and surfing schools use wide, soft foam surfboards (almost like boogie board material) because these are among the safest surfboards for kids and the easiest to learn on. The wider the board, the more stability it offers, and the easier it will be for your child to stand up and balance on the surfboard.
Your child's height, weight and skill level all combine to help you pick the right surfboard. If you have a young child, choosing a surfboard a few inches taller than they are should put you on the right track. For older kids, the surfboard should generally stand a foot or so above your child's head.
Longer and wider boards are easier to learn on since they offer more stability and buoyancy. The board must be heavy enough to support the weight of your child. But even though wider surfboards are easier to learn and stand on for beginning surfers, they may be more difficult to turn and maneuver. This calls into question the topic of your budget.
Assuming your child will be sticking with the sport for awhile, you may want to purchase a long and wide soft foam surfboard - and even a used one - until your child is ready to move up to a newer, and/or shorter or higher performance, surfboard. Your child's skill level will improve as they grow, and you don't want to be buying a new surfboard every year.
Assuming you go the used surfboard route (which may not be a bad option since it's definitely the cheapest choice), you need to make sure the board is in good condition with limited dents and dings. It must also be watertight with no potential for leakage, otherwise the board may not float and/or lack the proper buoyancy/support for your child's weight.
If you do purchase a used surfboard, you may want to ask the seller for a atest-drive.a This way, your child can use the board for an hour or two in the ocean before you make a final purchase decision.
Since there are so many variables to consider when buying your child their own surfboard, you can call a local surf camp or surf shop whose representatives should be able to answer all your questions.