Here is some advise on what’s best when buying your Kids a Surfboard to learn on!

Lets be honest if your not a Surfer yourself and your little Kid is wanting to get into Surfing then the internet is a minefield of misinformation and with Christmas only round the corner you feel under pressure to buy anything. So i would like to start with the main question which trips most parents up straight away.

Do i Buy my Learner Grom a Foamy or a Hard fiberglass Surfboard?

By the way the word Grom is the Surf name given to a child Surfer!

The Soft top or foamy surfboard

The Foamy is a soft construction Learner surfboard that was originally designed for use with Surf Schools, the construction is durable for being bashed around on a beach, the fins are softer than normal so a little safer for the person falling off all the time. This is great for lessons especially i poor wave conditions and your kid will have fun  messing around in the water. However the down side to a Foamy is it is not an actual surfboard and  only really good for leaning to pop up and ride straight in to the beach, you do have some more expensive Brands now that sell Foamies that you can ride to a higher level but the price of them is not far off buying a Hard board and considering your Child will get used to a Foamy very quickly it may not be worth your time. So foamies are great for lessons and messing around on days when the surf is not very good, best advise get your Kid a few Lessons at a local surf school like the one pictured especially in winter, i the North East it is cold and to become a good surfer you have to be able to brave the cold sea, a good wetsuit will make things feel a whole lot easier. If your Child is hell bent on becoming a surfer then get them a learner hard board once they can pop up they will get used to a foamy very quickly and you will be looking for a hard board before you know it.

A Fibreglass kids Surfboard

It’s important that your Kid learns the basic popup and ride under supervision at a qualified Surf School we have loads in the North East. Here are a few..

NE SURF SCHOOL  NORTHUMBERLAND

LONGSANDS SURF SCHOOL    TYNEMOUTH

SOUTH SHEILDS SURF SCHOOL

FLOW SURF SCHOOL   SALTBURN

Once your kid is up and riding into the beach then it’s time for a fibreglass surf board. Don’t underestimate your Child they will learn quickly, on the right board they will progress very quickly to a high standard. If you leave them on a foamy to long they will still have to start from  scratch on a hard board, they just don’t feel the same so to me a year on a foamy is a year wasted. Also ma factor that gets misunderstood is board size for a Kid, parents will buy the biggest board they can thinking that it will be easier for there little one to learn to surf but if the board is to big the kid can’t learn, the board needs to fit a child’s frame, narrow for paddling kids shoulders are narrow soft boards are wide. The length can’t be to long as the child struggles to turn the board  to catch a wave or turn the board while riding, all these things need to be considered but with the right board they will progress at a very quick pace. Some good Surfboards to consider are the Weemal or a Kids Size Minimal.

The Weemal Minimal

Probably one of the best Kids learner surfboards made in the UK it has everything your Child will need to take them from a Novice right up to a Intermediate surfer most kids go from a Weemal straight onto a shortboard due to the way this board can help them take on more advanced surf moves and you can even learn to duck dive just like a you would on a smaller more advanced board.  We do stock Weemal surfboards but for your Kid you may need to order a Custom size at CUSTOM WEEMAL

 

 Kids Minimal Surfboard

A shorter narrow version of our Minimal with a few adjustments to help the young learner, the board has a v hulled bottom to help with stability and the rails a slimmed down this helps the rider engage the wave better to trim the board down the line and also loosens it up a bit to help progress the turns. My son rides one of these Kids Minimals he can ride a shortboard but just loves the feel of this board and is only surfing now and then so finds this board more fun to ride. To order a Custom Kids Minimal go here KIDS CUSTOM MINIMAL