"Dad used to pay me to come surfing"
In this day-and-age where every kid wants an iPad for the first birthday, it can be hard to justify the paddle out in the middle of winter for a surf. But sometimes a little (or big) push out the door can lead to some memorable moments.
We had a great chuckle when reading this report from Dave West from the sunshine coast, about trying to boot his two kids out the door on a winters morning for a surf.
“This weekend was small, super clean, a bit weak but perfect for all the neighborhood grommies to get amongst it. Easy paddle out, knee-to-waist, deep, back bank, spilling to throwing one to two-footers and plenty of hoots for each other.
On days like these, there is not a reason (that I can see) for them not to enjoy themselves. So after 30 minutes of to and fro about why they should come for a surf, I cracked the shits. I know that other dads and mums can struggle to motivate the kids to go surfing, and I have had my fair share of frustration in this space. I am even aware of an absolute ripper on the ‘QS who said, “dad used to pay me to come surfing…
After some encouragement, we paddled out and took our place in the lineup. The session itself was alright, but the outcome was what I had hoped for. Son two and three were stoked, chatty, smiling, and they had had fun. They had given it a go, which was all I had asked.”
We’re pretty sure every dad can relate, so we’ve put together a couple of tips to get kids motivated in winter. They probably won’t work, because kids are kids… But we’re going to keep on trying because there’s nothing better than paddling out with your grommies.,,
Three (probably useless) Winter Surfing Tips for getting kids out the door.
Buy them a good wetty. Chances are your kids have a little less ‘insulation’ on their bones than you do. Yeah good wetties are expensive, but it could be worse, at least the kids aren’t asking for kiteboarding gear.
Set a ‘surfing day’. When we were growing up, Saturday mornings were surfing mornings. Every Saturday; rain, hail or shine we paddled out. Whinged about how terrible the waves were, splashed each other and pulled on leggies until we caught a wave. Every single Saturday.
Bribe them with shiny things. A new stick will motivate a surfer to paddle out on the worst of days. Consider buying the kids a new board in early winter, and the stoke should last through ‘till September when it warms up a little. Surfboards are also cheaper after summer, so you’ll save a heap too!
Wamberal, NSW
