Body boarding with a 6 and 8 year old

[CorrieDale]

We are planning on a week in Cornwall this August. Given the weather for the last couple of years, I'm trying to plan stuff to do in the drizzle. I've a yen to surf or at least body board. I'm not particularly sporty and nor are the DC but we are very active and can all swim. We were thinking of poldhu cove but the surf school doesn't mention body boarding and does have an age 8 limit. Will we have to have lessons to crack it? And if so will any of the schools at the cove (assuming there's more than 1!) take a 6 year old?

[mummymeister]

surfs up surf school in Polzeath is brilliant but cornwall is a big place so it depends where you stay. there is a camp site on the top of the cliffs at polzeath if you plan to camp. 6 does seem a bit young. have a look at the cornwall tourist board website or give them a ring to see if they can recommend someone to you that will take a 6 year old. you dont need lessons but do go to a beach with lifeguards and get your kids to wear brightly coloured bathing caps so that you can see them.

[CorrieDale]

Thanks for that. We are probably going to stay in a cottage on the lizard peninsula. I guess 6 is s bit young and it isn 't like my 8 year old is hugely coordinated so I think we 'll just do some informal boarding and not worry about lessons! If it goes well we can always do some surfing in a couple of years. Assuming my knees haven't given out by then..,

[pooka]

I've been body boarding since I was about 5 - and in the old days, with the retro wooden boards.

DD and DS1 both started at about 5. They haven't had lessons -I taught them, but really anyone could. It's timing and that's it really.

DD and I had our first proper longboard lessons a couple of years ago. She was 7, nearly 8, but a reasonably strong swimmer. We go to the north coast and there's a great surf school called Waves, based in 7 Bays (porthcothan/treyarnon and so on). It was amazing - excellent fun, and we were both standing by the end of the first lesson. They provided wetsuits if needed and of course, the boards.

Important to have wetsuits for lessons - winterweight preferably, glued and blind stitched. DD feels the cold and would have been blue and shivery by the end of the lesson (2 hours) otherwise. She also has a thermal rash vest. Both dcs wear wetsuits for body boarding too, with thermals. Make it more fun for them (though I was hardy child of 70s and used to just wear plain swimming costume. Hard as nails, me).

[pooka]

Yes - definitely always go to a lifeguarded beach.

[CorrieDale]

We are all proper wusses so we'll definitely be getting wetsuits! There are swimming pools too chilly for me!

[pooka]

Now I'm considerably older I shiver just looking at the sea, regardless of how sunny the day is. Had massive difficulty dissuading dd from going body boarding in February half-term, because couldn't bear idea of going in with her!

Wetsuits all the way!

[serin]

Wetsuit, buy body boards and don't worry re; lessons for the little ones.

Kennack Sands on the Lizard is quite a gentle intro.

Porthcurno (and Sennan if they have sorted the sewage outlet!) are further west and still great for small kids.

Polzeath, Newquay, St Ives tend to attract a lot of teens.