Family surfing holiday tips

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Surf's Up for Everyone!

Surfing is a fun, active sport which is ideal for all ages.

Surfing has exploded over the last few years; everyone is jumping off the continent into the Ocean in search for the thrill of riding your first wave. It is said that once you catch the surfing bug, it is impossible to stop chasing the waves!

But did you know that surfing has actually been around since 1778 when Captain James Cook reported his first sighting of the art of surfing. This extract comes from his written account at Kealakekua Bay in Hawaii “But a diversion the most common is upon the Water, where there is a very great Sea, and surf breaking on the Shore. The Men sometimes 20 or 30 go without the Swell of the Surf, & lay themselves flat upon an oval piece of plan about their Size and breadth, they keep their legs close on top of it, & their Arms are us'd to guide the plank, thye wait the time of the greatest Swell that sets on Shore, & altogether push forward with their Arms to keep on its top, it sends them in with a most astonishing Velocity, & the great art is to guide the plan so as always to keep it in a proper direction on the top of the Swell, & as it alters its direct.”

These days surfing has become more accessible with the improvement in surfboard and wetsuit design it is now possible for the whole family to go surfing. We have teamed up with Chris Thomson, Fat Face professional longboarder and founder of Errant Surf Holidays, to offer up some top tips on getting the family surfing.

Fun and coaching with Ernant Surf holidays

As with any sport that involves Mother Nature it is important you follow a few bits of advice and look out for the right qualifications. When setting out on your surfing adventure it is important to take at least one surfing lesson from a qualified surf coach and school. In the UK, the national governing body is the British Surfing Association. Spain, France, Portugal, Morocco and Australia have their own national governing bodies. In your first surf lesson you will expect to cover the very basics of surfing, walking out in the waves, paddling for waves, jumping to your feet, staying on and how to Wipe Out! You will also learn about the lifeguard flag systems, what to look out for when surfing and other very important safety tips. There is no pre-requirement to learning to surf, only that you can swim 50m. At our Errant surf school in Newquay we have taught people as young as three and as old as 69 to surf!

The best way to really make the most out of your surfing is to get away with the family for at least a week. The initial surf lesson is great, but a few lessons back to back and you will certainly start to see the difference in your own surfing. After a week we would expect you to be able to confidential head out on your own at your local beach or on your nest family holiday to Cornwall or Devon. Errant Surf Holidays offer a full range of family surfing holidays in Cornwall and oversea’s, with accommodation to suit, including four star hotels with child care, surf styled guesthouses and self-catering apartments. In many of our surf locations we can arrange child care, cots and baby chairs. As a dad of a two year old I know how important these small things are, and the real difference they can make to the enjoyment to your holiday. Of course in each location, the surf school and coaches are licensed, insured and registered to the relevant association. We would recommend North Spain, France and the UK from March till November for good family surfing locations. Morocco, Barbados and Lanzarote in September to March for good family surfing locations in the winter.

Errant offers plenty of alternative activates to run along side the surfing holidays, including yoga, Pilates, horse riding, quad biking, kite surfing, mountain boarding, diving and much more. Errant also accommodates non-surfers accompanying other surfers in the group, ideal if you don’t fancy it but want to come to the beach with the kids!

Find out more about family surfing holidays with Errant Surf Holidays

Great Exclusive Offers and family savings when booking Errant Surf holidays through Take the Family.

So how was your family surfing holiday with Errant Surf?

14th March 2008
"Just back from our surfing holiday in Lanzarote. I wanted to let you know how wonderful it was; the holiday far exceeded our expectations. The feature which really stood out was the quality of the training at the Surf School. I know that I'm probably sounding like an advert but the guy in charge, Tim was fantastic. The man is bursting with enthusiasm for his sport and skilfully encourages and cajoles everyone around him so that they too share his joy.

I took my two teenage children and one of their friends with me and was concerned about the obvious dangers of surfing. As soon as I met Tim and George, his assistant I knew that I didn't need to be worried about our safety. They identified all risks and taught us how to maximise our safety. They had eyes everywhere. Nothing escaped their attention ... which is reassuring when you and your loved ones are bouncing around on a board in the surf.

I'd half expected the teaching to be done on an ad-hoc basis but in fact, the whole process was efficiently planned and organised. Tim reminded me of an all knowing, kind hearted sergeant major. He even spent the lunch breaks giving us surfing related talks.
Something else that surprised me was the cross section of people taking the course. I imagined that there would be nothing but sprightly, blonde, strong, young men. Actually, there was a lovely mix of all ages and sexes: Families, couples and more women than men.
We look forward to visiting Famara again. Many thanks for your website and organising the trip." - John Langley

See Errant Surf videos:



Classic October day at Watergate Bay, Newquay. See the surf.



Errant Surfing holidays in La Hosteria, Spain.

See Errant Surf Holidays' photostream on Flickr.