What if My Child is Scared to Surf?

Many kids who attend Aloha Beach Camp want to learn to surf. They also have numerous other activities to choose from, but for many campers surfing's the primary draw.

Sometimes, though, like anything new, just the idea of surfing can be somewhat intimidating, especially for younger campers who may have a tough time warming up to it.

The good news is, these feelings usually don't last long. Our counselors are sensitive, patient, caring, and know how to present each camp activity (including surfing) so any "fear factor" campers might be feeling is only temporary.

Many campers over the years have at been scared or intimated to surf the first couple days they're at camp. But after spending a little time watching other kids try it -- combined with encouragement from our staff -- they are eager to try it themselves! Aloha's philosophy of encouraging campers to try new activities, but never forcing them, is the number one way to actually get campers new activities they might otherwise prefer to skip over.
 

 

"Encouragement from our staff" are the operative words. If campers don't "connect" with their counselors, this can make for a challenging camp experience. That's why we go out of our way to hire only the best staff with the highest credentials.

With reference to surfing, we're fortunate to have surf instructor Jessica Jelinski on staff with us. During the school year, Jessica's a surf instructor for the University of California at San Diego's (UCSD) surf team. In the summer she's all ours, and your kids will love her!

We hope you enjoy the quick (well, about 2 minutes or so) video of Jessica demonstrating exactly how we teach kids to surf. The two campers shown in the video initially did not want to surf when they came to camp. But after a brief time of working with Jessica, now they can't get enough! In fact one of them asked their parents for a new surfboard for Christmas so she could surf all year-round, not just during the summer with Aloha. Enjoy!