For us, watersports are a way of life – and it’s one we really hope our children will embrace. But we’re also very aware that they are still very young, so at this point it’s all about small steps, and by small, I mean, really small…
Talking about ‘small steps’ can make it suddenly sound that bit less exciting. But don’t be put off. By focusing on developing a long term passion for watersports and you’ll give them a whole lifetime of adventures ahead. And for small people, those first few times of just being on or even near the water can provide phenomenal sense of adventure and excitement.
With that in mind, it has been super important for us to first make sure our kids feel comfortable being near the water, so that ultimately when it comes to getting on the water, it all seems like the next logical step; we are not asking them to dive headlong into an alien environment.
We also set ourselves some golden rules from the outset – more on these below – and agreed we would stick by them in these first all-important years while the kids are still young.
Of course, if you have older kids already involved with watersports, it’ll be a slightly different story. But for us as a family, with hubby and I returning to the sport and the kids trying new things for the very first time, introducing them in a controlled environment and in a measured way – while also making things fun – has been our top priority, and that has meant taking things slowly.
We were also confident in our own experience and knowledge to take the first steps in introducing our kids to sailing, paddlieboarding and kayaking ourselves. However, if you are not as confident in your own skills, then I’d strongly recommend enrolling on a course that’s accredited by the relevant sport’s governing body.
If your children are aged eight or over, you’ll find a wide range of watersports centres offering kids multi-activity intro experiences as well as sport-specific courses, where they can have a go and develop their skills in a structured teaching environment with qualified instructors.
Some watersports and activity centres will do mini taster sessions from the age of six upwards, and these are also a great place to start; contact your local sailing or watersports centre for advice on kids’ courses. For inspiration meanwhile, check out our articles on Rockley’s Multi Activity Day here and on Wirral Sailing Centre’s Splash Day here.
With plenty of previous experience as instructors behind us, access to kit and sailing waters with regular safety cover, we felt comfortable to slowly start introducing our children to sailing and paddleboarding ourselves.
How we very first got our kids afloat
For Boy Afloat, his first sail was in Squiggles the 2000, at the oh-so-adorable age of two-and-a-bit. Shortly after that we got our two paddleboards, and he hasn’t looked back since.
With Girl Afloat, things started even earlier – 20nm+ legs offshore on a 50ft catamaran off the coast of Thailand at the age of 7 months, sailing a Hobie cat off a beach in Greece at the age of 14 months, crewing a 21ft day boat through the Menai Straits aged 3 – and so on. But these were largely ad hoc experiences made possible either through my work at the time or friends.
We knew as she got that bit older, the point would come when we would need more regular and reliable access to give her further opportunities. It was with this in mind that we had first begun to think about investing in our own equipment.
Then came the hiatus of Covid, which put a stop to so much but also gave us time to consider the best way to introduce our children to watersports while also picking up where we had left off ourselves. We spent a long time researching the best boat and choosing a paddleboard to invest in, so we could get all the family afloat at the same time but in a calm, safe and stable manner. Read more about our fleet here.
Hubby and I were acutely aware of the importance of getting it just right. Having both worked as watersports instructors in the past, we’ve both seen too many youngsters – and grown ups for that matter – put off watersports because for whatever reason they were introduced in the wrong way.
Conscious that our children were still very young, we wanted to avoid this at all costs and knew that a slow and gentle introduction was likely to have most success.
Things to think about before getting your kids afloat
One of the very first things we did – months before even looking for a boat or board – was to deliberately start spending time by the water. It sounds a simple enough concept, but we don’t live especially close to the water, so it was a conscious effort to pick a day, get into the car and get to the coast or lake. But doing so paid off.
We visited the lake where we now sail, as well as a couple of marinas and plenty of beaches. We deliberately made being around boats and boards just a perfectly normal thing.
It meant the kids could see watersports taking place – sailing, windsurfing, powerboating, paddleboarding, kitesurfing – so they knew what it looked and sounded like. They became familiar with the environment: the racquet of flapping sails on the slip way on a breezy day; people walking around in funny-looking clothing like wetsuits and buoyancy aids; tractors and cranes pulling boats in and out of the water (much to Boy Afloat’s delight!). We watched boats coming and going from marinas and slipways, and did simple things like paddling in the sea on an incoming tide, watching rocks gradually submerge and chatting about why that happens.
It was all there as a backdrop to an otherwise regular family day out. Yes, we pointed a few things out, but largely we let their curiosity grow naturally, and let them field the questions about different types of boats, where they were all going to, which one would win in a race – and of course, when could they have an ice cream…!
What about when you can’t get to the water?
At home, we make talking about watersports part of our life too – sharing stories, pictures and videos with the kids. And of course, there are toy boats – lots of toy boats!
It means boats and boards will always be there in the background; it’s a subtle thing, but one that undoubtedly builds up familiarity and knowledge. There are plenty of grown ups I know who can’t tell the front of the boat from the back, or who don’t understand that there’s a difference between a sail boat and a power boat; by involving our kids in general boat-related chat, we’re hoping we pass on that sort of knowledge in a very natural way.
We’ve found it amazing what young children pick up on and absorb. During the first lockdown, hubby and I were glued to coverage of the America’s Cup (or rather, the “Americans’ Cup” as Girl Afloat calls it) and we’d play it over breakfast to catch up on the previous day’s racing. “Sailing needs a lot of elephant learning power” she declared one morning, having picked up from watching the fact that sailing a boat like that really is a team game – which it is!
At two, Boy Afloat started to identify shapes, as is normal for a toddler of that age – “circle”, “square”, and so on. Yet could we get him to say “triangle”? No chance! Triangles are “sailing boats” in our house. I wonder how long they will stay that way?!
Ironing out clothing issues
As mum to a very particular five year old girl, one of my dreads was that clothing could become a barrier to participation. My daughter has always been very specific about what she will and won’t wear and has dressed herself more or less every day since the age of 18 months.
Turn out this can be a very common issue, particularly among girls, and research shows it can affect as many as 30 per cent of girls.
Of course, watersports activities can involve specialist clothing – wetsuits, buoyancy aids or lifejackets, boots, spray tops, etc. This had the potential to be a very big issue for Girl Afloat, and that was the last thing we wanted. It had to be non-negotiable.
So, we laid the ground work for this as early as we could, drawing comparisons with other activities she already enjoys such as cycling and scooting where she has to be wearing something specific, i.e. a helmet, to do them. We explained to her far in advance, gently but firmly, that to go on the water she would have to wear her ‘special sailing clothes’. Then, where there was an element of choice we let her choose – a pink wetsuit and Disney Frozen wetsuit boots were the delightful results.
Last but not least, we had fun playing dressing up in our sailing clothes at home – me included! – so she felt confident in putting them on and moving around in them.
This is an activity I would really recommend doing with young children regardless of their attitude to clothing – again, you are adding another layer of familiarity with unfamiliar kit, which ultimately can only help build their confidence.
Golden rules – it’s all about fun
At the end of the day, kids tend to be very adaptable and ours have often surprised us in this. But certainly for the littlest ones, taking teeny-tiny steps and ensuring a safe, friendly environment are the best way to build confidence, demonstrate fun and begin to nurture that lifelong love of watersports. Here are our golden rules…
1. Keep things fun – We never pressure them to do something they don’t want to do. It’s about learning naturally by playing pirates and chasing seagulls, not ticking boxes and rushing on to ‘master’ the next thing; that will only back fire in the long term, and the very last thing you want to do is give them negative associations by feeling pressured to learn.
2. Don’t go outside of your comfort zone – If you start trying to do something you are not familiar with or capable of, not only could it be unsafe, but it could also set a bad example. As we said earlier, kids are hugely perceptive, and if they sense you’re stressed, they will pick up on that and again, it can lead to a negative impression. So, keep things simple and stay calm. If you’re not confident, take a course or talk to an expert first.
3. Make sure the weather isn’t going to be off-putting – Check the forecast regularly in the run up and be prepared to ditch your plans and do something different if the weather isn’t looking more or less perfect. This may sound over-picky, but if young kids get cold/wet/sunburnt and feel uncomfortable, you can bet that no matter how hard you are working to make things fun, that won’t matter – what they will remember is how uncomfortable being out on the water made them feel. Think long term – just because you don’t get afloat one day doesn’t mean you won’t find another opportunity.
4. Keep it short – An hour, half an hour or even 10 minutes is plenty of time spent doing one activity for a small person. 10 minutes of anything for a small child will always seem a lot longer than it does to a grown up. No matter how briefly you are on the water, be happy that they got out there and gave it a go, and let them know you’re proud of them for trying.
5. Quit while you’re ahead – This goes hand in hand with the previous rule; even if it is the most glamour day and everyone is having the best time, always quit while you are ahead. That way, everyone remembers the feel good factor, not the out-of-the-blue tantrums that small people like to hit us with when they suddenly realise they are over-tired – and your kids will be left excited for the next trip.
6. Even if you can’t get on the water, try to spend time by the water – It’s all part of nurturing that watersports lifestyle and introducing children gently to the sights and sounds, equipment and jargon that goes with it.
7. Let your children lead – If they’re reluctant at first, don’t pressure them. Again, think long term – just because they don’t want to try an activity now doesn’t mean they won’t come to love it in further down the line. Gently keep reminding them that the opportunities are there for when they’re ready, and remember, really small steps are ok!
