Water safety and ocean awareness are important to us. And we desire for each of our children, at the appropriate age, to learn to swim and hold their own in a body of water. We were thrilled when our children were invited to partake in surf lessons led by a local instructor – Tagan Smith – on our beach. The children were over the moon with excitement and anticipation as we put on our swimming costumes and ran down to the waves!
We all learned about rip tides and how to manage them. Mr. Smith taught us the importance of keeping our beaches clean and picking up litter to help preserve the environment. Then it was onto our boards! We learned how to pop up on a longboard and the correct technique when surfing. After a few pop-ups on the sand, we were ready to put our toes in the water. We started in the shallow waters and the children cheered and cheered when someone would successfully catch a wave. The children learned quickly and their smiles spanned their faces as they grew in confidence with each wave. Wave after wave, cheer after cheer, tumble after tumble, the kids remained determined and excited.
We left the beach with exhausted but fulfilled children, dreaming of the next surf session!
