Junior Surf encompasses three programs that are specially designed for children aged 5-13yrs.
The programs are an engaging way to help kids learn essential water safety skills and grow their confidence in and around our oceans, support a pathway towards becoming lifeguards in the future and learn some seriously good water sport skills.
We focus on three areas:
Surf Awareness- A knowledge of where the dangers are and how to read the surf are essential ingredients in keeping safe at the beach and growing our ocean confidence. We begin to teach this through land and water games in our Junior Surf Sunday sessions starting at the age of five. Have an older kid? No worries! A child of any age can join us- its never too late to get safe at the beach! We cohort kids based on age and skills so your kids will always have a group of peers they feel comfortable with whether they've been practising their beach knowledge for years or even if this is their first summer with us!
Lifesaving skills- This learning area starts to introduce your kids to the role we hope they will undertake as they grow and develop into future lifesavers. Our Rookie's Programme for 12 & 13yr olds is especially designed to teach older kids about lifeguarding and safety.
Surf Sport Skills- Kids learn a variety of skills to help them grow resilience while developing their growth mindsets as we introduce them to various surf sport events and age appropriate challenges in our Sunday sessions. For those that fall in love with this competitive side of Junior Surf we have our Ocean's Athlete program that involves competitive surf sport training for 10-13yr olds in addition to our Junior Surf Sunday sessions.
Delivered at the beautiful Ohope Beach in front of the Whakatane Surf Life Saving Club our program runs from early November through to mid March of each year. The program has a break over the Christmas/New Year period.
Registrations open in early September via the website and participants must be a minimum age of 5 by September 30th of that year.
