Surf Cat

It’s not just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle. And on the Sunshine Coast, some would say it’s the only way to start the day.

Julian Wilson, Robbie Sherwell, Dimity Stoyle and Keely Andrew are just some of the local names who have made it as pro surfers.

But like every other athlete riding on the professional circuit, they, too, started out as groms.

The Nudie SurfGrom Program, commissioned by Surfing Australia, has been kick-starting the surfing careers of Australian children for the past eight years.

However, this program teaches much more than just technique to its young students.

Surfing Australia’s SurfGrom manager Courtney Bell said the program gave local children the skills and knowledge to keep them safe around the water.

“Not only does it cover surfing but it also covers important ocean awareness and safety skills, like how to read the ocean, where’s the safest place to enter and how to fall off a board safely. It’s a way for kids to learn how to surf in a safe and fun environment,” she said.

The program is designed for children aged five to 12, so what better time than the start of the school holidays to get your kids involved?

It’ll save your restless children from boredom and it’ll save you the pain of hearing the associated complaints.

During the school break, the program runs four to five-day intensive sessions for students (usually a weekly program offered during the school term).

Courtney said the repeated day-to-day activities out in the surf usually helped children progress their skills at a faster pace.

“There’s actually a far higher success rate for kids who do those intensive programs just because they’re in the water every day,” she said.

“But in saying that, doing it on a weekly basis gives them something to look forward to and you definitely see improvements.

“I’ve had lots of reports from parents saying their kid’s schoolwork improved tenfold because surfing gives them a new outlet and they had something to look forward to each week.”

We’ve all those few moments of innate panic after being held under water from a dumping wave. It’s not fun.

An early negative experience like that could taint a child’s perception of the sport, if not the ocean in general.

That’s why the program places such an emphasis on safety and getting children out and active in the waves from an early age, so they become comfortable enough in the water and safety feels like second nature.

Plus, it can ignite a long-term passion – a passion that will help them stay healthy and active all throughout their lives.

“It’s about making sure they are comfortable with their coach. So they know they aren’t alone out there and they do have someone to support them,” Courtney said.

It’s a support that organisers want to bring to all kinds of children, not just the ones who have surfing parents.

The program is designed to educate parents as well as children to encourage all-round family participation in the sport.

“Surfing is a lifestyle sport,” Courtney said.

“You don’t necessarily have to take it seriously or be the next world champion.

“It’s more important to simply immerse yourself in the culture.

“In Queensland, we have many surfing-based communities, so it’s really important to have that understanding of the ocean and the surf but also be a part of that community.

“It’s a family-orientated sport.

“It’s something the whole family can do together and I think that’s a really important aspect of surfing. Even though it is an individual sport, I’ve actually seen parents who’ve learnt to surf at the same time as their kids and as they grow and continue to surf, they do it as a family.

“From our perspective, that’s a really important part of this program: giving families this ability.”

On the Sunshine Coast, there are six surf schools that facilitate the Nudie SurfGroms Program – from as far south as Kings Beach to as far north as Noosa – including the North Caloundra Surf School, Sunshine Coast Surf Schools Wurtulla, Robbie Sherwell’s School of Surf, Maroochy Surf School, Coolum Surfing School and Go Ride a Wave Noosa.

All groms will be supplied with a wetsuit, surfboard and Ripcurl starter pack that includes a rashie, backpack, sunscreen, pencil case and a Nudie juice.

Bookings are open now for holiday and school term programs.

To find a program near you, visit surfgroms.com/