We Tried It: Surfing

My husband, Sean, and I are originally from Hawaii, so I guess you could say that surfing is in our blood. Still, I'd never tried the sport -- and neither had our kids, Nova, age 7, and Niko, 10 -- until we signed up for a lesson at Crescent Beach, about a two-hour drive from our Seattle home. The class was run by a local surf shop, and its owner, Jeff, turned out to be an amazing instructor. We had a blast learning the fundamentals. Here's the story of our morning riding the waves.

What we did: A two-hour surf lesson for our family of four, offered by Cheka-Looka Surf Shop of Seattle, Washington. 206-726-7878

What we paid: $150 per person for the lesson and all-day rental of a longboard and a full wet suit with booties, hood, and gloves. (Rates vary widely around the country; we found two-hour lessons starting at $45.)

Want to try it? For a list of surfing schools and camps in California, Florida, Virginia, and other states, go to Kids Aboard.

1. The Pop-up
Before we enter the water, Jeff gives us a short introductory talk about the waves, the current, and the undertow. Next, he draws a picture of a surfboard on the sand, and we all take turns "popping up" from our stomachs to a standing position, learning to place our feet in the right spot on the board. Here, Nova tries his first pop-up ... and finds it's trickier than it looks!

2. Everybody In
The wet suits take some getting used to, because they are fairly stiff and tight. Nova, though, takes to the suit the instant he puts it on; he absolutely loves dressing up like, as he says, "a real surfer." After our practice session on the beach, we all wade into the water, eager to ride our first waves. We're surprised -- and happy -- to find that the wet suits keep us really warm.

3. Future Pro
Niko starts off lying on her stomach, learning where to catch the breakers and getting used to the board. Jeff guides her to the right spot to wait for the wave and helps her feel comfortable. It takes Niko only a few rides to decide that she wants to become a professional surfer. "I loved the excitement of standing up the first time!" she tells us later. "Even wiping out was fun!"

4. Hang Ten
Nova seems to be a natural: he's the first of us to successfully stand up on his board. Once he does, he is unstoppable, no matter how many times he falls. We all enjoy our outing so much that, by the lesson's end, we've decided to make surfing our new family hobby. We're already planning some trips back to Crescent Bay this summer to do some more surfing together.