We are always looking for new experiences for our kids to try - I am a firm believer that kids should be exposed to a wide variety of activities and experiences so they can decide what they are interested in. Summer camps are great for this! This summer, my 9 year old and 7 year old wanted to try surfing. After some research, I discovered that Ohana Surf & Skate Shop in Galveston does surf camps for kids ages 6 -17. They have 2, 3, and 5 day camp options. We opted for the 5 day option and I am so glad that we did!
Camp was from 9am -12pm daily, so I decided that I would stay with my four year old and enjoy the beach. Camp is set up right across from the Ohana Surf shop located at 28th and Seawall. It was early enough in the morning that I did not have any issues parking and Galveston now has a parking app called Pay By Phone that you download on your phone and it will alert you when your meter is expiring and you can just add more money on your phone. Super convenient!
It was so nice to be able to watch my two children that were participating as they progressed through the camp! Ohana Surf camp has plenty of instructors and they break the kids into small groups so that they are always safe. There are also Galveston lifeguards on duty. Both of my kids did pretty well the first time up on the board.... but by the end of the week my daughter was doing 180s on the board (check out the video HERE) and my son was staying up much longer by the end of camp also!
There is also more to surf camp than just surfing - one day they bring in a marine biologist from Moody Gardens to talk to the kids about preserving the oceans. My kids loved taking the big fishing net out into the ocean to see what they would catch. The camp also has a professional photographer come out to take candid and posed photos of the kids and on Thursdays they even do a pizza day (one less lunch to plan!). The instructors also incorporate some downtime into the lessons - and play with the kids on the beach - building sand castles and playing games. You can truly tell that they love their jobs!
Each camper received a swag bag with a t-shirt and other goodies and also a bright colored rash guard to wear to camp each day - so that everyone can easily see where they are in the water. The camp supplies the boards, but you can opt to keep a brand new one for a minimal fee - I am kind of now wishing we opted to do that because my kids really want to continue surfing.
Ohana Surf shop also holds several events and the opportunity for lessons through out the year. They also have a beautiful shop (with AC 😊) so if you child is at camp, I really encourage you to head in and check out the shop!
