A child can have a great time on a board if the day, the time and the length of the session are well chosen. Almost all of it is decided before you reach the beach.
Paddle boarding with children is done on flat water, first thing in the morning, with a life jacket in the child’s size and always on the same board as an adult. The minimum age for a child to go on a board is confirmed when booking, and when you call it is worth saying how many children are coming and how old they are.
With a child, a paddle boarding session is shorter and slower than with adults. First you paddle sitting or kneeling, then the child tries standing up if they want to, and you head back to the shore before they get tired. What wears a child out most at sea is usually the sun, so protection matters as much as technique.
The minimum age is confirmed when booking, and it is the first thing to ask if the child is young. Beyond age, what counts is that the child is comfortable in the water: that putting their face in does not frighten them, that they can sit still for a while and that they understand a simple instruction, such as ‘hold the handle’ or ‘sit down’.
When you call +34 669 06 27 56, say how many children are coming and how old each one is, so there is a life jacket in their size. The life jacket is included and is worn from the water’s edge until you are back, properly fastened: if pulling it up by the shoulders brings it to their ears, it is loose and needs tightening.
No. An under-18 always goes on the same board as an adult, sitting or kneeling at the front, while the grown-up paddles: to handle a beach craft such as a paddle board without a licence, the law requires you to be 18. When booking, give each child’s age and weight.
On a shared board, the child goes at the front, sitting or kneeling, holding the handle if it is within reach. If they move around a lot, the adult kneels too: it lowers the centre of gravity and the board rocks less. The first strokes are best done like that, until you see how the little one behaves on the water.
Sitting down and close to the shore. The first part is about getting the child used to the board: sitting, lying on their front and paddling with their hands, turning. It is a game and should be treated as one. Once they move about confidently, they try kneeling with the paddle, and only after that, if they want, standing up.
Falling in is part of the game, and it is worth teaching before it happens: to the side, away from the board, then grab the edge. With the life jacket on, the child floats and the fright is soon over. What you should not do is force them to stand: some children enjoy a whole paddle boarding session sitting down and come back happy.
First thing in the morning on a day with little wind. In the morning the water is usually still and few boats are moving close to the shore. From midday the sea breeze comes in off the water and raises a chop, which is a nuisance for an adult and, for a child on a board, one fall after another.
The wind that worries most with children is the land breeze, which blows offshore from the north or north-west and pushes boards out to sea even when it seems to do nothing at the water’s edge. With a child on the board, the adult finds it harder to paddle against it. Before you go, it is worth checking the sea conditions on the home page of the website, which shows wind and waves every half hour.
Less than an adult, and it is better to finish while they still want more than in tears. The half-hour lesson that is enough for an adult to get started can be, for a young child, the whole session. The useful thing is to watch for signs: if they stop talking, shiver, complain about the sun or ask to go back, head back without arguing.
A good plan is to split the time into short spells with breaks on the sand: a bit of board, water and fruit on the towel, a bit more board. In the low season, from October to May, you can book from one day to the next, so there is no need to cram it in: if the child wants more, you come back another morning.
A rash vest or long-sleeved T-shirt, because shoulders and back are what burn most on a board, and water-resistant sun cream, renewed every two hours. A cap with a strap or clipped to the rash vest, because the first fall will take it otherwise. If the shoreline is stony, water shoes save tears.
In the bag: plenty of water, something to eat, a large towel and dry clothes for the way back, because a wet child gets cold sooner than an adult, especially outside the summer. You do not need to bring a life jacket: it is included, in the size you asked for when booking, and the safety equipment is checked before every outing.
Change the plan. A double kayak with an adult paddling at the back is the closest alternative: the child sits down, does not have to balance and still joins in with their own paddle. Kayaking requires no prior learning, and for many children it is a way to lose their fear of the water before trying the board again another day.
For those who want more thrills than calm, the banana boat can be done with an adult alongside, asking the driver to go gently. All these water sports leave from the Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola and the beach next to it, so you can change your mind as you go without taking the car.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
The minimum age is confirmed when booking. When you call, say how many children are coming and how old they are, so there is a life jacket in their size. An under-18 always goes on an adult’s board.
Yes, and that is how they always go: sitting or kneeling in front of the adult, who paddles. When booking, give the child’s age and weight.
They should be comfortable in the water. They wear a life jacket in their size the whole time and go on an adult’s board; if you have doubts about any requirement, it is confirmed when booking.
Leave us your number and we will call you. In July and August it is worth booking ahead.
Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola, local 367. You can drop in and see the boats before you book.
At no charge. Going out to see what happens is never worth it.
Life jackets for everyone on board, included in the price.
