Children from seven join a group on Strandhill beach for 2.5 hours, with an Irish Surfing Association qualified, Garda-vetted coach who is used to first stands and nervous first minutes. The brief stays short, then the group works on paddling, the pop-up and catching white water they can stand in. Boards, wetsuits and boots are included.
Meet at the National Surf Centre, kit up, then walk onto the sand for a brief on hazards, paddling and the pop-up. The coach keeps the group close and adapts the pace to the least confident child. Most of the session is in the water, with cues between waves rather than a long talk on the beach.
Please arrive 15 minutes early. An adult needs to stay on the beach for the whole booking. Hot showers and changing rooms sit in the centre. The exact start can move with tide and swell; we confirm the time after you book.
Strandhill is a coastal village on Sligo's Atlantic side, a short drive from Sligo town. The meeting point is the National Surf Centre on Shore Road, F91 XH50, opposite the main beach. Parking is nearby.
The sandy break gives learners space and a bottom they can stand on. Cafes sit a short walk from the centre. Lifeguards cover the bay in the main season.
No surfing experience is needed. Children should be happy in the sea and able to follow a simple instruction on the sand. The booking is for ages 7 to 15. An adult must stay on the beach for the whole session.
Bring swimwear, a towel and a warm layer. Your own full-length wetsuit is fine. Tell us any medical notes, including asthma, before the start.
Coaches hold Irish Surfing Association, Water Safety Ireland and child protection awards, and they are Garda vetted. Zuhe has taught for more than 16 years and is used to children who have never stood on a board.
The centre is on the sand, with hot showers when they come in. If you want several sessions, look at the three-lesson summer package or the five-day youth camp.
Meet at the National Surf Centre, Shore Road, Strandhill, Co. Sligo, F91 XH50. From Sligo follow signs for Strandhill and park near the centre.
Please arrive 15 minutes early so your child can change and hear the brief. An adult needs to stay on the beach for the whole lesson.
About two and a half hours from arrival to leaving, including changing, a brief on the sand and time in the water. Most of that window is spent catching white water rather than standing on the beach.
Arrive 15 minutes early so changing does not eat into the water time. The exact start can move with the tide, and we confirm that after you book.
The National Surf Centre on Shore Road, Strandhill, F91 XH50. Kit up there, then walk onto the sand. Hot showers, changing rooms and toilets are in the building.
Parking is near the centre. If the start time has to move with the tide, we send the new time. Check your messages the evening before.
Seven to fifteen. Children under seven need a private lesson. Anyone 16 or over should book the adult group instead of this slot.
An adult must stay on the beach for the whole session, even if they are not in the water. Tell us ages when you book so we can put the right boards out.
No. Most children on this booking have never stood on a board. The coach starts with paddling and the pop-up on the sand, then moves into white water they can stand in.
If your child already stands up, say so at the start so the session is not a first-stand script. Mixed abilities still share the same group.
Yes. An adult needs to stay on the beach for the whole booking. You do not have to go in the water unless you have booked your own lesson.
If you also want to surf, book an adult group or a private session for the same day. We will try to line the times up once the tide is clear.
A surfboard, a wetsuit and boots, fitted at the centre. We match the board to their weight and how the beach is working that day.
Their own full-length wetsuit is fine if it fits. Leave phones and bags in the changing room or the car. Give the coach any medication they need in the water.
They need to be happy in the sea. Lessons stay in water they can stand in, but they will fall off and they need to be comfortable with that. A coach stays with the group.
If your child is very nervous, say so when you book. A private lesson can be a calmer first go than an open under-16 group.
Rain does not stop a lesson. Wetsuits stay warm. We cancel or move the start when the swell or wind makes the beach unsafe, or if we cannot run a useful session.
If we cancel, we rearrange. Check your messages the evening before if you are driving a long way, so you are not on the road before the plan is confirmed.
Swimwear, a towel, a warm dry layer and sunscreen. A water bottle helps. Get them into swimwear before you arrive if you want to skip the queue.
Flip-flops are useful for the walk from the car. Leave valuables in the car. Pack a bag for wet swimwear afterwards.
Yes. The three-lesson summer package is the usual next step if you want several group sessions at a set price. The five-day youth camp in July and August is the week-long option.
Packages use the same beach and the same kind of group lesson. If you later want a private hour with an adult in the water, say so and we will look at that separately.
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Operated by Atlantic Surf School Strandhill, a partner of adventuro.
