Treasure Island Surf camp offers
five-day courses for ages five years
and up at Pui O Beach on Lantau
Island. “I originally thought my
five-year-old daughter Olivia might
be a little too young to gain the full
benefits of the [surf ] experience, but
my concerns were blown away. After
a few tears on the first morning, it
was thrilling to see, by the end of
the week, how her confidence had
grown,” says dad Dr Mark Wilson.
He adds, “Surf school develops motor
coordination and water confidence.
However, the most important thing I
would point out about surf school is
that it is fun. As the instructors told
my daughter at the start of her first
day, the first rule of surfing is to ‘look
cool’ at all times.”
Stand-up paddle surfing (SUP)
has ancient roots in Hawaii and is
the fastest-growing surf activity,
popular because it attracts a wider
range of skill levels and doesn’t
depend so heavily on high and low
tides. Some students can confidently
learn the sport in less than an hour.
Surfing requires some skill and
balance; however, stand-up paddle
surfing is a great way to experience
some of the thrill of surfing without
riding the waves,” says Bryan Ng,
the course development manager
at Blue Sky Sports in Sai Kung. In
addition to five-day camps offering
a combination of water activities,
Blue Sky runs dedicated SUP courses
that can be combined with dragon
boating or kayaking.
For children eight and above,
Long Coast Sea Sport in Cheung Sha
Beach, Lantau Island, has a two-day
overnight camp that gives children
a sampler of all surf-related sports
including skim boarding, SUP surfing
and body boarding.
Row your boat
If a camp format isn’t for your child,
and you prefer an activity enjoyed as a
family, you could rent a kayak for a one-
day excursion. Paul Etherington started
Hong Kong Kayak and Hike in 1998
along with the Hong Kong Tourism
board. They have daily excursions that
leave Sai Kung Pier in the morning
and, as the name suggests, participants
kayak to outlying islands, exploring sea
arches and caves along the way, and
then hike to see some of Hong Kong’s
oldest geological formations. Children
older than ten can share a two-person
kayak with a guardian.
The Leisure and Cultural Services
Department has set up five water sports
centres in Hong Kong: two on the south
side of Hong Kong Island, two in Sai
Kung, and one at Tolo Harbour. These
centres run one- to two-day courses that
require advance booking and often fill
up early. These centres also regularly
host races and regattas that are open
to the public. For those with younger
children and who prefer more laid back
pedal-driven boats or water bicycles,
head out to either of the sports centres
in Sai Kung. Wong Shek Water Sports
...
participants
kayak to outlying
islands, exploring
sea arches and
caves along the
way ...
Summer 2013
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