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Give your child four hours of surf, skills, and sun: this 2- or 4-day holiday program at Sumner Beach pairs qualified instructors with small groups, all equipment supplied, and a strong focus on water confidence. Perfect for ages 6–16, beginners welcome.
Give your child four hours of surf, skills, and sun: this 2- or 4-day holiday program at Sumner Beach pairs qualified instructors with small groups, all equipment supplied, and a strong focus on water confidence. Perfect for ages 6–16, beginners welcome.
Book with Aotearoa Surf School
Verified experiences and guided adventures in the surrounding area.
Operated by Aotearoa Surf School · Christchurch, Canterbury Region
School Holiday Program @ Christchurch runs as an energetic, coach-led surf course for kids at Sumner Beach, Christchurch, with booking details listing Orewa Beach, 275 Hibiscus Coast Highway as the meeting point. Designed for ages 6–16, this 2- or 4-day drop-off program runs 9:00am-1:00pm and blends two surf lessons each day with beach games, lunch, and supervised free time. Instructors group participants by age and ability so learners start on gentle, waist-deep waves and progress to catching whitewater and standing up on foam boards. The setting is straightforward and natural: sand, shore-break suited to beginners, and open sky where seabirds wheel. The program highlights include qualified surf instructors, all equipment supplied—boards, wetsuits, rash vests—and a tight instructor-to-student ratio aimed at six-to-one, with extra care for younger or vulnerable kids. Lessons emphasize water safety, board handling, paddling technique, and building ocean confidence alongside simple surf etiquette. For parents, this means a structured day that leaves children tired, grinning, and more capable in the water. What makes this offering stand out in Christchurch’s coastal scene is its explicit accessibility: the team welcomes poor swimmers and has experience supporting children with learning, behavioral, or emotional challenges. The program is run rain or shine, only rescheduling in truly unsuitable surf, and instructors hold surf rescue and first-aid qualifications. Extras include a parent discount at the operator's surf shop for boards and wetsuits if families want to keep the progression going. Practical details matter here. Drop-off opens at 8:30am and lessons wrap at 1:00pm each day; kids should bring lunch, water, and sun protection. Groups move through two morning surf sessions separated by a lunch break and beach games—an energetic rhythm that balances instruction and play. The safety focus - waist-depth practice for beginners, close supervision, and experience with adaptive needs - makes the program a sensible holiday choice for parents who want an active, outdoor option that builds skills rather than just daycare. If you’re visiting Christchurch during school holidays, this program offers a compact, high-value way for children to learn surfing while making friends and spending real time outside. Whether they’ll keep surfing after the course or simply return home with new confidence, these four hours a day can change how a child sees the ocean. On the coastline near Sumner Beach families will notice rock platforms at low tide and frequent shorebirds; instructors teach students to read the shore and choose safe entry points based on tide and swell. Small group drills cover wipeout recovery and board remounts so children learn practical skills that transfer to other beaches. For families planning repeat visits, the operator's gear advice and shop discount make it easy to outfit a budding surfer and continue progression beyond the holiday program regularly.
easy.
4 hours per day; 2–4 days.
Children should be comfortable playing in waist-deep water and able to follow basic instructions
No: poor swimmers are welcome; beginners work in waist-depth water with close supervision.
Lessons run rain or shine; only unsafe surf conditions lead to rescheduling if your schedule allows.
No: this is a drop-off program running 9:00am–1:00pm with pick-up at the end of the session.
Yes—equipment is provided, but personal gear is allowed and instructors will advise when it's suitable.
Qualified instructors are first-aid and surf-rescue trained; the target ratio is 1 instructor to 6 surfers with extra care for younger participants.
Yes; the team has experience supporting a range of learning and behavioral needs—contact them to discuss significant physical limitations.
Sumner Beach has long been a local surf and seaside community spot for Christchurch families and learners.
Respect flagged swimming areas, avoid trampling dune vegetation, and pack out all rubbish; instructors emphasize low-impact beach use.
Aotearoa Surf School operates surf lessons, rentals and ocean programs based in Mangawhai, Northland, with regular sessions at Orewa Beach and Te Arai. The school delivers structured surf education for children and adults, offering multi-day kids’ summer programs, school-holiday camps, after-school lessons and specialised sessions such as womens’ fitness and corporate or group bookings. Instructors at Aotearoa Surf School provide tailored coaching for beginners through intermediate surfers. Lessons frequently include beach safety, wave selection, paddling technique and standing drills. Equipment — including surfboards and wetsuits — is supplied for lessons and hires, and the business runs dedicated services such as birthday surf parties, private one-on-one lessons, paddleboard tours on Mangawhai Harbour and short two-hour lessons for first-time surfers. Programs target young learners (commonly ages 6–16) with age-appropriate lesson plans, small group ratios and supervised beach activities. The school also offers hire options for boards, wetsuits, kayaks and paddleboards at Mangawhai and Te Arai for independent surf and water-time. Aotearoa Surf School emphasises safe, supportive instruction and practical ocean skills. Booking options include group bookings, private coaching and multi-day programs. Locations served in the region include Mangawhai Heads Beach, Orewa Beach and Te Arai Beach, making it accessible for families and visitors along Auckland’s East Coast and Northland.
Book with Aotearoa Surf School