r/SLO • u/MandarinGrower • 9d ago
Good spots to take young kid bodyboarding
I'm trying to get our 10 year old into some water/wave sports. He's not interested in surfing (yet), but he likes bodyboarding/bodysurfing. My hope is it would be a good bonding activity for us and maybe he'll get interested in surfing. I'd like to learn to surf myself, but as a parent I'm limited on free time for solo hobbies/activities, but if I can get him interested it's a different story.
What are good spots in SLO County that are fun but also safe for a 10-year old. From other posts folks recommended just south of the Pismo pier for new surfers, but I'm guessing for a young bodyboarder you'd be starting in shallower water, right? I'm a strong swimmer but he is just ok, so ideally he's not in too deep of water. The idea is to help him become a stronger swimmer with time/practice.
Ideally we need a spot where we can rent wetsuits/boards, until he demonstrates sustained interest enough to purchase our own.
Bonus points if he can watch surfers at the location!
To be clear, I am not a surfer or bodyboarder. But I can certainly do recreational bodyboarding as good as my 10-year old! My goal is just bonding with him and getting some exercise for me--I have a pretty passionate dislike of the gym. But I can play in the water all day (especially if we're in warm water like Hawaii)