Hi, just hoping to gather a few tips for teaching kids how to windsurf. I was going to set them up with kids rig and a stable board to start with.

Is it best to just let them loose on the water or try to rig up a land based simulator.

I'd appreciate any tips to getting them up and going.
Thanks

Make it fun.

Patience.

Do not give long explanations, attention spans are short and they just want to give it a go. Kids experiment and pick up things very fast.

Patience.

If they are struggling give tips to help them achieve.

Patience.

Make it fun.

Boards like the Starboard Start are great for tandem sailing and showing them.

Just having had a little success with my wife, 13yo daughter and 10 yo son. This after a few attempts to get the kids started over the last few years.

Things that made a difference - whole family involved. Big, stable kid friendly gear.

For us this was and old starboard start and a kids rig.

Have the kids friends involved - a major issue for my iGeneration daughter.

Generate photos that can be posted on Instagram :-) again anything to keep the daughter happy

My son seemed to be inspired by the challenge to race his dad.

Cheers Jeff

Drift that makes SOOOO much sense!!!

I think no pressure from above is vital, the kids have got to be having fun.
Learning at their own pace is also important, trying to go too fast will frustrate and disappoint them, going too slow will bore them.

We have been teaching our 12 year old to sail for the last 8 years,

We have done a few trips to Maui and had her enrolled in windsurfing summer camps that have been invaluable, so I agree that learning to sail with people your own age is a definite plus!

We have also never forced her to sail, always offered to rig her sail and get her board ready, its totally up to her. Usually if there are other kids are around she will get in the water, she is keen for other kids to have a crack with her gear,

Make sure the rig they learn with is light and easy to chuck around, Phoebe started out with a Ezzy kids rig, then we hoped her up with an S-1 Severne 3.0 rig, both rigs are super light and pretty tough (especially the Severne)

Phoebes first board was an RRD 160ltr Orange thing, aircraft carrier in width, but great to learn on, she is now on her own 115 lt. young gun, learning to water start, but loves cruising around on her SUP

I think correct gear is half the challenge,

As was previously said, make it fun, make it safe and get involved with them,

Bringing my son's friends along makes all the difference. Sometimes they are learning to sail, sometimes they are just mucking about in the water. All good fun.