Using an inflatable prone paddle board is a great way to spend time with your family on the beach or by a lake. Exercise, fresh air and paddling on the water is great for your body and metal health.
Prone paddling helps build your arm and shoulder strength while improving endurance and reducing stress levels. Prone paddling boarding on an inflatable rescue board can help build children’s confidence and water skills.
What do you need to prone paddle with kids?
You don’t need loads of kit so its really easy to get started.
You need the inflatable prone paddle rescue board, PFD’s (personal flotation devices) and leashes depending on your setup.
All our boards are really suitable for taking children on them.
They are obviously designed to hold two adults (rescuer and casualty) so one adult and one child is fine. Each board has multiple straps down the length of the board so having a child near the front of the board they will have two handles to hold onto. This helps them feel secure and in control.
Our Royal Blue board is recommended for use with children as it has no lifeguard branding, so no members of the public will think a rescue is going on or any lifeguard training.
Where to Prone Paddle with Children?
This varies on yours and the child’s skill level and swimming ability. As a baseline we would say a good starting place is at a flat water beach in the lifeguarded black and white chequered flag area. This is this is the area for larger water craft and not swimming or bodyboarding, as that is the red and yellow flagged area. Choose an area where you and your child will be in standing depth at all times.
How to build confidence?
While in a shallow lifeguarded area as stated above practice getting on and off the board so the child knows they are in their depth and they feel safe. Then move onto swimming a sort distance and getting on and off the board. Get the child to practice kneeling and maybe standing on the board, falling off and getting back on, make a game of it so its fun!
This whole process ensures that when/if your child gets knocked off the board and into the water its not a troubling experience and they are relaxed and just climb back on.
What to do for an adventure?
We love exploring rock pools and coves with our children on the inflatable prone paddle boards. These are areas that we often find when the tide is out/low while we walk around the rocks with the children exploring. When the tide comes in we visit these inlets around the rocks while the depth of the water is still shallow enough to stand but they look totally different and the children really love it!
Below is a video of a recent bit of exploring I did with my nephew. He loved it because we had been playing in that area all day and now the tide had covered it and it was like a private cove.
Older children/teenagers who’s swimming ability is very good you could let paddle the inflatable prone board on their own. As a safety measure you can attach a leash or tow rope between yours and their boards using the ‘D’ rings on the back of the boards. Also each person can wear a leash so they are attached to their board at all times.
There is so much fun to be had whatever your ability and location, have fun and explore!
Always prone paddle at a Lifeguarded Beach and ask the Lifeguards for advice if you are not sure.
If you would like to try out a Machine Surf Craft inflatable board send us a message via our Contact Page or use our social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.
