Beach May 2018

camps
Camps teach the sport of
surfing and ocean safety
by Ryan McDonald
One of the most common
questions directed at Chris
Brown, a Hermosa Beach
native and the owner and executive
director of Campsurf, is, ‘How
do I know when my kid is ready to
learn to surf?’ To find out, Brown
said, all you have to do is listen.
“When your kid is saying, ‘I
want to surf,’ that’s when it’s the
right time. Some kids are early
adopters, They want to charge at a
young age, five or six. Others are
more reserved. It takes until they
are 11 or 12 to feel comfortable
surfing on their own. There is no
right or wrong time,” Brown said.
CampSurf marks 21 years in
business in the South Bay this year.
The camp is open year ‘round, but
its business shifts with the seasons.
It’s a reflection of the fact that, in
Southern California, there are just
two kinds of people: those who
want to learn how to surf, and
those who already know how.
“We have people from all walks
of life. We offer a camp year-round
so that makes us a little different.
We do primarily adults in winter,
and then primarily kids in the
summer when they’re out of
school. But really it’s anybody who
wants to learn. We get people in
their 70s who say, ‘I’ve always
wanted to learn how to surf.’ And
then we get three- and four-yearolds.
If I’m able to focus on them,
I can teach them. What it really
takes is the desire,” Brown said.
Surf camps are scattered up and
down the South Bay beaches during
the summer. CampSurf sets up
its tents on the sand near Rosecrans
Avenue in Manhattan Beach.
The camp benefits from the large
parking lot and lifeguard facilities
nearby, Brown said, but the main
attraction is the surf itself.
Even within the South Bay, there
is tremendous variation among
surf breaks, Brown said. Some
areas may not be exposed to the
south swells that are the dominant
wave makers in the summer, while
others don’t draw as well from the
Billy Atkinson, now a Mira Costa High team surfer, shows how much fun a
grom can have with a little instruction and lots of practice. Photo by Steve
Gaffney (SteveGaffney.com)
northwest swells that predominate
in the winter. The El Porto area can
take in both, Brown said. The area
also benefits from a large undersea
canyon just off shore, which picks
up open-ocean swells further out to
sea than other areas, and draws
them in.
“At El Porto, the waves break further
out. When you’re learning, we
start you out in the white water. But
there, you can get pushed in on
white water and still have some
time, and really learn how to surf,”
Brown said.
Once customers commit, equipment
is their next concern. Some
people show up with their own
boards. Brown said that, in that
case, camp staff will give an honest
assessment of the surfer and indicate
whether he or she might benefit
from a different size board.
Once the customer has a board
picked out, camps often go over the
physical basics of surfing, emphasizing
popping up and spring to
one’s feet. Before they get in the
water, though, there’s often another
question that always generates a
chuckle out of long-time surfers like
Brown.
“It seems like people who don’t
surf are much more concerned
about and interested in sharks than
people who do. Are there sharks
out there? We all know that there
are all sorts of fish out there. But
you are a million times more likely
to be hurt driving your car down to
the beach,” Brown said.
The surf camp business is competitive
in the South Bay, with
many options to choose from. So
how do the camps keep things affordable?
Well, they typically don’t
have to spend much on human resources:
at the beach and in the
water, recruitment kind of takes
care of itself.
“Kids come to camp one summer,
then they come back again and
again, because they’re really bonding
with the instructors. Eventually,
some of them will say, ‘Wait, how
old do you have to be to work
here?’ We keep an eye on the good
surfers, the kids with the best people
skills, and that’s where we find
a lot of our future instructors,”
Brown said. B
BeachSports
BeachSports Surf & Beach Camps
is celebrating it's 23rd year. Programs
start at age 4 and include 4
camps: Surf Camp, Beach Camp,
Beach Volleyball Camp, and Junior
Lifeguard Ocean Safety Program.
Camps are located at these Lifeguard
Tower locations: 14th St.,
Manhattan Beach, 15th St., Hermosa
Beach. Ave. I, Redondo
Beach. Vista del Mar, Redondo
Beach.
BeachSports.org
Camp Surf
Camp Surf is the official surf
camp for the City of Manhattan
Beach, and 2018 will mark their
21st year. All instructors are accomplished
surfers and CPR certified.
Camp Surf also distinguishes itself
through its partnership with the
Jimmy Miller Foundation, a pioneer
in the field of ocean-based therapy.
Instruction is available year round
from the group’s base at 38th Street
in El Porto, at the south end of the
parking lot. Summer surf camps
feature morning, afternoon and allday
camp options.
(424) 237-2994.
campsurf.com
Champ Camp
Voted “Best Kids Camp,” in Easy
Reader’s “Best of the Beach
reader’s poll. Kids decide on the
beach activities for the day. Director
Trevor Elder is a South Bay native,
certified lifeguard and EMT.
Champ Camp staffs about 15 firstaid
and CPR-certified college grads.
Full day sessions, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Half day sessions 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
(310) 283-4509.
ChampCampKids.com
Freedom Surf Camp
June 11 through Aug. 31
Freedom Surf Camp offers
morning and afternoon sessions in
Manhattan Beach, Venice, Santa
Monica and Malibu. Ages 5-7:
Water safety, boogie boarding,
sand sculpting, sand crabs, dodgeball,
and other games. Surfing 101
for kids who want it. Ages 8-12:
Surfing, boogie boarding, water
safety, and environmental education.
Ages 13-14: Depending on
skill level, all water and beach activity
are offered. Groms: competitive
level surfing.
(310) 770-4410 . freeedom.org
Hermosa Beach
Skateboarding Camp
The South Bay’s longest ongoing
skateboard camp. Classes start
June 20 and are Monday through
Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Students
must supply their own skateboard,
helmet, knee pads and
elbow pads, and should come with
a drink and snack. Hermosa
Skatepark, 710 Pier Ave.
Hermosabch.Org,
Sp23tione@yahoo.com.
Hermosa Surf Camp
Hermosa Surf Camp is celebrating
26 years at the Hermosa Beach
Pier. Learn safety and surfing basics
in 1-1/2 or 3 hour classes, Monday
through Friday. Instructors
will be in the water helping kids
get through the surf and catch
waves. Instructors are credentialed
teachers and there is always a L.A.
County Lifeguard on duty. T-shirt,
lycra surf shirt, goodie bag and
three photos of included.
Vince Ray (310) 370-1918.
surferjay@losangeles.usa.com.
Hermosasurfcamp.com
40 Easy Reader / Beach magazine • May 10, 2018