Boating With and For Kids

Ignite the spark that will keep them engaged for a lifetime

Published: Thursday, March 18, 2021
By: Zuzana Prochazka

Boating and kids go perfectly together, but there are a few issues in this matchup. Before you can make your kid a boat kid, you need to find how to get them involved, how to keep their attention long enough to become proficient at it, and how to help them get bitten by the boating bug so they continue on their own for a lifetime.

One way to introduce your kids to boating is to have them join you in your passion. Whether you love fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, SCUBA diving, paddle boarding, waterskiing, or wake surfing, if you're already doing it, it's easy to bring your kids along. But what if you aren't a deeply immersed boater yourself and still think your kids may enjoy and excel at some aspect of it?

Youth boating organizations and programs come into play if you don't have the equipment or time or if you want your kids to exceed your abilities or learn necessary skills faster. Also, a bit of autonomy is a great way for them to make new friends and participate with others their age, so it becomes "their" activity, not yours.

Kids' boating programs have several benefits. They help young people learn the basics without parental pressure, which can be a turnoff. Some host sailing or fishing competitions, so your kids develop skills and enjoy a sense of community as well as accomplishment. And finally, boating via youth programs or organizations may be more affordable. Why pay for life jackets, paddles, and water skis that they'll outgrow when you can rent or use this gear via a club at a much-reduced cost?

Here are some resources to investigate to get your kids on the water. Who knows, eventually they may just get you going out more often as well.

Yacht Clubs

Yacht clubs often have youth sailing programs and regattas. Grosse Pointe, Macatawa Bay, and Chicago yacht clubs are just a few in the Great Lakes area. If you're already a member, let your kids explore the sport via the club with their peers and on their terms. It gives them a sense of control and an enhanced feeling of independent decision-making. If you're not a member, find clubs that may encourage participation for outside kids, so there's a critical mass of participants for races and perhaps to entice their parents to join. Contact a few in your area and explain your situation. You may be surprised how helpful and informed they are on the subject of kid boating.

Watersports and Sailing Schools, Camps, and Outfitters

If you're looking for more learning and skills-focused activities for wakeboarding, waterskiing, or sailing, check out schools. Enrolled kids have access to boats and gear without the family needing to invest in either. It's like having a friend with a boat.

For sailing instruction, get to know the American Sailing Association at www.asa.com, where you'll find listings like the Sea Safari Sailing School in Chicago (seasafarisailingschool.com), which has a half dozen teaching locations in Illinois and Wisconsin. ASA has searchable listings of schools on their website based on zip code. Many of these schools also have membership-based charter fleets so you can charter for the day while your kids learn in lessons. Membership in fractional ownership fleets like SailTime may seem expensive, but when compared with committing to your sailboat (buying, berthing, and maintaining), they're a real bargain.

Additionally, local gear outfitters often have weekend programs or camps where they supply the entire family's equipment and instruction to sample, learn, and fall in love with activities like kayaking or standup paddle boarding. Action Wake Park (worldwakeboardcenter.com) in Hudsonville, Michigan, is a private organization that provides instructors in wakeboarding, water skating, and waterskiing and all the gear you'll need to have a tremendous day-camp experience.

Associations

There are dozens of associations that can help you hone in on specific water sports near you. The West Michigan Youth Sailing Association, for example, is a great starting point, and they partner with other organizations like the ones below to offer instruction and regattas:

Laser Class District 19 (Michigan)
US Optimist Dinghy Association (USODA)
Club 420 Class Association
West Michigan Yachting Association (affiliated with numerous local and national yacht clubs)
Inland Lake Yachting Association
US Sailing

You can also investigate Spirit of America (spiritofamerica95.org), which touts offering a "premier youth boating education." They have four Ohio locations and are a non-profit organization that will be a significant first step to learning ways to get kids involved in boating.

Finally, contact your local branch of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary for off-the-water courses in boating safety, navigation, and boat handling. Most places now offer flexible online education, so there's no need to travel to in-person classes.

Include your kid in the research process to get them involved, build anticipation, and form what they will perceive as a boating partnership. Then, just get out of their way because if they get truly bitten by the boating bug, there will be no stopping them.

About the Author

Zuzana is a freelance writer and photographer with regular contributions to over 18 sailing and powerboating publications. A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana is the founder of a flotilla charter company called Zescapes that takes guests adventure sailing at destinations around the world.
Zuzana serves as an international presenter on charter destinations, safety issues, and technical topics, and she's the Chair of the New Product Awards committee for innovative boats and new gear. She is a member of the American Society of Authors and Journalists and a board member of Boating Writers International.

A version of this article appeared in the Spring Issue (Mar/Apr) 2021 of Great Lakes Scuttlebutt magazine.

tags: Canoes & Kayaks, Kids & Pets, Sailing