I have been a windsurfer for over 40 years and have taken my daughter out windsurfing when she was around 5 years old and she used to love it. Continued this until the age of 9... Then she was not having it anymore . Not wanted to get pushy, I layed of. Now 13 and being a teenager.....

Today, being on a little holiday, I suggested that she would take a lesson. At first she was not overly enthusiastic but went along with it... The result was amazing: going back and forward, tacking and not having to do the walk of shame at all. Kudos to her teacher, the current state of beginner's equipment and her perseverance! After the class, all smiles and wanting to go again....

So what is your plan with (trying) to get your kids into this weird thing we call windsurfing?

A couple of quick thoughts from someone who's been involved in informal lessons for a few kids in the past, along with a qualified instructor:
1/ suitable gear. A broad, stable board with suitably small rig (mylar sails are way easier to uphaul than the dacron I learned with).
2/ Location; smooth water and consistent breeze makes it easy for anyone to get sailing.
3/ K.I.S.S! Ol' mate with the instructor's ticket tried to teach kids some theory and practice on shore with a simulator. Kids lose interest really quickly!
I just like to get them out on the water and sailing asap, so I swam along with them, holding the back of the board to help stabilise it and keep it pointing in the right direction, while giving the simplest possible instructions to get them going. When they inevitably end up too far downwind, I'd sail it back for them. (A paddle-board is useful for catching up, when they start to get going too far to keep up by swimming, and they can then paddle back on it.)
Of course all kids are different, but many will get frustrated and lose interest quickly if it doesn't work for them straight away. So it's good to ensure that you give them ideal learning conditions until they're hooked. And also to recognise that a lot of kids will then move on to other interests anyway (that's just what kids do), but if they've had good experiences maybe they'll come back to it in due course.

I was lucky enough to grow up right on the beach. With 2 other boys my age. All neighbouring close by. With our dads heavily into windsurfing. The perfect place to learn and the competitiveness to out do one another as we progressed. Starting out around 5years old. We would hit the water in any wind possible with in reason. From the first to plane, too cracking 30knots speed and chasing the wind all over our state/mainland. Yep dad through us in some hectic conditions But I'll never forget the opportunity he gave me and my mates. Both with gear, windsurfing trips and passing on his froth levels of windsurfing still imbedded in my brain for life. I still bloody love this sport, with the challenge/skill and the enjoyment from it. Meeting others with the same stoke and mindset. From the day I sat on the nose of his board on the plane. Around 4yrs old. To learning and now 20plus years on. I still get to speed sail the most rugged conditions with Dad and yes he still does beat me on the odd day

Now I can't wait to get my boy on a board soon! His only 2. Trying to be patient And enjoy more years to come with 3 generations on the water at once. That's gold to me!

Great times then and now and those little kids are men now with kids, how time flies

I think Izaak has hit it, peer involvement is a huge positive. I you can get some of her mates involved as well, that could be a good plus, especially if her mates are likely to get involved.

A lot of kids don't want to fail in front of their friends. The first time they fall off and get laughed at is the end. So don't go with friends that aren't interested. If everybody is falling off it doesn't matter.

And yes the appropriate gear in the right conditions for skill level will also be a big plus.
Then let the kid drive it!
Plenty of encouragement and possible suggestions without being pushy.

And be prepared for a let down, don't get hopes or expectations to high.
Sharing your joy with family members is fantastic. But if you come over as too emotionally involved the kid may just do it to please you, then it could become a chore, and interest quickly lost.

I took a bunch of vacations with my daughter in Cabarete, when they were still running kids camps in the summer. She ended up getting quite good at windsurfing before she was 10. But in later years, she brought friends along who never had windsurfed before, so windsurfing became less interesting. As a teen, she lost interest completely. I once made her take a private lesson when she was around 13 (my condition to go horseback riding on the beach with her), and she did very well, but even the cute instructor did not motivate her to go out more than once. In hindsight, I think I should have gotten her some more private lessons early on to get her into the harness while she was still interested, to get her fully addicted.

Nice reading your experiences! This morning she woke up sour as hell and asked for a next class. So far so good. The plan is to take her out (in the beginning when the sun is out or the weather is decent enough) and to let her invite some friends.

Let's see where this leads to.......

Asking for next lesson is a good sign, her friends will be important, they can influence her either way. Preferably they need to be a sporty type keen for challenges and new experiences, but that could lead her into the more modern spin offs, winging and kiting.

A Carbon Art board.
Up until then I'd struggled with finding the right board that suited me and what I wanted to do. Had AB, Starboard, Naish and a few customs but nothing worked really well. Jumped on a Ca40 and it just fitted. Slowboat had done a beautiful job in designing a functional speedboard. Then bought a second hand Ca 87 and never looked back. These boards took me off on a journey that I would never have envisaged when I first started. 3 world records and a few attempts to sail to Tassie n back are all because I bought 1 board from Carbon Art. Thanks James , Phil and Chris

Best money ever spent was every piece of kit I bought my kids to get them on the water.

$35 for the ****tiest of rigs.

Pay them a dollar for every 10 seconds they don't drop the sail (increase to 20-30-60-120+ seconds over time time)

So far ~$150 out of pocket

For the kids - a gopro. And tell them they will be insta famous if they windsurf and film it.
I did that with my nieces and it seemed to work.
I told them that very few kids can windsurf, and they will be very famous and have a pro career if they learn young because very few are doing it.
They love to show off, to play fantasy and pretend. They saw that I was having fun recording and wanted a go holding camera and filming each other, quickly they were jumping on the board and trying to uphaul while making an epic movie of each other trying.
Kids are tech mad these days, bringing water camera fun to the game helped with these kids anyway.

The best thing i bought for myself might have been GPS to take part in GPSTC i think, as it led me to more good spots where i met more good sailors and learnt more about how to windsurf.

i assumed this thread was going to be about strip clubs,... sorry. but sincerest congrats spending time with your child - it is probably the most long lasting and appreciated gift you can give, for the both of you :)