One of the things we love most about surfing is that it doesn’t really have an age limit.
Over the years at Xanadu, we’ve watched people discover surfing in their teens, in their thirties, and even in their sixties. We’ve also seen some pretty special moments between family members.
A dad bringing his daughter for her 18th birthday. An adult daughter finally convincing her mum to try surfing for the first time. Parents and teenagers spending a week learning side by side instead of heading off to do their own thing.
Those are often the weeks we remember the most.
There’s something about learning a new skill together that strips away everyday routines. Nobody cares who’s answering emails, who’s driving to football practice or who’s cooking dinner. You’re all just trying to catch waves, laughing at wipeouts and celebrating the small wins together.
Is Xanadu a Good Fit for Families?
Yes, provided your children are old enough to fully enjoy the experience.
Our surf and yoga programs welcome guests aged 12 and above. Because our surf sessions take place in the ocean rather than in sheltered lagoons, younger surfers should already be confident swimmers and comfortable in the water.
Guests under 18 also need to surf alongside a parent or guardian in the same coaching group. While our coaches are there every step of the way, we believe surfing is simply more enjoyable, and safer, when younger surfers are sharing the experience with someone they know.
Learning Together
One thing parents often ask is whether they’ll actually be able to surf together.
The answer is usually yes.
We group surfers by ability, not by age. So if you and your teenager are both learning, chances are you’ll be in the same group. If you’ve both been surfing for years, we’ll coach you together at a level that suits your experience.
And because we keep our instructor-to-student ratio at a maximum of 1:2, even our group sessions feel surprisingly personal. Everyone gets individual feedback, plenty of waves and coaching that’s tailored to where they are in their surfing.
Some families progress quickly. Others spend the week laughing every time they fall off.
Both are equally successful holidays.
It’s Never Really About the Surfing
Well… it is. But it also isn’t.
What people tend to remember isn’t necessarily the longest ride they caught. It’s the conversations on the drive home after a surf. Watching someone in your family finally stand up after three days of trying. Looking back at the week’s video analysis together and realising how much everyone improved.
Those are the moments that stick.
We’ve welcomed mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, siblings and even three generations of the same family. Every group arrives with different expectations, but almost all of them leave talking about the experience they shared rather than the waves themselves.
A Different Kind of Family Holiday
Family holidays don’t have to mean entertaining your teens every minute of the day.
Sometimes they’re about reconnecting with teenagers who are growing up a little too quickly. Sometimes they’re about finally taking that trip you’ve been talking about for years. Sometimes they’re simply about spending a week doing something completely different together.
If that sounds like your kind of holiday, we’d love to welcome you to Xanadu.
Whether you’re celebrating a milestone birthday, introducing your teenager to surfing or finally persuading your mum that it’s never too late to learn, we’ll help you create a week you’ll all remember long after you’ve left Lombok.
