Bonding When Wet

For families, learning a water sport together can be a bonding experience that will be remembered for much longer than the latest junk-food movie fix in an air-conditioned mall.

And by water sports, we don’t mean just your backyard variety swimming. Clubs and lifeguard stations on beaches from Carpinteria to San Clemente are offering action-packed summer courses in kayaking, surfing, sailing and more that families can take together.

For North Hollywood residents Tom Murphy and his son, Devlin, 13, finding an activity they both enjoy equally hasn’t been easy. This summer, the two decided kayaking lessons might be a kick, and that led them to the So. California Boat Club at Marina del Rey.

“I kept trying to find father-son activities we could do together,” Murphy said on a recent evening at the club. “But this,” he said as he gestured toward two kayaks docked side by side at the marina, “this is perfect.”

Learning how to kayak is not as difficult as you might expect. And the Murphys agree that having a parent and a child in the same boat, where both have to start at the beginning to learn a new skill, is a leveling experience. “We started out on equal footing and at the same level,” Murphy said. “And [Devlin] got to see how people learn as adults.”

Now the Murphys try to hit the water at least once a week, usually in the early evenings. “The ocean is relaxing and cerebral; it forces you to slow down,” Murphy said. “I think sometimes father and son need that.”

“Yeah, we try not to get into too many water fights,” Devlin chimes in.

For beginning kayakers, the Southwind Kayak Center in Irvine is also a good bet. Not only does it offer classes at all levels, but this summer the center is hosting two family camp-outs at Irvine Lake.

“There are so many parents who have been paddling for years now and would love to get their kids involved,” said Joanne Turner, who owns the center. “Parents who have put it off because they have little children are now hoping they are the right size.” The camp-outs, for children ages 6 to 14 accompanied by an adult, also include animal tracking, identifying edible plants and fishing on the lake.

If your family is looking for a more “Rambo” kind of rowing experience, white-water river rafting trips are available on the American and Kern rivers.

EarthTrek Expeditions has two-day trips on the South Fork of the American River, just outside Sacramento, that are open to families with children 8 and older. This is an excellent river for first-time rafters, and a storyteller goes along to entertain the group.

Then again, maybe an overnight camping trip in the wilderness is your idea of a horror movie. Never fear. Chuck Richards’ Whitewater has one-day raft adventures to the Kern River, 150 miles north of Los Angeles.

For a paddle-free experience, the UCLA Aquatics Center in Marina del Rey will put together private sailing classes for families. Families can also take kayaking, crew, surfing or windsurfing classes. Lessons can be arranged by calling the center.

The Dana Point Aquatics Center also offers sailing classes specifically designed for children and their parents. The classes begin at different times throughout the summer. The center also rents sailboats and kayaks.

But, dude, you don’t have to, like, be in a boat to have fun. Just catch a wave! Lifeguard stations up and down the coast offer classes for all ages.

The Carpinteria Parks and Recreation Department is offering a surfing class for ages 8 and up beginning Sunday. The six-week course covers surfing techniques, safety and surfing etiquette. The San Clemente Marine Safety Department offers a similar program for ages 12 and up, six Saturday mornings beginning Aug. 2. Foam surfboards are available for student use.

If your family is more interested in an underwater adventure, try snorkeling or scuba diving. The Carpinteria department also offers a snorkeling course (ages 8 and up) that begins in the community pool. Students learn how to put masks on underwater and how to clear their masks and snorkels, as well as what marine life to look for at the beach.

International diving organizations NAUI and PADI require students to be at least 12 years old to be eligible for scuba certification. The easiest way to find a class is to call Sport Chalet Divers.

For parents who are interested in diving but have children too young to take a certification course, Sport Chalet has planned two dive charters designed just for families. Parents can dive while children are supervised in the boat’s galley doing arts and crafts. After the dive, the boat will move to a spot where the whole family can swim, snorkel and kayak together.

Here’s what you need to know before you get wet:

So. California Boat Club, 13555 Fiji Way, Marina del Rey, (310) 822-1912. Beginning two-hour kayaking lessons, which include basic paddling instruction and in-water training, $99 for one adult and one child. Call for reservations. Sailing lessons also available.

Southwind Kayak Center, 17855 Sky Park Circle, No. A, Irvine, (800) 768-8494. Beginners-only family trips to Irvine Lake for children ages 6 to 14 accompanied by an adult, July 22 and 23, Aug. 16 and 17, adults $120, kids $80. You must provide food and camping gear.

EarthTrek Expeditions, P.O. Box 1010, Lotus, Calif., (800) 229-8735 for reservations. Family trips to South Fork of the American River, July 17 and 18, 29 and 30, Aug. 7 and 8, 19 and 20, 28 and 29. Adults $199, kids (ages 8 to 16) $89.50. Bus departs each Friday from Orange County at 2 p.m. and from Santa Clarita at 3:30 p.m., returning Sunday night.

Chuck Richard’s Whitewater, Box W.W. Whitewater, Lake Isabella, Calif., (800) 624-5950. One-day rafting adventures to the Upper Kern River (150 miles from L.A.), $90 to $120.

UCLA Aquatics Center, 14001 Fuji Way, Marina del Rey, (310) 823-0048. Private family lessons in kayaking, sailing, surfing, windsurfing and crewing, $25 to $35 an hour per person, $15 for each additional person. For more than three people, a class rate is charged ($68 to $135) for courses that range in length from eight to 18 hours, depending on the sport.

Dana Point Aquatics Center, 34451 Ensenada Place, Dana Point, (714) 661-7122. Sailing lessons for families $59 for a week of lessons (can also be arranged on weekends). Kayaks and sailboats rented for $10 to $35 an hour.

Carpinteria Parks and Recreation Department, City Hall, 5775 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, (805) 684-5405, Ext. 449, for program information. Surfing lessons (for ages 8 and up) six Saturdays 8 to 11 a.m. beginning this Saturday, $65. Does not include equipment. Classes meet at the end of Holly Avenue on the beach in Carpinteria. Snorkeling sessions are five afternoons a week, 1:30 to 4 p.m., $45 per person. Call for next session date. Classes convene at the community pool at 5305 Carpinteria Ave.

San Clemente Marine Safety Department, 620 Del Mar Ave., 500 feet north of the San Clemente Pier on sand, (714) 361-8261. Surfing lessons (for ages 12 and up) six Saturdays 9 to 11 a.m. beginning Aug. 2., $55 residents, $60 nonresidents. Classes meet at the lifeguard station on the beach just north of San Clemente.

Sports Chalet Divers, several locations in Southern California. Call (800) 348-3794 for information. Family dive charters, Saturday and Aug. 16, $220 for two adults and two children, $110 for one adult and one child. Additional children $25. Includes tank air fills, breakfast and lunch.