A Day at the Beach in Holland, Part 3

Now, as I told you about earlier in the week, you can go sunning at the beach with access to great chairs and food and you can do some great activities like surfing. Now, the reason my daughter hosted her surfing sleepover is because of two reasons:

1. She had a friend that had never surfed and wanted to and she knows her skills aren't that high that she could competently teach someone
2. She had a really hard time surfing the waves here as they require a different technique that she had not been taught and wanted to learn.

So, after a super fun sleepover, and some discussion as it was cloudy and cold the day we went. The other girls mom was worried that the sea would be too rough and the waves too high. I assured her that if it were looking bad they would cancel the lesson so we would go and just see what happens..she was happy with that and the waves honestly were perfect for learning that day. There were plenty to catch and they had some speed behind them so once you caught one you could keep going a bit!

We started out with a little lunch. Trying to decide what to get....the friend speaks a bit more Dutch than us and we learned that day that "kaas" is cheese...

Then I had this amazing latte...sitting out enjoying it and watching the waves was so relaxing.

After, we walked down to sign in for our surf lesson. It was incredibly windy, but like I had predicted that was perfect for surfing.

First wave surf school is located at an Australian themed beach club. All the instructors are super nice and really knowledgeable. They all speak fantastic English as well ;)

I mean look at that flag whipping in the wind, I cannot even begin to explain how windy it was that day....

Poor kids could not keep their hair out of their face!

Finally the lesson started though, they start with teaching how to get on the board, a little about maneuvering in the waves, and then how to pop up. The technique they taught was slightly different from what my kiddo learned in Hawaii and that is because of how the waves break this particular technique is a bit more efficient.

They took everyone out and they had to carry their own boards. They actually had them carry them in teams of two since it was so windy. They were all losing control of the boards.

The waves don't get very big here...and these were actually "good" according to the guys at the school and I have to admit, they are the biggest waves we had seen here so far. They break fast so you never really ride a wave all the way in...eventually the wave just ends and you can just lay back down and get ready for the next...

You repeat this a lot...it is really exhausting. When the kiddo came in her cheeks were all flushed and pink...

A two hour lesson will do that to ya!

Yeah, you heard me two hours for their age...best deal on the beach. Don't go anywhere else.

Oh yeah, and kite surfing is big here too...hoping to get the husband to try that out with me ;)

After a while another mom and I got really cold and tired of walking up and down the beach so we went and enjoyed some girl time up at the beach club.

A bailey's and coffee was a necessity to get warm again!

These were three super fun trips to the beach and when the winter weather comes in I will remember each and every one of them fondly!

What is the best beach you've ever visited?

A Day at the Beach in Holland, Part 2

Now, as I told you in Part 1 just going to the beach and laying out is a lot of fun, but having stuff to do is even more fun! My kiddo loves to surf. Back when we were in Hawaii she took a lesson and had a great time and had been begging to go again....so, we took a family day to the beach!

Has nothing to do with our trip but gave us all a good laugh...the Putz Bus!

(...and yes, in good fun when we were leaving for the day the people were going back to the bus and they were all 70+! hahaha)

We go to a great place called The Spot and they rent all kinds of beach sports equipment at a reasonable rate.

Obviously she rented a long board and a wetsuit...

The wetsuit was a must she said. Not only are these able to keep the majority of your body from getting stung by jelly fish (which there were a lot in the are at the time), but it keeps you very warm and able to enjoy yourself.

There are tons of people out there without a wetsuit...they apparently did not grow up in Florida!

Seems like the wave aren't very good right...

Well, the waves are different here...

Even when they are "high" they aren't really high...must be location...but you have to learn to surf differently.

Going...

Going....

Gone! hahaha

But, back at it!

She was exhausted...

But stayed out there for two solid hours.

Toward the end she was figuring out how to work the surf...

Dad went to watch...

While I used his extra clothes as a pillow....

He's engrossed, really....

...and I'm still chillin'....

I love this one because he is just watching her watch the surf....hoping for one more set.

Talking about how much fun she had.

This one was hurry up, Mom, I'm hungry!

At the spot for some lunch! ...service was quick and easy. 

They channel the Aloha spirit...they must have known we were missing Hawaii.

After this we headed over to Aquamundo it is near some cabin rentals and has a swimming pool/wave pool and water slides...I didn't take any photos but it is a blast!

We then took a walk...

....and came across a place that cooks food over an open bar-b-que...The Safari Club. They didn't have an extensive menu and no pulled pork or anything crazy like that, but they did have good, smokey flavored food!

We got some bitterballen because ya just have to....

Mmmm...smoked ribs and fries...these were amazing!

This is one of the better burger's I have had since moving here....probably because it was cooked over the open flame.

Nothing like a beautiful sunset to end a day on the North Sea.

What is your favorite beach activity?

Stay tuned for Part 3 on Saturday!