Hey Dibi: What Surfboard Should I Get My Kid For Christmas?

Editor’s Note: Have a question for Dibi Fletcher? She’s definitely got answers. Or at least a perspective. Don’t hold back, shoot her a DM on Instagram and ask away. Here’s this week’s dispatch from the Matriarch of Radical…

Hey Dibi… I’m a single mother of two teenagers. My 14-year-old son is an avid surfer. He’s been surfing for three years on used boards. I’ve been saving for the last year to buy him a new board for Christmas but don’t know anything about surfboards myself, do you have any suggestions on what I should get? - Surf Mom
Hey Surf Mom… Why don’t you give him a card with a date and time for the two of you to go to the local surf shop where he can browse and speak to the people working there about the boards they have in stock, their custom orders and trade in policies. He can ask about shapes, length, fins and find out what works best for him and the waves he’s going to be surfing. If the salesperson isn’t qualified to answer, ask for someone who is. It will be a “gift” for you and your son to spend the time together that will come less often the older he gets and you might learn a lot about boards to carry on future conversations about something he’s interested in. A Christmas gift you will remember.

Hey Dibi… My son wants to go to Hawaii to surf for the holidays. We’ve always had Christmas together and I’m not sure it’s a good thing for him to be gone and not keep up the traditions we’ve established over the years. My husband says to let him go, what do you think? - Family Traditions
Hey Family Traditions… He’ll always have the memories of the holidays he spent at home, but he’s taking his own road as he matures. He may be fortunate and get some great waves while he’s there and have a slice for Christmas dinner and be perfectly stoked. So, carry on with your traditions and be grateful you’ve raised an independent thinker willing to risk the comfort zone for adventure.

Hey Dibi… I want my kids to love surfing, but I don’t want to turn it into pressure. How do I pass on the stoke without passing on expectations? - Stoked Dad
Hey Stoked Dad… The first part of your question “I want my kids to love surfing” kinda’ gives the plot away. While your kids are young and don’t have a choice in the matter you can take them to the beach and have a blast. They may grow up to love the life or not, who’s to say, But I’m sure whatever their choices, if not surfing, will have been a slow drift that you as a stoked dad were behind them encouraging their independence every step of the way. Enjoy every moment and don’t worry about whether they’ll love surfing, they may turn you on to something you never could have imagined.

Hey Dibi… If you were starting today, with everything you know now, what would you change? - Wiser Now
Ey Wiser Now… I was discussing this with a thirty something young man the other day who had some tough years in his twenties who said “I wished I knew than what I know now and I wouldn’t have F$%ked Up”. There isn’t a person alive who’s had personal challenges who hasn’t thought that and the answer is always the same. There is no personal growth without adversity. You are where you are because of the changes you’ve gone through. Accept the fact that you made some poor choices, but you made it through with good decisions that are in your personal plus column. There is no going back, no do overs, and it’s all part of the growth process, enjoy the Ride….

Hey Dibi… I’ve spent my whole life organizing everything around surf, jobs, relationships, where I live. Now I’m asking myself if I built a life or just avoided one. How do you know the difference? - Surf is Life
Hey Surf is Life… Only you have the answer. It’s human nature to ask questions and reflect on choices, but whether your life is working for you or not is completely arbitrary. There are things in life that make aging a bit more manageable and I assume if you have put some thought into that and are self-sufficient you’ve made decisions that are right for you. If not, that’s another question you should pay attention to while you’re able. Some people drift through life, seems you made specific choices to live a “surf” lifestyle that you chose above all others. All choices have pros and cons…make a list and see where there might be a need for course correction and GO