Second Semester, Fewer Gnarly Situations

The first semester of Sunset Duckies was an experiment. Do kids train harder and learn faster in a group than on their own?

Yes. One kid lands a clean pop-up or catches a better wave, and suddenly every other kid needs to do it too.

They came for the surfing. But it was the group that got them through the running, the squats and the endless dry pop-ups we made them do before they were allowed near a board. That part worked better than I expected.

The part that didn’t work was the beach. A kids’ surf club can’t be run too casually, and last semester we had too many gnarly situations with kids in the water while their parents watched from the sand. A parent on the beach can’t help quickly when something starts going wrong. I should have made the rule clearer, and earlier.

Looking down, I think my belly could also use some training, so let’s get down to business.

What changes this semester

We start again on Friday 11 September, 4-6pm in Tamarin Bay. The kickoff is open to everyone, and every new duckie gets their first session free.

After that, the regular Monday and Friday sessions are for members. Membership is Rs 3,000 per semester for one child, or Rs 5,000 for a family.

The fee helps pay for the club. It’s also a handshake. We put in the time to organise and coach twice a week. The duckies turn up and train. The parents are part of the session.

And the big one, which isn’t up for discussion: every family must have at least one parent or guardian in the water for the full session. Watching from the beach doesn’t count. The rule applies to the free first session too.

Yes, this asks more of the parents. It also puts more adults next to the kids, in the water, where they can actually help. We want the duckies in the water, and we need the parents in there with us.

Also, granola

The club taught me one more thing. A good logo and a group of families who care about it are enough to try a product. The product still has to stand on its own.

Estelle, the daughter of a good friend of mine from Switzerland, is coming to Mauritius for an internship with us, and together we’re starting a Sunset Duckies granola business.

Her job is refreshingly concrete. Work out the first granola: ingredients, packaging, price. Talk to the club families and to people outside the club. Find out who can make it. Get a small first batch ready. If you join the club, expect to hear from her.

The plan is to launch the granola at the next Sunset Duckies competition in October. The date and format are still being worked out.

Supportive parents will probably buy the first bag because they like the club. Thank you in advance. It still doesn’t prove anything. After that we need repeat customers who actually like the granola, buyers outside Sunset Duckies who pay full price, and enough margin for one batch to pay for the next. We’ll track those numbers rather than look at a busy launch table and decide we’ve got a business.

The granola money stays separate from the club fees. Membership pays for the club. Granola pays for granola. If the business ever gets strong enough to support the club, we’ll make that call with real numbers.

The working plan for the granola business is here.

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