Surfing, ecology taught

Paige Scofic would normally be sitting at home, watching TV and doing nothing, during her spring break.

Instead, the freckled 10-year-old walked along Newport Beach with about a dozen other kids Thursday. All were dripping wet, with hair matted down from the surf, as they strolled along the Santa Ana River jetties to pick up trash and learn about pollution.

What could probably be called work is actually a break for these kids. The real work begins when they head out into the water.

All this week Erik Nelsen and co-workers taught kids Surfing 101 in their Oceans Adventures class along the northern end of Newport Beach.

Surfboards and wetsuits were provided. All the kids, ages 6 to 12, had to bring was a towel and energy — a lot of it.

Katherine Wilburn, 11, said getting on her board is already “automatic.”

She moved to Southern California from Virginia a year ago and had her first surfing lesson Monday.

“It’s like one of the best spring breaks,” said 8-year-old Ethan Sachs, eager to get back into the water.

From 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. the spring breakers bounced from place to place on the beach.

They walked, ran, learned and surfed the coast for five days. The week is predominantly a surfing class, but Nelsen and manager Drew Devine try to make all of them “well-rounded ocean people,” Devine said.

On Monday the kids learned about ocean safety, Tuesday they were introduced to high and low tides and their effects on waves. On Wednesday, the kids learned about waves, how and why they’re formed, and Thursday was devoted to learning about ecology. Nelsen calls today “fun day.” This afternoon, the kids and their parents are enjoying a pizza party, surfing and getting a professional surfer’s autograph.

Dylan Davies, 9, is in his sixth surfing camp with Nelsen. Nelsen’s company, Ocean Adventures, hosts similar camps throughout the summer.

“It’s how I learned to surf,” Davies said. “The best part is hanging out with counselors and catching a wave.”

Nelsen has been surfing for 22 years and led surfing camps for 15. The spring break camp is a “blueprint” for the summer camps, all of them are sponsored by Roxy and Quicksilver, he said. Summer surf camp enrollment is $450 if you register before May 1 and for kids from 6 to 14 years old, depending on the camp. Details are available online at www.eriknelsensurf.com.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.