Kit – does it still fit?!

Does everything still fit?! That means digging out wetsuits and having fun trying them on, wriggling into waterproofs and discovering how many wetstuit shoes we lost at the end of last season (and realising it doesn’t matter anyway because both kids feet have grown two sizes!) And of course, locating our buoyancy aids. 

Time to order anything we might need. Remember, it’s especially important to make sure kids are dressed correctly at the start of the season as even if the air temperature feels warm, the water temperature won’t yet have caught up. 

Need advice on what to wear for dinghy sailing? Check out our guide here. 

Boat and boards 

Checking your boat and boards are in good condition has to be pretty high on the list! 

Make time for this ahead of your first launch of the season – you really don’t want to get afloat to find something has broken/worn/missing from last season that cuts short that glorious first sail. So, set aside some time to pump up trolley tyres, check mast and rigging, wash through cleats and blocks, inspect sails and boards for signs of wear and tear.  

Here are some ideas for how kids can help in the boat park. 

Signing up to courses and new experiences 

Whether it’s a course, a regular club, session or a one-off experience, lots of watersports clubs and centres have already published their calendars, so time to get booking!

Already in our calendar this year is an RYA Start Sailing Stage One course for Boy Alfoat, and a powerboat driving refresher day for Hubby and I so we can help out with coaching junior sailing at our local sailing club. We’re also considering multi-activity taster days and holiday clubs for later in the summer.  

Spring is a great time to get along to your local sailing club or watersports centre and find out more about what’s going on; many host open days which are a great opportunity to find out more. 

Planning adventures

As well as regular sailing and paddleboarding sessions at our local sailing club, we also love venturing further afield, so planning lots of family watersports adventures is high on our list of pre-season prep! Watch this space… 

When planning what family watersports adventures to take the kids on, we look carefully at the obvious things like travel and accommodation, but the most important things for us are that we choose locations that are safe and accessible. We also make sure there is a Plan B option. After all, while we love a challenge, we want everyone to enjoy the adventure and a big part of that is making sure the logistics are manageable for us grown ups! 

Building the excitement

We want the kids to love watersports as much as we do! We also want that to be a natural process, so a big part of building that is talking to them about what they want to achieve and where they want to explore this year, building their input into our plans whenever it makes sense to do so. Involving them in the prep as much as possible is also key, in getting the boat, boards, clothing and other equipment out of storage and ready to go. In the same way, the logner days make it easier to spend more time by the water and enjoying the environment, that naturally helps to build curiosity and excitement for getting afloat themselves.