Windsurfing Holidays – How to Ensure Your Safety

Filed under: Water Sports

You can enjoy a great windsurfing holiday even if you have little or no experience in this water sport. In fact, windsurfing is suitable even for children, provided that they can swim. Still, just like any other sport, this one can be dangerous unless all safety measures are taken. Use the following tips to be safe at all times.

Get travel insurance coverage for windsurfing. This is often one of the major requirements for getting lessons and for joining sailing clubs. It is true that a travel insurance policy will not protect you, but it will give you the peace of mind that you will be taken good care of in case of an emergency. It should be pointed out that most travel insurance policies come with general coverage for adventure sports. Check if yours includes windsurfing and look into the exclusions and limitations to confirm that your interests as a policy owner are protected.

You must be physically fit to enjoy windsurfing. Get a medical check before you leave for your windsurfing holiday if you have a recent injury or trauma, heart disease, back problems or gastrointestinal problems. The same applies to people who have just undergone surgery. Your doctor will give you advice on whether you are physically fit to surf.

Wear a swimsuit or a wetsuit, a PFD (personal floatation device) and sunscreen when you go windsurfing. If the water is not warm, you must put a wetsuit on. Use a wetsuit that is designed for windsurfing specifically, as it will give you the right level of protection and comfort. A model that is 3 mm thick in the chest and body and 2 mm thick in the arms and legs is an excellent choice. Wear PFD that is approved by the coast guard or local authorities. Apply sunscreen with as high SPF as possible.

Do not put on a windsurfing harness unless your instructor advises you so. In general, harnesses can do harm in emergency situations. Furthermore, they can give you a lot of discomfort and prevent you from moving naturally. These are not pieces of safety gear and should be put on for learning purposes solely.

Learn what to do in emergency situations when you are a beginner. In this way, you will enjoy your first and many other windsurfing holidays safely. There are a number of strategies that your instructor will show you. Practice all of them in the shallow water when you are still learning.

Now you know how to stay safe during your windsurfing holiday.