#20: How to prepare for your sailing course!

Your Pocket Sailing Instructor Podcast

Alright, so you listened to my last episode and you have signed up for a course! Congrats! Now what? Hopefully the sailing school that you signed up with will be providing you with some pre-course learning materials. But if that is not the case, this week I provide you with some ideas. For this episode I will assume you are signed up for a day sailing course. I'll do a different episode for liveaboard sailing.

What to Wear

Ok, you are getting excited and figuring out what to pack for your course. If you are day sailing, you should check the weather each day and dress accordingly. What does that mean? If there's rain, invest in rain pants and a rain jacket. Bring extra layers, spare socks, hats, etc. Unless otherwise indicated by the sailing school, you should not need to bring any person safety items to a beginner course.

Basically plan to wear active, or hiking, type of clothes. I find these work best and avoid jeans. Something comfortable, something that moves with you, something that dries quickly, etc. Footwear should be comfortable and with good tread. No flip-flops. Listen to Episode #2: New Sailor Sailing Gear for other ideas and tips.

What to Bring

Now I'm looking at extra items to bring to make your course fun and enjoyable. Here's a short list:

• sunglasses, hat
• sunscreen
• phone/camera for photo ops
• water, snacks, lunch (make it BIG, as fresh air will make you hungry!)
• notebook and pencil if you like to write things down (wet notes work great)
• binoculars if you'd like to look around during lunch, but they could be a bit much for this type of day sailing
• any course books that were mailed to you (ie Basic Cruising Skills textbook for example)