People choose to travel for a variety of reasons: rest and relaxation, exploration, business, and one of our favourites, to partake in adrenaline-boosting sporting activities. If you are one of many thrill-seekers keen to partake in water sports while you are away from home, continue reading for our top tips to make the most from your holiday.
Plan ahead
If you are serious about your water sports, it is likely that you will want to plan ahead and know exactly what you are doing. The first thing you need to do is choose a location where you will get the best out of the sea or ocean. For example, some areas are super for surfing, but not so great for diving. Additionally, the time of year you are hoping to go on holiday will also make a difference to the location you choose. Doing your research before you book a holiday is imperative. Imagine booking a holiday based on someone’s recommendation for its suitability for your favoured water sport and then discovered, upon arrival, that you have gone in the completely wrong season and won’t be able to partake.
Once you have booked your holiday, check out the local water sports providers and see if you are able to book in advance. Turning up and realising they are fully booked will be devastating. Some companies prefer you to register your interest with them months beforehand. It is also useful to check out all of the information they will need from you. Sometimes, existing health conditions will mean that they wish to see confirmation from you that you have either emergency medication or relevant insurance to cover this. Furthermore, if you are unable to partake for that reason, it would be better to discover this prior to showing up and being bitterly disappointed.
Be prepared
The most important part of preparation when you are planning to go on a holiday which entails water sports is to ensure that your swimming ability is up to scratch. If you are not a very confident swimmer, this is likely to hinder your chances of enjoying the activities. Furthermore, this will endanger your life if you are unable to correct yourself when you find yourself in trouble, which can happen quite easily. However, even for confident swimmers, many activities will still insist on the use of a life jacket as a precaution and we would strongly recommend doing so.
With regard to clothing and equipment, it is often possible to hire from companies offering the water sports activities. However, you may decide to take your own if you aren’t a beginner and undertake these sorts of things on a regular basis. If you are going to hire the clothing and equipment, it is imperative that you do your research and fully trust who you are using. When things are not properly maintained, they can lead to serious problems and put your lives, and those of people around you, in danger.
If you are buying new equipment, it is vital to ensure that you are choosing the best for the money you have available to spend. Checking out reviews and recommendations is always useful, this top foam surfboards rundown for example. Of course, if you are planning to travel a significant distance and abroad, it would be wise to hire your equipment. As with above where we recommended you to book in advance, it would be worthwhile checking with the providers which types of equipment they have available before arriving. This may help you to make up your mind.
Travel insurance
No one wants to think about the worst-case scenario when it comes to holidays. Unfortunately, the consequences of not facing the possibility of injury or illness, however serious, could be devastating.
Travel insurance does not have to costly, but could result in you saving hundreds, even thousands, of your own money by ensuring you receive the very best medical attention. It is vital that you check the terms and conditions closely before choosing the exact policy as some will have clauses not covering certain activities. Of course, water sports are deemed adventurous and therefore dangerous, so will need to be specifically mentioned.
Have fun
The main reason for holidaying is usually to have fun, so this is our final top tip for you. Try to switch off from all your day to day worries and enjoy yourself. Holidays usually set you back a significant amount of money, so ensuring that you make the most of your time away is imperative.