JEM HALL: HOLIDAY HINTS
JEM HALL: HOLIDAY HINTS
JEM HALL: HOLIDAY HINTS
Jem Hall shares his top tips to help you make the very best out of your windsurfing holiday – from travelling with your own equipment to getting the most out of hire gear.
PHOTOS – Eye Sea You Photo
WHAT TO TAKE
Having the right things with you on your windsurfing holiday can help make your windsurfing holiday a great success, rather than a sorry failure, so at a minimum I would recommend taking the following:
Long Sleeved Lycra / Wetsuit (as applicable): The Mediterranean can be cold on some days so a “shorty” (long arms and short legs suit) can really help. A lycra by itself is the coldest item you can wear, but it is required for the warm waters of the Caribbean and Brazil to protect you from the intense sunshine.
Harness: Don’t leave it at home. It is a part of you and your DNA. If you remove your harness bar you can usually wrap it around your backpack to save space in your check-in bag.
Harness Lines: Bring your own lines. If your centre of choice has a boom-off system then request your own boom and put on your own appropriately sized lines. Short lines or twisting swingy vario lines can really impede performance and your enjoyment.
Lube and SPF: You will often pack the latter, and I recommend buying it before you travel as your chosen brand may not be available at the airport. However, I also recommend some sort of anti-chafing cream such as ‘triathlon glide.’ This will stop those wet boardshorts / bikinis taking your ‘areas’ to a dark and sore place.
Sailing Hat and Shoes: There is no way to prevent the sun from beating down on your face unless you cover yourself up with a hat that has a clip to keep it on. I favour the Kaiola hat, Da Kine have their Indo hat and FCS have a good one too. I prefer to sail barefoot, but if my feet have bad cuts, or they are burnt, then the boots come out. Boots also come in hand for providing extra traction on a slippy board, but try and use thin shoes such as ATAN’s.
Change Down Fin: Your fixed board may come with a huge fin, if it gets windier you can change this down to get more control, think 5-6cm shorter, i.e. from a 40cm to a 35cm, or a 35cm to a 30cm. In wavier locations it is advisable to bring your preferred set of fins as you are accustomed to these. For example a tri-fin set of 11cm sides and a 20cm main fin.
Screwdriver: Many, but not all centres see their tools buried in sand, broken or rusty! Having your own, good, PH3 screwdriver is fab for changing fins, and tightening or moving straps.
Threads: Make sure you have a couple of pairs of shorts to change into to prevent chafing and take a warmer wind proof top / hoody in case you get chilly and/or want to be able to watch more sailing from the beach comfortably. Have a dry cap at the ready to prevent more sun dried tomato time.
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR (HOLI)DAY
You are aiming to make the most of the forecast on offer, so understanding the local weather patterns and the usual flow of the day is key to maximising your time on the water. Take into account these factors and use the tips I suggest to use your valuable holiday time wisely:
Tide: Is it something you need to worry about? If you are in the Mediterranean then it isn’t going to be any of your concern, however, in places such as Jericoacoara, Brazil, Moulay, Morocco and Le Morne, Mauritius, the tide will play a pivotal role in deciding your daily itinerary. By being aware of the tide, you can try and cherry pick the best conditions. If it’s your first time at a spot try and ask a local for their recommendations.
Timing: Aim to avoid rush hour – i.e. often mid am and pm. In many resorts, the wind can be better earlier in the day, while as the temperature begins to drop during the afternoon the wind often improves again, while over midday the heat can stifle the wind.
Happy Hour: So, what are the best hours to sail? Try to be observant of this and obtain some local knowledge too. The forecast may be not look overly positive on paper, but in Prasonisi (Rhodes), for example, you can often score a couple of hours of solid wind from 15:30-17:30.
Be More Strategic: With both of the above in mind many windsurfers sail a set timetable – say 10am-12.30pm before lunch and then 3-4:30pm before calling it quits for the day. Instead, consider opting for more sessions that are shorter – allowing for drinks and snack breaks in between to not only maximise the conditions, but also your performance.
Light Wind Options: ‘If you don’t go, you’ll never know.’ When faced with light winds still aim to get out there. Consider whether it is better to be going slowly non-planing on a big sail or perhaps you’re better off switching to a big board with a small sail to work on skills and drills, which will then transfer to higher winds. On my clinics most of the learning occurs during these sessions! You’ll have heard it before, but muscle memory is key!
Understand The Hire System: Most centres have a ‘book a board’ system where you have one main board throughout. Ask if you can change it, for windier / lighter days and how this affects your ‘book a board’ status. Choose your requested board according to the conditions and with a realistic assessment of your ability. In my experience most newbies often want to book a board which is too small for them. Volume is your friend!
Tune Your Gear: Make sure the straps are in the right place and are the correct size. If they aren’t – change them! Ensure the screws are tight or they will twist, which may lead to a breakage, or even worse, an injury! Make sure your sail has the right tension for your session. Check the downhaul and tune the outhaul regularly. If one of the staff has put your boom on and outhauled the sail, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have applied the correct tension. Be a pilot, not a passenger.
Appreciate The Shortages: Most hire centres struggle when it is really windy or really light as there is not enough gear to go around, so get there earlier in order to get the equipment you need.
Choose Your Sage: Watch the sailors, and staff, on the water and notice who is capable and seek out some advice from them. However, please do not ask the reception / centre manager ‘will it be windy?’ Every single day!
Focus, Believe and Enjoy: This is my go to Mantra for my people and me.
MANAGING THE WEEK
A week, or more, on a windsurf holiday can be damn hard on you, your skin, your body and your soul. Manage your expectations and use this list to look after yourself and thrive rather than just survive.
Skin: Your skin can take a battering from both the sun and chafing. Lube, if needed, and use a high factor SPF. The hat can come out for at least an hour a day and if your feet are burnt then booties will be your saviour.
Apply sunscreen at least 20 minutes BEFORE leaving your room so the skin can absorb it, otherwise sweating will rinse off the sunscreen – making it at least half the quoted SPF.
Lube and Protect: There are lots of great brands of hand / skin cream which really work, I personally use Neutrogena, there is a great one made for climbing (Climbskin), and people also swear by “Bag Balm”. Applying this after a session works wonders and then apply it again in the evening and early the following morning. Also reapply sun cream at lunchtime and when you aren’t sailing get those hats and sunglasses on.
Don’t Over Sail: The forecast will affect this, but if you know you have a lot of sessions coming up then don’t over do it in the first few sessions, or the first few days. All though it can be hard to resist spending as much time on the water as possible – over sailing equates to under learning, and is a kind of masochism too.
Losing it by over sailing will cause fatigue in your main muscles – resulting in you sailing slower, which in turn causes you to sail slower meaning the sail loads up and then boom it is goodbye skin and hello holes. Also over sailing is tiring for the mind and contributes to a higher likelihood of injury and damage to equipment. Overdoing it will also mean you are almost a zombie by day 4 or 5.
Defrost and Warm Up: After a few days of sailing you will be sore. In order to combat this I strongly recommend some light cardio in the morning; a fast walk, a hill walk, a swim or a cycle. You will then be warm and in a great position to stretch the key muscle groups, which will make a huge difference! You can avoid some of the soreness by warming up / mobilising before each session. I do this without fail as it also helps me mentally dial in. You wouldn’t play 99% of other sports without warming up, but many recreational windsurfers don’t warmup before sailing.
Stretch: Do it straight after sailing; paying particular attention to the calves, shins, hamstrings, back and forearms. Performed immediately after a session is best as you are still warm and can do it on sand or grass and then jump back in the sea to wash off.
Hydrate: You will be drinking a lot of water but also a lot of diuretics (coffee, tea and alcohol). The water will help but consider adding some sports rehydration powders that you can bring with you. Or just put a bit of Gatorade in your water bottles.
Failing either of these, add 1/8 fruit juice to a 1.5 litre bottle of water combined with a pinch of salt. These rehydration strategies will help you retain more fluid, where they can work they magic, rather than rapidly heading straight out.
Take Some Losses: On some occasions you may very well not be feeling it, or the conditions simply aren’t for you. i.e. extremely light winds which make it difficult to plane or way too windy for your current level. Just know it’s totally fine to not go out in these conditions. There will be more opportunities.
Consider Alternatives: There may be a couple of light wind days, so use this as a positive and perhaps take the opportunity to either learn, or improve your wing / wind foiling. However, many people will have a similar idea, so keep an eye on the forecast and book it early.
HOW TO IMPROVE
This of course comes with the caveat that you actually want to improve. You have to really want this progression and be ready to focus and self coach. Here is a great way to go about it, put together by myself and my co-coach, Nick Jones, of Eye Sea You Photo.
Set a goal for a session e.g. for the first 20 minutes I will only do tacks/sail fast into gybes (and not care about completing a gybe), or do chop hops, or only tack on the outside. Focus on improving that skill and then after 20 minutes just go ‘free’ sailing. You can even make it a contract with yourself by writing your targets / homework with a marker pen on your hand.
Sail shorter reaches, and get more done in a session. Aim to boost your trinity of fundamentals; aim to plane earlier, sail faster and get upwind higher and faster. Sailing shorter reaches really taxes this, so do just that and get more done in a session, whilst doubling your tacks and gybes, either attempts or completions.
Make a few brief notes at the end of each day on each session: what were the conditions? What kit did you use? What was good/bad? What did you learn? Use a notebook, or make some brief notes on your phone, that are solely dedicated to your windsurfing and then you can refer back to it and review. Again, be a pilot!
If it is not windy – or you haven’t had a good session then get away from the beach. Don’t just sit staring at the sea and watch others windsurfing. Give your brain a break and come back refreshed. Watching other people sailing is tiring (and can be confusing) for the brain. Be in a different space and do something different – take a tour, rent a bike, read a book, go shopping, take a siesta in a hammock etc. Windsurfing is a brain intensive activity, so you need to give your brain a break.
TOP TIPS FOR TRAVELLING WITH GEAR
These are my bare minimum tips to help keep your gear intact, get it to the destination and use all of your luggage allowance.
Bag It: Consider a roller bag. Place extra padding on the nose and tail of the board. Release the air vent a few turns. Have the masts in padded mast bags; but don’t take the sail bags (they just add unnecessary weight). Put foam around the back and front end of the boom. Roll your sails tight! Put your fins, extensions, mast feet, footstraps and other smaller bits in your suitcase. One board, 2 masts, 2 sails, and a boom will be around the max weight you can take – 32kg).
Information: Know what the airline will allow, book it and pay for it well in advance and print the paperwork. If you have to go through a transit, leave plenty of time between flights on the way there.
Get a Tag To Track Your Bag: Apple tag or Chipolo (for Android) are good because they harness the phone network, so you do not need to be within a certain distance of the tag to know where it is. This can save you needlessly waiting at the airport for a bag that won’t appear and also means that you can get dealt with first in filling out paperwork if you already know that the bag is still at your origin airport.
Get There Early: You will need to allow plenty of time to check-in and to also drop your bag at the oversize luggage belt – in some areas security may have to carryout a physical check (too large for their X-ray equipment), which means that you will be summoned to be present when they open the bag. The logistics of getting to this restricted area can take some time (you have to wait to be escorted). Throughout entirety of the process be polite and grateful.
Take Your Boom: For many airlines (e.g. BA, KLM/Air France, Iberia) a boom bag/rig bag can be used as your luggage (i.e. not treated as Special Baggage – if less than 190cm in length), so you don’t have to pay extra for it. With a 23kg limit there is still enough weight allowance for clothes, windsurf clothing, harness & lines, fins and wash bag etc, so this may well be worth considering. Check with your airline for the precise dimensions that they allow for checked luggage. Having your own carbon RDG (Reduced Diameter Grip) boom, fins, and good harness lines is a game changer!
Ezzy Sails, RRD (boards, wetsuits & softwear), Chinook & Black Project sponsor Jem Hall. Get him live and direct on one of his highly acclaimed coaching holidays – check out his website www.jemhall.com for details. You can also follow him on X / Facebook / Instagram.
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