What To Bring On Kiteboarding Sailing Trip?

The answer is – very little! A few pieces of comfortable clothing, walking shoes, a couple of swimsuits, a light jacket, small quantities of appropriate cosmetics and sunblock, kiteboarding glasses with a string, a hat with a string, two kites, one board, one bar and lines, harness, pump and that’s about it!

Here is a tried and true list of what will get you through the trip more than comfortably. Speaking of which, comfort is the theme here. The islands are extremely informal and you could actually get by on less.

WHAT TO BRING:
You might have heard before that on a sail boat there is little space for storage. Do not bring more than one large or two small soft sided bags, duffels or backpacks. All your kiteboarding gear should fit inside one standard golf bag. Please inquire about oversize equipment limitation with the airline company of your choice. Everything you have must fit in your cabin and since the boat storage is very limited you will have to sleep with it! On a larger boats or catamarans there should be an extra storage for your kiteboarding gear. Pack ahead of time and decide what is really necessary. Backpackers say, pack, and then eliminate half of what you have packed!

What you want to bring are loose fitting, comfortable, breathable fabric or cotton clothing, light to medium weight: baggy shorts and shirts and comfortable swim suits.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Two pairs of shorts or boxers for sailing, sleeping, swimming, hiking. Five t- shirts to use with the above, or bring a four and buy one souvenir when you arrive. Kiteboarding shorts and a rush-guard. You might want to bring a short wetsuit if you are “cold-blooded”.

1. CLOTHES: Two swimsuits, however skinny dipping is possible in many of our anchorages if you want to be clothing – free.

• • a pair of long comfortable cotton pants, 1 long sleeve shirt for evening.
  • a lightweight long sleeve shirt if you want coverage from the sun.
  • a sailing hat that stays on and has a chin string.
  • a pair of sunglasses with neck cord.
  • a sarong for women would be useful – boxers or loose lightweight short pants for men.
  • a five pairs of underwear.
  • a very light spray/wind jacket (water resistant).
  • a sweatshirt for cool evenings and cooler sailing days.
  • something to wear for eating out at night (informal and not absolutely necessary) IE: cotton trousers, cotton sweater/jumper, or long sleeve shirt, clean T Shirt – what will be comfortable depends on the time of the season you are coming. Wherever we go, the attire is informal.
  • women might want to bring a skirt or sundress.

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2. SHOES or all-terrain open footwear for walking on land. None of the walks that we will do require anything more than sandals. Shoes are not required and discouraged on board, but if you feel that you will need shoes on board, please bring a designated pair for boat use only. No street shoes are allowed on board because pebbles get lodged in the tread and scratch the boat. Bring light kiteboarding boots to protect your feet if planning to kite near reefs.

3. TOILETRIES:

• • waterproof sunscreen.
  • moisturizing cream, face oil or hydrating face cream as skin can dry to an uncomfortable state without it.
  • body moisturizer if you will need it at the end of the day.

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4. CUT DOWN ON TOILETRY WEIGHT: Bring only what you need of your toiletries, shampoo, conditioner and body wash in small plastic travel bottles, usually the ones that are allowed as carry on are enough for at least a week.

5. KITEBOARDING GEAR: Bring only two kites, one for strong wind and one for light wind. The kite size will depend on your body weight and the forecast, so check with your skipper or study the wind forecast a week in advance. You will only need one board, one bar, one harness and one pump. If you don’t have any kiteboarding gear, then you may reserve with your skipper prior to departure.

6. WATER BOTTLE: A closed insulated large sports water bottle is necessary. Being in the sun all day you will need more water than you are used to drinking and it is very important to stay hydrated.

7. BEDDING & TOWELS: We have bath towels and linens on board for everyone.

8. JEWELLRY: It’s better to avoid bringing expensive jewellery due to the risk of losing it, and avoid wearing piercings that could get caught on anything on the boat.

9. SEASICKNESS: Ginger tablets, candied ginger, wrist seabands, seasickness pills, patches are a good idea for those who suffer from seasickness. Your body will naturally adapt after a day or so.

10. PASSPORTS: Please bring the original and copies of your passport in tight water-proof bag.

11. CREDIT CARDS AND MONEY: Bring several credit cards, storing them in different places in case you lose your wallet. Make sure to call your credit card companies to inform them of your travels, as well as find out information like your PIN number and daily limit.

Remember, you will be able to wash lighter clothing out along the way (even though we must conserve water), pack to be comfortable is much more important than stylish. You don’t get “sweaty dirty” on a boat, so clothing stays “acceptable” longer! Storage is limited in your cabins, if you have too much stuff,  you will never find what you brought anyway.

ONE MORE TIME: BRING LESS!

Pack a few days or more ahead, and evaluate what you really do and don’t need. It helps to see it all lying on your bed and realize you probably don’t need half of what you thought.