Learning something new and challenging make you feel great…Do it…

Over the last ten months I have been learning to foil on a range of craft. It has been a humbling yet extremely rewarding experience which has made me think about the whole learning experience and what a positive effect it can have on you mentally and physically.

Being a complete beginner is a wonderfully enlightening time. Embrace it. Everything is new and exciting.  Both your mind and your body is learning. Your body is learning to adapt to the new skill requirements of the activity. Such as balance, whilst your mind is learning to process the new sensations such as speed. Everything is working over time. It can be tiring but rewarding.

In an ideal world every session would be forward progress. It does not work like that. Some sessions reward you with huge leaps in performance whilst others feel like you are going backwards. Even the sessions that leave you deflated are the building blocks for future progress.

The quest to improve and the hunt for knowledge to assist your progress encourages you to all sort of new positive interactions. I have found myself chatting to new people to learn from them, making new friends, help others, listening to podcast, and trawling online for videos and tips. Reading, watching, analysing my technique and working out how I can improve off the water has not only had a big role in the pace of my improvement, but it has also been really enjoyable part of the journey. Much much more interesting and rewarding than time spent following the news or scrolling through social media. The process has been mentally engaging and absorbing.

My advice is not to learn to foil but to learn anything new that is challenging to you.

If you choose a watersport then we have everything to support you. Friendly qualified staff,  equipment, supportive members, club house and on water facilities. If you have never been on the water pick a sport you like and book a course. If you are not sure which one you want to try come on a multi sports taster day. If in doubt pop down for a chat with us or some of our customers.

If you are a wakeboarder how about getting your teeth stuck into some windsurfing. Wakeboarding can be tricky when it is windy, whilst windsurfing is at its best.

Long time windsurfers that only want to go out in extreme conditions. Why not consider foil windsurfing. It is the same but completely different. You have the basic skills just a step in a new direction may open up a whole new world.

Many of people are looking for instant results and can be prone to turning their noses up at something new. Why not get your teeth into something new this year. Don’t be scared, be excited. Challenging and difficult is not bad. Don’t let some short term failures set your back. Really learning to do something new will pay you back a thousand times over in ways you could have never predicted.

See you on the water…