The second day at Jericho Beach this year for Mouat Extreme Outdoor Education provided weather conditions that were even better than the first, and that’s saying a lot because the first day was absolutely gorgeous. The hottest day of the year so far greeted students as they donned wet suits and lifejackets, and embarked on an epic windsurfing voyage. Students learnt how to turn their boards using tacking and jibing methods, and how to manipulate their sails in order to steer. Highlights included Sara Pimente Lange showing her natural talent for the sport, and Kentaro Dennis getting up close and personal with his sail. There was even time for some sandcastle building on the beach and some water volleyball. Looking forward to reading everyone’s blogs, especially as some participants are still feeling the effects of failing to protect themselves from the sun…eek. Outdoor Education students please leave a 100 word blog response below.
Mouat Extreme Outdoor Education 
Windsurfing was so much fun. Would definitely go again
Did you learn anything?
Last Tuesday the extreme outdoor ed class took a trip down to Jericho beach to go windsurfing. I had never been before, but I figured it wouldn’t be too different from paddleboarding with an added sail. Although maneuvering the sail was very difficult at first, we eventually figured it out. Not to brag, but I’d say I was pretty good at wind sailing for my first attempt. I managed to not fall in (and keep my hair dry, yay!) but I struggled with directing and moving the board. After we finished sailing, we got ice cream and spent an hour tanning, waiting for the bus to arrive. Unfortunately, I got a bit too much sun and ended up with a very painful sunburn (which made me look like a tomato all week). I’m now trying to convince my parents (without much success) to get a board for our cabin.
That’s awesome that you’re trying to turn this into a lifelong activity!!!
Very unique and cool trip, first time wearing a wet suit and to wind surf, time wise though I wish we could of had more time on the water.
Fair assessment; I agree.
Had a great time windsurfing. I was not able to keep my balance because you had to be super focused to get the sail up. The food was 10/10 along with the ice cream they had there too. Other than the 2nd degree sun burns I got after the trip this was a super fun trip for the whole day and it turned out to be a beautiful day out.
So I guess you learnt to wear sunscreen next time?
The windsurfing trip was one of the highlights this year. We were lucky with the weather conditions and all the instructors were nice. I learned a lot about the Basics of windsurfing and how to use the wind. At first, it was difficult to hold my balance in the water but after a short time and the help of the instructors I got a feeling for surfing. I was proud that I got the turns right away and it was fun to try out something I never did before. Afterward, we stayed at the beach and some of my friends and I went into the water where we played volleyball and I saw a seal. It was a great day! The only thing I would do differently is bringing extra sunscreen because most of us got a bit of a sunburn.
Yep the importance of sunscreen might be the biggest lesson that was learnt on this trip!
wind surfing was a lot of fun. it was a great opportunity to try something new and interesting. It gave me a chance to hang out with my friends on the trip and meet some new people. overall it was a great trip, even though I went home with the worst sunburn I have ever had. I would recommend going on this trip the next time you can.
Yes I believe you may have become the poster child for why sunscreen is important…
This trip was a lot of fun and another thing that I have never tried before. I enjoyed trying to balance on the board and I was really happy when I started to get a hang of the sailing part. It was definitely one of the harder trips todo compared to skiing or sailing. I enjoyed learning about the parts of the board and the best way to point the sail. One part I did mot enjoy was falling off the board or feeling like I was going to fall. if I were to do it again I would prefer to spend more time sailing.
I agree with your assessment and would also like more time on the water.
For this trip we went out to Jericho beach in Vancouver to learn to wind surf and I learned that it takes about of balance to stay on the board and gab or lose speed or make a turn. I eventually learned how to turn after falling once or twice but I realized to trust my balance and how good it actually was when I trust it fully. One thing I would try and change for next time is Larry faster so I would have more time to just surf around and have more fun or I woild like to go further out to sea to enjoy the water more. Next time if we were to go again I would pack the same stuff and just remember to bring an extra mask so I can wear a dry one on the bus.
I agree that more time on the water would be beneficial.
This trip was super fun! We started off by just relaxing on the beach and getting lunch. Than we played some beach volleyball which was very fun. Than we went over to the windsurfing lessons and got a quick on land lesson. We than changed into wetsuits which were very tight to put on and carried out boards down to the water. Next, we one by one took turns standing up on the boards. I managed to get up and stay on it for a little while. Than after, we divided into two groups and practiced going on it for longer. Unfortunately we didn’t get the opportunity to go out further but we still had fun. I would definitely go again because I quite enjoyed it. After we went and got ice cream and layed in the sun for a while. The only thing I would do differently was probably wear more sunscreen because I got a burn all over my face.
Yes I would have enjoyed more time on the water but I’m glad you enjoyed the experience!
The windsurfing-Jericho Beach trip was by far my favourite outdoor ed trip this year. My favourite part was definitely hanging out on the beach with my friends. My first attempt at windsurfing was by far my best, beginners luck i guess. One thing I would have done differently is wearing more sunscreen in more spots. I burnt my feet, I don’t think I’ve ever burnt my feet. I learnt a lot of new terminology and a lot of new things about wind. One thing I learnt about myself is that I don’t have a lot of trouble staying on balance, it comes pretty easy to me. I really enjoyed windsurfing, I would definitely go again.
I think the social aspect of the trips is on par with the actual activity itself. Good to have you and you friends in the program!
Windsurfing was really awesome! When I was getting started the sail fell on my head (in front of everybody) which was very cool, but eventually I got it and once I did it felt great. Because of the number of people, we didn’t get to do a lot of actual windsurfing but it was still fun. After that we played volleyball in the ocean and that was fun too
Yeah hopefully next time we have fewer people and more opportunities to surf. Glad you found the sail dropping on you to be ‘cool’.
Our group arrived at Jericho Beach about half an hour before the lesson was to commence, giving us time to unwind and eat some food before windsurfing. We started off by putting all of our belongings in cubbies and got our bathing suits on. Next, we walked to the beach and squeezed into our wetsuits. This was surprisingly the most difficult part of the trip for me,
I actually put mine on backward at first.
The first thing the instructors taught us was the intricate directions of the wind so we could better understand how to use the wind to help us sail. After learning about the technicalities that come with windsurfing, we learned how to pick up the sail. The next step was attempting to stand on the board without falling into the water. Even though the instructor was eager to help, I ended up finding my own way and was able to use their insight to let the wind guide me, instead of self maneuvering the sail. However, I accidentally went way too far out and could not figure out how to return to the group on my own. Thankfully, the instructor quickly saw me struggling and came to the rescue on his paddleboard.
After everyone got a chance to put their newly learned skills to practice, we made our way back to shore, returned the boards, thanked the instructor, and enjoyed a well-deserved break on the beach.
I love that you “found your own way” and “let the wind guide you”. That is a great way to approach life as well!
Today we got to attend a field trip at the Jericho beach in Vancouver. This was a great trip and I got to learn a lot about windsurfing. I had never tried windsurfing so this was a new experience for me. I had a great time learning to stand up on the board and how to turn depending on which direction the wind was blowing from.. I would highly recommend this trip to everybody.
Beautiful day on the water to be sure!