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How to Prepare Your Child for Their First Sailing Camp
Your kid is signed up for sailing camp. Maybe they’ve been begging to get on the water for years. Maybe you saw the opportunity and thought it sounded like a great summer to reduce your kids screentime. Either way, you made a great call and with a little preparation, their first day on the water is going to be something they talk about for a long time.
Here’s everything you need to know to get them ready.
What happens at sailing camp?
For kids in 3rd through 8th grade, sailing camp is less “sit still and listen” and more “learn by doing.” From the very first session, campers are getting hands-on time with boats, learning how the wind works, how to steer, how to trim a sail, and how to work with a partner or crew.
Younger campers (3rd–5th grade) typically start in smaller boats with an instructor close by, focusing on the basics: what the parts of the boat are called, how to get in and out safely, and the fundamentals of steering and sail control.
Older campers (6th–8th grade) move faster and take on more independence, reading the wind, making decisions on the water, and starting to understand racing concepts if they’re interested.
No experience is required. Instructors are trained to work with complete beginners, and most kids, even the ones who were nervous on day one, find their footing quickly once they’re on the water.
What to pack:
Sailing means sun, wind, and water. Here’s what to send with your camper:
Clothes that can get wet
Athletic shorts and a t-shirt are perfect or a swimsuit. Board shorts work great too! Avoid anything they’d be upset about getting wet.
A second set of clothes
For after the session, nobody wants to ride home in damp clothes.
Closed-toe shoes or water shoes
No flip flops on the dock. Sneakers that can get wet, or dedicated water shoes, are ideal.
A hat with a brim
Sailing means being out on the water with sun coming from above and reflecting off the surface. A good hat makes a real difference.
Sunscreen, applied before arrival
Remind them it needs a few minutes to soak in before they’re out in the sun.
Sunglasses with a strap
Optional but worth it. Losing sunglasses overboard gets old fast.
A full water bottle
Wind and sun are dehydrating even when kids don’t feel hot.
A packed lunch in a cooler or with ice packs
Students will have an hour lunch break from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
How to talk to your kid about it beforehand
A few conversations before camp can go a long way toward helping them walk through the door with confidence.
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“You’re going to learn something new.” Frame camp as a learning experience, not a performance. Kids who know they’re allowed to be beginners try harder and enjoy themselves more. There’s no test at the end of the week.
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“Sailing involves real wind and water, some days will feel tricky.” Especially for 6th–8th graders who are used to picking things up quickly, it helps to know in advance that sailing has a learning curve. That’s not a problem, it’s what makes it interesting.
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“Ask questions.” Sailing has its own vocabulary (port, starboard, tacking, jibing) and it can feel like a lot at first. Encourage them to ask their instructor whenever something doesn’t make sense. The kids who ask questions learn the fastest.
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“Tell me one thing you learned today.” At pickup, ask about the doing. “What did you figure out today?” opens more conversation than “Did you like it?”, especially for middle schoolers who might answer the latter with a shrug.
A note for kids who’ve been on the water before
If your child has sailed before, even casually on a family vacation or a friend’s boat, they’ll likely feel comfortable right away. That confidence is a great starting point.
That said, encourage them to stay open to instruction even on things they think they know. Camp coaches often spot small technique habits that work fine for casual sailing but become limiting as skills develop. The kids who progress fastest are usually the ones who stay curious regardless of what they already know.
If they’re nervous about the water
Water safety is a priority at sailing camp, and all campers wear life jackets on the water, no exceptions, regardless of swimming ability. That said, some kids (and parents) have real anxiety about open water, and it’s worth addressing before camp rather than at the dock.
If your child is nervous:
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Talk about it openly. Acknowledge the feeling without dismissing it. “It makes sense to feel a little nervous about something new” goes further than “you’ll be fine.”
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Remind them about the life jacket. Knowing they’ll be in a PFD the whole time reassures a lot of kids.
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Let the instructors know. A quick heads-up on the first morning means the coaching staff can keep an extra eye out and make sure your camper feels supported as they ease in.
Most kids who arrive nervous leave wanting to come back. The water has a way of doing that.
what comes next?
If your child finishes the week energized or even just quietly curious that feeling is worth following. Sailing is a sport that genuinely grows with kids. The fundamentals learned in a summer camp translate directly into more advanced programs, youth racing teams, and lifelong skills on the water.
For 6th–8th graders especially, camp is often the entry point to something much bigger. A lot of competitive youth sailors got their start exactly the way your kid is starting: one summer, one boat, one week on the water.
