Jack Middleton became a Dinghy sailing Instructor with Watersports Nomad in Vassiliki, Lefkas. Once he was qualified he successfully completed his work experience at WILDWIND. We asked Jack to tell the story of Becoming a Sailing instructor in Vassiliki, Greece.
Why did you choose to become a sailing instructor in Vassiliki?
I’d spent almost 10 years out of the sailing world and was looking for a way back that would give me options going into the future. Vass looked really nice and as I’d already spent some time travelling earlier in the year, I had the travelling bug and wanted to keep my adventures going. Vass seemed like the perfect opportunity to have some fun, meet some interesting people, and push myself.
What was the best thing about your course in Greece?
Definitely the people! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming, whether they were part of the course or not. I made some life-long friends and its great when you have a common passion. Aside from that, sailing in the vicious cross-shore winds was great fun as well.
What’s special about Vassiliki?
It’s a sort of ‘hidden gem’ of the Mediterranean. A bit out of the way and not that well-known so it has its own special culture and environment that is fun and inviting in equal parts.
How did you find the work experience element of your course?
I loved it. Gaining experience at Wildwind was a great opportunity to push myself and really test out the skills that I had learnt on the course. Also any excuse to spend more time in Vass has to be taken!
What was the social life like on the course?
Perfect. There’s a good mix of chilling and action. Generally, everyone was very respectful of people’s wishes, and no-one felt pressured into doing stuff they didn’t want to.
How was it staying in the Nomad house?
Really fun. Great to have the experience of living with your fellow Nomads. It was always nice to just pop over to other people’s rooms if you wanted a chat. Honestly, I wish we’d done more stuff around the house as it was the best place to hang out as a whole group.
What are you planning to do this summer?
I’m planning on getting my multihull endorsement then applying to get work as a sailing Instructor in the UK. Also going on a yachting trip with my university sailing group.
What would you say to anyone thinking of doing a Watersports Instructor course in Vassiliki?
Absolutely. Throw yourself into it. You’ll be surrounded by so many like-minded people who will make you feel welcome and included. Even if you don’t use it in the future (which would be a shame) you’ll still get 6 weeks of thrilling fun and adventure that you’ll carry with you for the rest of your life. Can’t recommend this enough! The Windsurfing Instructor Course looks a lot of fun too……….