1. Check your conditions:
Let’s start with the blindingly obvious: make sure you take the right kit for the location. To put this into perspective, when I headed to Barbados I took the kit I always pack for trips to South Africa and use here in Blighty; error! The trade winds are much lighter and the waves much softer than South Africa so if it wasn’t for the Tushingham team arriving shortly after I would have been stuck for three weeks just watching conditions role by, so do your homework!