It is time to get you summer ready for Sailing! With temperatures soaring, we show you how to keep yourself cool while sailing in the summer heat. We all agree that when it comes to sailing in the harbour, hot weather kills our enthusiasm for this wonderful recreation. Heat leads to a rise in the body’s core temperature, which in turn ruins the fun of an otherwise delightful experience. One of the simplest ways to beat the heat is to wear a cool wet wrist band. The wrist is an area of high blood flow and the wet band enables cooling with the cooled blood to quickly circulate around the rest of the body. Although there are plenty of fancy chilly bands and cooling wrist bands available in the market, and inexpensive wet handkerchief would do the trick as well!
Placing a damp bandanna around your neck is next on our list of suggestions. The reason this works is because your wrist and neck both contain pulse points—essentially, areas where you can feel your pulse because your blood vessels are close to the surface of your skin. Because they are so close, however, you can also cool off your blood and body temperature by getting the area in contact with cool water.
However, your neck and wrists are not the only pulse points on your body (though your neck is arguably one of the most effective). The insides of your elbows and knees are two other common pressure points, as well as the tops of your feet and insides of your ankle (near the area where your ankle bone sticks out). There’s also a pulse point on your inner thighs. And, while the forehead is commonly used as a cooling spot, the pulse point on your head is actually closer to your temple and the area just in front of your ear. There are a few more, of course, but these are the most convenient for the purpose of cooling yourself.
Another important thing to do is to keep your mouth salivated. Apart from sipping liquids to avoid dehydration, chewing on gum while out sailing in the summer really helps. Lastly, avoid drinking caffeine and/or sugary beverages and wear light-colored clothing to reflect sunlight and clothes made of light, breathable fabrics. Investing in cup holders and coasters that keep your beverage chilled is also a great idea! Once out in the harbour, the breeze will be cool enough to cut the discomfort from the sun’s heat, that’s a guarantee.
