What you really need to get active this summer

With summer peeking it’s head around the corner you’re probably ready to head outdoors.

Perhaps your Christmas Wish List includes some fun toys for a sunny, summer adventure. However, getting involved in outdoor activities requires some preparation.

You need to be safe and you need to have done your research. The mountains and the ocean are incredible playgrounds for any adventure enthusiast but they must be respected and understood.

If you don’t prepare you might find yourself in imminent danger.

In Cape Town there are many different activities you can do that’ll make your summer an exciting one. Between the mountains to climb and explore and the oceans to ride, you’ll never be bored. In fact, there’s something for all ages in the Mother City but you simply must find out the why, the how, the who and the when before you try anything.

Here’s what you need to consider before rushing out the door into the wild.

You need lessons

You need to learn how to do the activity that’s piqued your interest. You need to go for lessons or technique training. This is a prerequisite to any of the outdoor adventure sports you might consider. Even if you think it’s simple. For instance, mountain biking is considered easy because we all learnt how to ride a bike. But if you haven’t received any technique training, you could find yourself limping to the finish, dragging your broken bike behind you because you misjudged a ditch. The same goes for mountain climbing, stand up paddle boarding, kite surfing and the like.

You need a crew

It’s not advisable to do any of these sports alone. Even as a seasoned enthusiast you should still have a crew or team or even just a friend who is at the same or higher level than you. You never know what might happen. And being stranded in the bushveld or struggling to return to shore because your equipment has failed something has gone awry is dangerous.

You need to save

It costs a lot of money to purchase the equipment to do these activities. Also, you are eventually going to have to replace your gear and so it will continue to cost you in the long run. You should set up a savings account for your sports so that you have allocated cash available to replace and upgrade. For instance, if you attempt to climb a mountain with thinning ropes you’re putting your life in danger.

You need a vehicle

You cannot cart around surf boards, paddle skis, canoes and so on in your two door sports car. Nor can you drive to remote areas to climb and explore with your dropped suspension performance vehicle or superbike. You are going to need a vehicle that’ll be a carry-all for your gear and equipment and that’ll easily travel across veld and rougher terrains. Your best bet would be to look for a bakkie. A quick Google search for the likes of Nissan secondhand bakkies will pull up endless results for you to peruse.

You need medical aid

As mentioned numerous times above, there is danger in outdoor sports. Make sure you covered all inevitabilities. While this sounds like a gloomy reality to have to bear in mind, if you happen to injure yourself and you require urgent or expensive medical attention you want to be able to rely on a medical aid to assist you. In fact, no matter whether you’re kite surfing, abseiling or simply just part of a CrossFit box, you must cover yourself for injuries or you’ll never enjoy your sport again.