Windsurf with Albert
Windsurf and dinghy instructor with experience in a variety of geographic and weather conditions.
My story
I was born in a small sea town called Montgat, near Barcelona, Spain. Growing up by the beach made me develop a deep connection with the sea.
A water kid
As a teenager I spent a lot of time surfing and spearfishing. At 16, I learnt to read the wind with an old windsurf rig someone abandoned by the side of the road. It barely held together, but I was thrilled to learn with it! I couldn't afford lessons, so I taught myself by trial and error and watching others.
The drown
Fast forward a decade and you'd have found me on a full-time job rat race, sitting most of the day in an office feeling empty and wondering if that was all life had to offer. Something had to change, I was missing something.
The breakpoint
In November 2016 I left everything, packed up and spent 1 year motorcycle-camping around South America. It was the hardest and most rewarding experience of my life! I met the most adventurous people, was humbled and inspired by their stories and learnt a lot about myself. I realised then I needed to reconnect with my passion for watersports.
The search
In June 2018 I moved back to London and put waterports at the center of my life: I moved next to Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre, enroled in an RYA Level 1 sailing course and I was instantly hooked.
The hike
The next few years I sailed a lot, I started racing and read every book I found on sailing skills. The more I learnt, the bigger my passion grew for sailing sports.
The launch
In 2021 I became a certified RYA Dinghy and Windsurfing Instructor, extending my knowledge and ability to teach sailing sports. I love teaching watersports and currently I'm proud to teach adult and kids sailing and windsurfing courses at Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre all year round.
Experience
Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre
part-time · 3 years 3 monthsWindsurf Instructor for Start Windsurfing courses
Nov 2021 – Jan 2025 · 3 years 3 monthsLondon, England, United Kingdom · part-timeWeekend-long 16h courses (sat-sun 9am-17pm) for adults covering both theory and practical aspects of windsurfing. Divided in 12 sessions on the water and off (simulator) including: Intro to kit, rigging, secure position, static turn, self-rescue, steering, upwind sailing, tacking, gybing, downwind sailing, safety (7 common senses), weather, land effects.Dinghy Instructor for Level 1 Start Sailing courses (single & doublehanded boats)
Nov 2021 – Jan 2025 · 3 years 3 monthsLondon, England, United Kingdom · part-timeWeekend-long 16h courses (sat-sun 9am-17pm) for adults covering both theory and practical aspects of sailing. Divided in 13 sessions on the water and off (simulator) including: Personal kit and clothing, parts of the boat, rigging & launching, basic boat handling, sailing across the wind, going about (tacking), stopping & controlling speed, coming alongside, gybing, capsize recovery, basic knots, wind awareness, basic rules of the road.Dinghy Instructor for Level 2 Basic Skills courses (single & doublehanded boats)
Nov 2021 – Jan 2025 · 3 years 3 monthsLondon, England, United Kingdom · part-timeWeekend-long 16h courses (sat-sun 9am-17pm) for adults covering both theory and practical aspects of sailing. Divided in X sessions on the water and off (simulator) including: rigging, launching & landing, sailing techniques & manoeuvres, man overboard drill (MOB), five essentials, leaving and returning to a jetty or shore, capsize recovery, ropework, rules of the road (IRPCS basics), sailing theory, launching in different conditionsRacing officer for Summer (Twilight), Autumnal, Winter (Frostbite) and Spring series
Nov 2021 – Jan 2025 · 3 years 3 monthsLondon, England, United Kingdom · part-timeActivities each event: lay the course, brief sailors, record results, debrief sailors, provide coaching & tips, announce results and share prizes.
Qualifications
I love teaching! I'm a certified RYA Dinghy and Windsurfing Instructor, licensed to operate powerboats, VHF radios and provide First Aid assistance.
My qualifications allow me to teach adults and children, inland and coastal up to intermediate levels.
What can I teach?
Windsurfing
- RYA Start Windsurfing - Beginners learning basic windsurfing techniques
- RYA Intermediate Non-Planing - Improving stance, tacking, gybing, upwind sailing, beach start and basic board control.
- RYA Intermediate Planing - Fast tack, blasting control, harness use, footstraps and intro to carve gybes.
Sailing
- RYA Youth Sailing Scheme (Stages 1-4)
- RYA National Sailing Scheme (Levels 1-3)
- Basic Seamanship & Sailing with Spinnakers
- Day Sailing & Racing Techniques
Professional
Intermediate Windsurfing Instructor (Planing)
Watersports Nomad (Club Vass)Vassiliki, Greece07/2023Start Windsurfing Instructor
Docklands Sailing and Watersports CentreLondon, UK02/2022Dinghy Sailing Instructor
Docklands Sailing and Watersports CentreLondon, UK10/2021Powerboat Handling Level 2
Docklands Sailing and Watersports CentreLondon, UK03/2020Marine Radio Short Range Certificate (SRC)
City SailingLondon, UK02/2020First Aid
City SailingLondon, UK02/2023Safe & Fun Safeguarding Awareness
City SailingLondon, UK01/2020
Recreational
Advanced Windsurfing
Watersports Nomad (Club Vass)Vassiliki, Greece07/2023Dinghy Multihull Level 2 - Basic Skills
Queen Mary Sailing ClubLondon, UK08/2019Dinghy Level 3 - Better Sailing
Docklands Sailing and Watersports CentreLondon, UK07/2019Dinghy Level 2 - Basic Skills
Docklands Sailing and Watersports CentreLondon, UK10/2018Dinghy Level 1 - Start Sailing
Docklands Sailing and Watersports CentreLondon, UK07/2018
Yachting
RYA/MCA Small Craft Basic Sea Survival
City SailingLondon, UK03/2023Day Skipper for Sail & Power Craft (Practical)
First Class SailingSouthampton, UK05/2019Day Skipper for Sail & Power Craft (Shorebased)
First Class SailingSouthampton, UK05/2019Competent Crew
First Class SailingSouthampton, UK06/2018
Other
Backyard Meteorology: The Science of Weather
HarvardX, Harvard University04/2019
Dinghy sailing at Docklands
One of my favourite things to do in London is sailing at Docklands. The Docklands Sailing & Watersports Centre offers access to a small but versatile enclosure called the Millwall Dock.
A short tube ride from The City and a walk away from Canary Wharf, the centre is open all four seasons for sail, windsurf and other watersports. The spot is very safe with no boat traffic, tides or waves and particularly good with easterly or westerly winds. It's the ideal place to learn to sail and decompress after work!
DSWC is where I started sailing and I simply couldn't have asked for a better place and team to learn with!
Sailing around the world
As a skipper and adventurer I'm always interested to sail somewhere new and exciting, learn a new rig, crank up the winches, cook a meal, share a story and have a laugh!
- Dinghy sailing
- Coastal sailing
- Offshore sailing
- Boat building
- Boat delivery
- Ocean cleanup
- Ocean research
- Navigation tech
- Celestial navigation
- Day sailing
Do you have a project?