The idea of sailing seems like fun to most people, doesn't it? I would encourage everyone to give sailing a go, but sailing is ultimately a personal decision. Sailing is not for everyone.

Is sailing for you? It would be nice to know if sailing is your thing BEFORE you sit with a garage full of dust gathering life-jackets, marine flares, and miles of rope, along with the 5 year lease on a sailboat you will never use more than that one first time!

There are a couple of things to consider before spending your Christmas Bonus on sailing equipment. Answer these few questions honestly:

Do you enjoy being outside?

This might seem pretty obvious. But how much do you really enjoy being out in the elements?

Sailing means wind and sun and rain. The weather conditions can change in an instant, from glorious and shiny to miserable and dreary. And when they do, you might very well be a long way from shore, safety and comfort. So, if taking some bad weather with the good is not for you, then sailing might not be for you either.

Do you mind getting wet?

Sailors will get wet. Sometimes you might get a little spray or splash, but other times you will get soaked right through. So if you hate the water or getting soggy, you might seriously consider not sailing.

Do you like a challenge?

You cannot really learn to sail without going sailing. You can learn all the basic sailing principals in a day or three. But after mastering the basics, you will spend your life learning to sail well.

Sailing is a challenging pastime, which takes effort, time and money. Are you really up to the challenge?

Do you have time to spare?

Sailing takes time - and lots of it.

You will need travel time to get to the water, unless you live on the waterside. Rigging the boat to sail takes time - and so does maintaining the boat. Also, a 5-minute sailing cruise might just be too short to really enjoy.

Sailing can seriously gobble up your free time. Can you afford to spend large chunks of your time on sailing?

Have enough money?

There are enough sailing options available to someone on a shoestring budget. So, you really don't have to be Mr./Miss. Moneybags to take up sailing.

Some sailboats are cheap and professional sailing lessons can be relatively inexpensive as well. You don't even need to go and spend your money on membership fees for joining a yacht club right away. But do keep in mind that sailing will cost you some money at some point or another. So, make sure that your budget has some space for sailing.

Willing to remain ever humble?

Sailing is an activity that will be different every time out on the water. The more you learn about sailing, the better you will get at it. But you will never know everything there is to know about sailing.

Are you willing to remain the constant, humble student - for a looong, looooong time?

If you are impatient or arrogant, sailing might just turn out to be more of a chore than a pleasure. But if you are patient and ever open to learning, sailing will be a joy. (Well, usually anyway!)

Will your family enjoy sailing as well?

If you have a significant other, or if you have kids, it would be great if your loved ones could share your enthusiasm for sailing. But it could be a very bad thing if they absolutely hate the thought of boats, water and sailing.

Remember that your family will not have your undivided attention, even if they are on the boat with you. Will your loved ones be able to cope spending time with you, even if you are preoccupied with sailing the boat? You will need to judge for yourself. But at least consider this.

Take orders and accept authority?

If you decide to take up sailing, you might very well end up taking sailing lessons or less informal instruction in sailing from a more experienced sailor or two. Are you able to do what you are told? Or do you like following your own head?

When sailing, it is crucial that the crew will listen and obey the skipper's orders - even if they don't like the skipper or his orders. If you would have a hard time taking orders, as many people do, sailing is probably not for you.

Do you have realistic sailing goals?

Why do you want to sail? What are your sailing goals? How realistic are those goals really?

If you hope to sail around the world in a few weeks' time, then you have waited much to long to start sailing. You probably won't be crewing in a major ocean race for a decade or so. And you most probably will not be sailing for Olympic Gold for a loooong time either.

If you have more modest sailing goals, such as crewing in the sailing highlight of the year at your local sailing club, or if you hope to do an overnight cruise in two months time, you will be less likely to get disappointed and frustrated by sailing.

Is sailing for you?

This was not a rating questionnaire like the ones you might find in an actuality magazine. You will need to decide for yourself if sailing is something you should take up. If you could give positive answers to even a few of these questions, get on a boat and go sailing.

That is the only way to really see if sailing is for you!