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LIFE OF A CLUB VASS WINDSURF INSTRUCTOR: DAN BARRINGTON

We caught up with Club Vass instructor senior instructor (‘Pro Coach’) Dan Barrington, who has been working at the legendary destination for five years. From epic freestyle sessions on the water to late night parties at the beach bar, Dan’s story is about progression, passion and memorable moments at Club Vass. In this interview, we venture behind the scenes with Dan as he looks back on his coaching journey, the community at the Club, some unforgettable parties and why one season somehow turned into five.

Photos: Miles / PROtography Official

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WINDSURF: How did you get your job at Club Vass, and why did you want to work there?

DAN BARRINGTON: “I was working for another centre in Vass and was a bit in awe of what was happening at Club Vass, especially the freestyle scene. It felt like the place to be if you wanted to push your sailing and be surrounded by really high-level windsurfing.

There was also a personal connection…my dad used to do Club Vass seasons back in the 90s, so I grew up hearing all the stories. Working there always felt like a bit of a dream.

I asked Ollie Scott if I could do some work experience at the end of a season and did enough to earn myself a full-time beach role the following year.”

WINDSURF: What qualifications did you need and how did the application process work?

DAN BARRINGTON: “To work at Club Vass you need your Start Windsurf Instructor qualification, RYA First Aid certificate and a Powerboat ticket, but also some experience and a real passion for the sport and for teaching it.

One of the great things about the club is that it’s a real training hub. Over the seasons I’ve always taken every opportunity to gain more qualifications and tickets. There’s a strong culture of progression, both as a coach and as a sailor.”

WINDSURF: How easy is it to get qualified as a windsurf instructor? How much does it cost and where do you do it?

DAN BARRINGTON: “It’s actually much easier than people think. You don’t need to be an advanced windsurfer, just confident with the basics. The standard route is to take a Start Windsurf Instructor course.

You can do this in Vassiliki with Watersports Nomad, who run excellent instructor programs. Alternatively, most major watersports centres in the UK offer the qualification. I did mine in Poole Harbour. A few weeks later I secured my first season job! At the time, I could barely windsurf…so don’t let ability hold you back.

The course cost me around £500–£600, and it’s paid for itself many times over since.”

WINDSURF: What about boat qualifications and first aid? How long do those take?

DAN BARRINGTON: “Most instructor pathways combine everything into one intensive week. You need a 2-day Powerboat Level 2 course (great fun and very straightforward). An RYA First Aid course (widely available across the UK). Many centres package these together so you can complete all required qualifications in one go.”

WINDSURF: How fired up are you for the upcoming season?

DAN BARRINGTON: “Very! A good winter rest makes a huge difference. It’s always exciting knowing you’ll be back with familiar faces & sharing sessions together.”

WINDSURF: When does your season start and finish?

DAN BARRINGTON: “The season usually starts in early April. The first couple of weeks are all about building the centre…rigging new kit, prepping the powerboats & getting the beachfront ready. It runs through to mid-October; roughly six months in total.

WINSURF: Can you make good money working as an instructor, or is the experience all about the lifestyle?

DAN BARRINGTON: “It definitely starts as a lifestyle job, but it can become more than that. The more seasons you do, and the more qualifications you add (plus progression into senior or management roles), the more you can earn and save.

It’s true that some instructors spend their whole wage at the bar… but others save for winter trips and things like that, it’s  what you make of it.” 

WINDSURF: When you first headed out for a season, what were your goals?

DAN BARRINGTON: “My goals have definitely changed season by season. In my first year I was probably mostly focused on learning how to flaka and trying to impress girls. These days I’m thinking less about my own windsurfing and more about how to run the beach as well as possible and give guests the best experience we can.”

WINDSURF: What was it like when you first started coaching?

DAN BARRINGTON: “I started coaching when I was 18 and in my first season I mostly taught kids. Pretty quickly I became completely obsessed and started teaching adults as well.

I definitely made plenty of mistakes early on, but my enthusiasm for the sport usually made up for it. I cared a lot, and that goes a long way when you’re learning to coach.”

WINDSURF: What levels do you teach, and do instructors switch around?

DAN BARRINGTON: “At Club Vass you teach a bit of everything. We’re really lucky because we coach well beyond the standard RYA syllabus. It’s pretty normal to be running a forward-loop clinic for 15 people, which makes for a really entertaining and varied job.

Most instructors switch around a lot…from kids’ clubs and pro kids, right through to specialist weeks like Speed Week or Diva Week.”

WINDSURF: What are most clients hoping to gain from the experience?

DAN BARRINGTON: “I think what makes a Club Vass holiday special is that guests get top-quality coaching while still being on a relaxed, social holiday.

I hope they enjoy the social side of Vass as much as the windsurfing. Roger and Tony have created a real après-surf scene…probably helped by the fact that the bar is literally in the middle of the windsurf school. 

There’s just something in the air in Vass. It’s infectious, and once you’ve experienced it, you usually want to come back.”

WINDSURF: What’s a typical day in the life for you at Club Vass?

DAN BARRINGTON: “It all depends on the forecast, but most days start with some kind of exercise…stretching, gym, biking or a swim.

We then have the beach team meeting and morning lessons usually run in the onshore winds, which are perfect for beginners. Everyone breaks for lunch, then the wind kicks in for the afternoon sessions.

After that it’s free sailing time, we shut up around dark, and most evenings end with a chilled beer with the guests at the beach bar.”

WINDSURF: What’s the best part about being a coach at Club Vass?

DAN BARRINGTON: “The people, without a doubt. The friendships you build and the memories you make over a season are hard to beat.

Going to work on a beach every day with all your mates is pretty special. It doesn’t really feel like work…even though we definitely put the hours in.

WINDSURF: How do the coaches work together as a team?

DAN BARRINGTON: “Everyone has different manager roles within the team. On your first season you might be bin-bag manager, but if you do a good job you might get promoted to sunbeds and so on.

More experienced staff look after the important things, like the powerboats. It keeps things light-hearted but also makes sure everyone takes responsibility.”

WNDSURF: Do you still get time to windsurf and party yourselves?

DAN BARRINGTON: “This is one of the things that really separates Club Vass from other companies. We windsurf as much as the guests, and that keeps staff motivated, happy, and sharp. When instructors are sailing a lot, their coaching and customer service improves massively. And yes, the younger staff definitely still party as well, especially on Tuesday and Friday nights.”

WINDSURF: Is it a seven-day week or do you get time off?

DAN BARRINGTON: “You work six days with one day off, which you can use to explore the island. Not many jobs let you windsurf at work, so I don’t think that’s too bad at all.”

WINDSURF: Were there many highs or lows from last season?

DAN BARRINGTON: “Mostly highs. The only real low is when the season comes to an end and you have to figure out what you’re doing for the winter.”

DAN BARRINGTON: How do you stay motivated when a new group arrives each week?

DAN BARRINGTON: “For me it’s easy, because so many guests come back year after year. Even when it’s a “new” group, you’re often coaching the same faces for the second or third time.”

WINDSURF: Who is your boss, and how is performance monitored?

DAN BARRINGTON: “Ollie Scott is my boss. He checks in with us regularly and helps make plans for what we can improve or progress, whether that’s our personal windsurfing or our work on the beach.”

WINDSURF: What do you love most about working at Club Vass?

DAN BARRINGTON: “We’re really well looked after, and that comes directly from Ollie and the owners. I signed up for one season and somehow ended up doing five, which probably says it all. In short: good vibes, happy people and strong wind!”

WINDSURF: What do you do in the off-season?

DAN BARRINGTON: “I’m really lucky. I’ve been able to do a few different things that keep me busy and living the dream…coaching skiing and teaching on Bonaire, which I’ve been doing for the last few winters.”

WINDSURF: How big are the groups you usually coach?

DAN BARRINGTON: “It varies week to week, but usually anywhere from six to twenty people, with three or four instructors.”

WINDSURF: How tiring is a full season at Club Vass?

DAN BARRINGTON: “It is tiring…but you’re only young once. You don’t really notice it until the end of the season, when it finally catches up with you!”

WINDSURF: Do you have any funny stories from the infamous Friday night parties?

DAN BARRINGTON: “One of my first real “welcome to Club Vass” moments came during the traditional Friday night ‘if I were not upon the sea, there’s something else I’d rather be’ song. Every season the staff perform it in front of all the guests, and on my first year I was properly nervous. I’d been practising all week in the apartment after work, convinced I had it nailed.

Come the big night, I stepped out in front of everyone… and completely forgot my lines. Total mind-blank. I just froze. Luckily, everyone assumed I was playing it up for a laugh, so the crowd started laughing and cheering, which somehow made it worse and better at the same time.

Thankfully Max Rowe and a few of the others started shouting the steps at me from the side, and I managed to recover before doing anything too memorable. It was equal parts terrifying and hilarious and probably the moment I realised that at Club Vass, if you mess something up, everyone’s laughing with you, not at you!”

WINDSURF: It sounds like working at Club Vass is a lot of fun both on and off the water?

DAN BARRINGTON: “Yes… Another lesson I learned fairly quickly was that I’m much better suited to teaching windsurfing than working behind a bar. One particularly busy Friday night, I offered to help out at the top bar. It was busy, and I got a little too enthusiastic about my new role as ‘bar staff’ rather than a windsurf instructor.

The guests were enjoying it and kept buying me drinks, which may have influenced my decision-making. After giving away too many ‘free beers’, I’ve since been firmly banned from working the bar on Friday nights.”