Skim over the waves

Slice through the water on a paddleboard, capturing the wind in your sail. Windsurfing is as much a battle against the elements as it is a lesson in controlling them

To a windsurfer, there's nothingmore inviting than heavyswell moving in from a distance.It's the perfect challengethat the sea can throw up, andit's got two equally able and malevolentcompanions to throw you off balance-- the wind and tide.

But if you're calm, you'll observe howall of these together make for great surfingconditions. And once you've figuredout the direction you're going to be travellingin, it's all a matter of poise.

Step wise progression
Actually, there are three stagesto it. You start with lying flaton the board and swimmingfor a while. This is to warmup your biceps for the rigourthat is to follow. The nextstep is stand up paddleboarding,which is a sportin itself. You stand on the surfboard anduse one oar to manoeuvre the waves.With this you can go real fast, and theactivity is just as thrilling. But to Alistair,my instructor from England, it is a wayto get me acclimatised to moving aroundin the choppy sea. He says it will helpme with my surfboarding stance.

In the middle of the Mana Manabeach resort, in Singapore, I'm all setfor my first windsurfing lesson.

Learning the basics
After a few laps of paddleboarding,the exercises begin on Alistair's simulationkit set up by the shore. He startswith the basics. The mast is the polethat holds up the sail, the boom is acurved bar that controls the sail, andthe mastfoot is a universal joint atthe centre.

Throughout my time at sea, Iwill place my legs sideways, atan arm's length from each other,except when turning the board.To start off, I will climb theboard,lift the mast and grab hold of the boom.Then i will turn the boarddepending on which direction the windis blowing in, and begin surfing.We do one session onland, and the combination isso difficult to remember, Ieither forget to position my feetcorrectly or direct the mast thewrong way.

Out in the sea
When we enter water, the windis blowing in the south west direction.This means that we can eithergo north west or south east. Alistairchooses south east. We wade intoabout 5-feet deep water, and then Iclimb onto the board. Even on mybeginner's Starboard, with a volumeof 250 litres and a 3 metre sail, liftingthe mast is difficult. I almost tip overtwice, and then get its position right.No sooner do I hold it there that it tiltsbackward and the board sets off. Irealise I've opened the sail a bit toomuch. But before I can act, I lose controland plunge into the water headlong.

The next time I make it a point tohold the mast close to my body so asnot to expose too much of its surfacearea. I get my balance right and, securingmy grip on the boom, tilt the mastdownwards and behind me.

The breeze propels the board forwardbut also turns it in the directionof the shore. "Tilt the mast to the leftand let your feet turn the board... thenstep over to the other side,"I hear Alistair shout from behind. If he wereme, he'd have turned the mast to theother side and slowly stepped to theback of the board to make it turn. ButI'm content just to see the board movingand I expose a little more of the sail.

Within minutes my little watercraftpicks up pace, about 30 kph, and I haveset off parallel to the shore of Singapore.I feel like one of those professional guyson TV, riding the wild surf. But I'm notin complete control yet, and I knowit.

The wind can drag me whereverit wants. Even as I'm wobbling onthe board trying to turn it andgive it a new direction, the mastjerks and goes out of control. Itdoesn't hurt me that I fall intothe water again. But it ispainful when the sail landsright on my head.

Endgame
Before I get back on,Alistair comes rumblingbehind me on hismotorboat, saying Ishould use the windto get the boat sailing.I try hismethod again,and this time itdoes work. I'msurfing at agood speedand I evenmanage tomake quick turns before letting go ofthe mast in fatigue.

The board slows down by the shoreand, just as I am about to alight, it givesa sudden jolt and throws me overboard.It is my umpteenth dip in the water andI'm really not amused. Alistair walksup to me from behind. "What did I teachyou before we entered water, the firstthing?" It hits me in bits. "Oh yeah.Alight when you're about five feet fromthe shore and drag the board all theway outside," I say. "So should we doonly the last bit again, then?

Wind surf in the city
H2O water sports offers lessons spreadover 7 sessions. Basic knowledge ofswimming is essential. Call: 23677546.Lamhe.com organises windsurfingexpeditions at a camp nearMahabaleshwar. Cost: Rs 20,000.Visit: www.lamhe.com for details.Windsurf in the Varasgaon Dam backwaters, 45 km from Pune with WindSports Pune.Email: parry@windsportspune.comNature Trails organises windsurfingcamps at the Tapola River over a periodof 2 days. Call: 022-66557777Go windsurfing in Goa. Get in touchwith the Goa Yachting Association at theDona Paula Beach Resort.Call: +91-8322453863/4

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