Go Kayaking!

Kayaking is a great form of sport, exercise and a stress buster!

- Aishwarya P Vaidya

I wanted to conquer my fear of waves – cymophobia – by taking a lesson in a water sport.

And so, I landed at H20 Water Sports Adventure Centre, Girgaon beach, Mumbai, where Pradip Patade, a kayaker, sailor, windsurfer, standup paddler, canoer, swimmer and Chief Coach, Rae Sport Academy (a Mumbai based adventure sports company), took me under his wings to get me started in kayaking.

I was given a sit on top kayak, usually used by beginners, and an easy paddler. Patade briefed me about the kayaking techniques. He asked me to sit in the seat with knees comfortably bent. (If the legs are too straight, there will be a strain on your lower back. If the knees are bent too far, you may end up knocking your knee caps when you paddle.) He also told me about the correct way to hold the paddle.

I was then asked to wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD), also referred to as a life jacket, and I was all set to launch my kayak in the sea. Scared yet excited, I mustered the courage to walk towards the shore with an optimistic approach of conquering my fear of the waves.