37 Windsurfing
Docklands Watersports Centre, London
Enjoyment - 85%
Success - 60%
Will try again - Yes
First timer’s recommendation – Practice somewhere like the Docklands Watersports Centre first, then head out on the sea, maybe somwhere like Poole or Portland Harbour. The board is steadier than you would first think.
I’ve tried surfing, and I’ve tried sailing, with mixed success, so I thought I would combine the two, and chose the Docklands Watersports Centre, mainly because it was only half an hour away from the office. What was good about the centre is that they show you where the gear is, the bloke gives you a two minute explanation and away you go. I have learnt through the year that I don’t respond well to group lessons and tuition, and so to be given free rein to try a new sport was perfect. There were people out on SUPs, dinghy’s, kayaks and dragon boats, and the prices there are reasonable, and if you can overlook the crisp packets and coke cans in the water then it’s a good location for learners.
The first thing you notice is that the board is a lot sturdier than you would expect; more like a stand up paddleboard than a surfboard, so any worries about immediately falling into the crystal clear Thames water subsided pretty early. This was one of the first new sports I had tried that I picked up quickly. My previous attempts at surfing and sailing both came in handy as you need the balance from one and the positioning of the sail from the other. Moving with the wind behind you is fairly straightforward, it is going against the wind where it become trickier, and you have to tack in the same way as you would a dinghy or sailing boat. The wind died down towards the end of the session so I had to drag the gear back in by swimming back to the jetty, but I enjoyed it enough to want to try again in stronger winds and more open water next summer.
