It’s almost like doing yoga in the water. Kneel on the board, place your paddle in front and gently stand up, legs apart, knees slightly bent, and balance. Now, skilfully slice your paddle through the water... there’s a technique for that too.
I listen as Murthy Megavan runs me through a set of instructions on the shore at Covelong Surf School. Once in the water, the board is a tad wobbly. At one point, it feels like standing on a water bed. A few minutes later, I am in the water.“It’s all right, you won’t learn unless you fall,” says Murthy, who’s been practising this sport since 2008. I sloppily clamber onto the board again and try my best to look at least a quarter as glamorous as Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson or Julia Roberts when they’re out stand-up paddleboarding (SUP).
A popular trend the world over, SUP is gradually gaining an audience here. With Sekar Patchai from Covelong representing India at Fiji, and six paddlers from the same school participating in Odisha, people are now curious about the sport.
“Of the handful that come for stand-up paddlling, we have one student who is trying to pursue it competitively. He made it to the semi-finals at the Covelong Surf Festival,” says Murthy.
“The reason it has had few takers all this while is because it’s not as attractive or adrenaline-pumping as surfing. Also because people had never heard of the sport,” says Showkath Jamal of Bay of Life surf school on ECR. The school introduced stand-up paddling in 2011. “Any human-propelled sport in India is a challenge. But, things are changing now. Meanwhile, this is the fastest-growing crossover sport in the world,” he adds.
Showkath learnt the sport in 2009 when April Zilg of the World Paddle Association visited ECR and taught them its nitty-gritty. In 2011, two teachers and a student from the school won the SUP category at the India Surf Pro Championship in Puri.
Showkath too first learnt surfing. And, what lured him to SUP is that it gave him unprecedented access to waterbodies, enabling him to explore seas, lakes and rivers.
“It’s recreational. You can go anywhere. You don’t need the wave or the wind, just water,” says 33-year-old Showkath. Since stand-up paddle is easier than surfing, it can be learnt within half an hour. You alsoe emerge scratch-free and can do it at any age.
The focus at Bay of Life is on bettering personal records. In 2015, instructor Selvam R. and student Kumaran Mahalingam paddled seven km into the sea and back, setting a Limca Record.
In June 2016, two more students, Siddharth Chandrashekar and Sri Krishnan, created another record by covering 35 km one way from Covelong to Marina. It took them five-and-a-half hours to complete the distance.
“I have been paddling for four years. You just keep getting better with every session. There is absolute freedom to explore. Sometimes, we get to see dolphins right next to us,” says Siddharth.
Since flat water is more conducive to stand-up paddling, Bay of Life takes its students to the quarries nearby for lessons. Covelong Point Surf School makes use of the river mouth at Muttukadu. “Enthusiasts come from Bangalore, Delhi and Chennai and stay here for 10 days to learn stand-up paddling,” says Showkath. At one point, only foreigners took up the sport here. The school did a lot of marketing online to change that and introduce women and kids to the sport. It encouraged people from the city to leisurely explore water bodies and lakes, where they could also see a lot of different species of birds.
“Now, we have at least four women who come every fortnight and around 10 children who practise every weekend,” adds Siddharth.
On learning, students buy their own boards and set out to explore new locations on their own. Some even travel with their own equipment. Prices start at Rs. 50,000 for inflatable boards and Rs. 90,000 for the rigid ones. “It’s an expensive sport, but not as much as golf or polo. All you need are a surf vest, quick-dry clothes and a waterproof pouch for a phone,” he says.
On long days into the sea, paddlers even take their lunch along with them. “We put our backpacks in a waterproof cover and carry our meals. We go free diving with these boards. Take them to a suitable point and dive in from there,” says Siddharth and adds, “One hour of paddling at a relaxed pace helps you burn 500-700 calories. An intense session will help you burn 1,300-1,400 calories.”
So, while it looks easy, it works wonders for your fitness. “By constantly trying to balance, you work your core. All the rowing defines your shoulders, wrists and arms,” says Mukesh Panjanathan, who started Mumu Surf School in Othawadi street in 2009. The 31-year-old, who belongs to a fishing family, grew up taking his catamaran to the sea. He had to balance the boat, and the stance was similar to what was required on a stand-up paddle board, making it easy for him. Like most others, Mukesh too started out with learning surfing from boards borrowed from others and against the gorgeous backdrop of the Shore Temple.
“Once they are strapped into a life jacket, even non-swimmers can conveniently stand-up paddle. This way, they can get over the fear of water and slowly learn to swim too,” he adds.
