In their elements

The vacation season is under way and despite the scorching sun, many adrenalin junkies are heading to the East Coast Road (ECR) to try out a range of adventure activities – from wind surfing, kayaking, surfing, jet skiing and even paramotoring and paragliding.

The ornate gopuram of Mamallapuram’s famous Shore Temple towers over the beach, forming a perfect backdrop on a sultry evening, as a group of people try balancing on a surf board, propelled by the waves.

Mumu aka Mukesh, a surfer and an instructor, is explaining the mechanism of handling the board, as the sun is fading out slowly. The East Coast is dotted with surf shops, as the sport has become increasingly popular over the years – drawing not only expats but also a sizeable local crowd. 

“With the sweltering heat, the beach is the place where most people would head to cool. Earlier, people were afraid of the ocean, but now, that is starting to change. People want to take a break from usual activities like watching movies and with four surfing competitions happening here, the sport has grown in popularity. 

On an average, we would get around 20-25 people surfing on the beach, on a weekend. When I started, there were one or two people only. Now, the season has just started and the waves are pleasant – an ideal time for people who want to learn the sport. The season will pick up and go on till September,” he said, adding that a session costs Rs 1,300, inclusive of an ISA-certified instructor and surfboards.  

Apart from surfing, a range of adventure sport activities has sprung up on the ECR.

At Kovalam, the Surf Turf offers lessons in surfing, stand-up paddling, kayaking, wind surfing and soon, kite surfing will be introduced. Divya Pandurangam, who runs Surf Turf, said that kayaking has become increasingly popular. “While we have a lot of children and adults coming for week-long surfing lessons, more people are now trying out kayaking. Since most of these activities are done post-noon or early in the morning, the heat is not really a huge factor. 

We also have wind-surfing, which started as Arun Vasu, the head of TT group who began Surf Turf, was passionate about ocean sports and wanted to popularise it,” she said, adding that the burgeoning surfing scene is drawing many surfers from other countries. 

Bay of Life, another outlet on ECR, offers not just kayaking experiences but also provides training in swimming in the ocean, with expert instructors.

Thrill time: Fancy riding a jet ski? On ECR, you could do that too. Satya B, owner of Beach Adventures, said that people are exploring adventure sports. “We have 1,000 cc jet skis, which people can ride. In addition, we also have something called floater, where three people lie down on a float and are taken for a ride with a jet ski. Most people are afraid of the ocean. However, we take all precautions, including life vests and an instructor is always present during the ride, which lasts for five or 10 minutes. In addition, we also offer ATV rides on the beach, which is popular among families,” 

he said. 

A little beyond Kovalam, those who love the adrenaline rush of challenging the elements, can try out paramotoring, a tandem flying experience. “People can fly anywhere between 500 to 1,000 feet above sea level, along with a pilot,” said Mani Kannan of Aero Sports Association. “We are the first in Tamil Nadu to offer these services. A flight lasts for 10-15 minutes and depends on the weather conditions. With summer and holidays, we are receiving a lot of responses on our website. There are many takers for paramotoring, but currently, we offer flights only during weekends. Soon, we will start operating during the weekdays too,” he said. 

The various  skill and dexterity-testing activities attract a steady crowd, both during the weekdays and weekends