Think you can only go windsurfing on the Gold Coast, in California, or Hawaii? Think again! If you want to try the popular sport, you can do so in the TUI BLUE Palm Garden and Sarigerme Park hotels on the Turkish coast. I gathered up all my courage and recorded my experience on a surfboard just for you.
All right, I admit it, yes: Somehow, I’ve always been a little clumsy. Balance is not really my forte, and regardless of whether I’m standing on shaky sports equipment or just on level surfaces, I constantly stumble over my own feet. Windsurfing was something entirely new for me, so I felt a bit queasy as I walked, clad in a swimsuit and with my towel under my arm, along the beach. Had I bitten off more than I could chew? From afar I see are the boards with their colorful sails on fine pebbles, which are washed up on the light waves. I recognized the surf instructor – he stood next to a young man and was gesturing with his arms. Approaching the two, I asked: “Am I in the right place for the surf lesson?” There was no turning back now!
Windsurfing: A question of balance
The surfing teacher nodded. He told me I should just watch once while he was with the other student in the water practicing the wind surfing exercises – surfing with sails. The sea is very fast very deep at this point of the Turkish Riviera, so the teacher and student only paddled a few meters out. With experienced strokes, the surf instructor maneuvered his own board and that of his pupil with a paddle to a suitable position in the water. The young man had already stood up on his surfboard and was attempting to pull the sail attached to the surfboard up with a thick rope. He almost managed to grab the pole, but he lost his balance and slipped off the board into the water.
A little later, I was in a similar situation – I wobbled on the slippery surfboard with shaky knees and tried my best to keep my balance. The surf teacher gave me instructions: Put your feet left and right of the mast foot, bend your knees, stretch out your arms, and flex your abs – all at the same time. I tried to slowly pull the sail to myself, but also without success. I sank into the water and fell in briefly before I could cling onto the surfboard and try to climb on again.
Proper surfing technique leads to success
And then finally I got it: After what felt like a small eternity, and several dives, I was reasonably stable on the surfboard, with arms outstretched holding the sail. Carefully, I changed my footing and turned the head in the direction I wanted to go. The wind pressed lightly against the sail and I went forward a few meters, regulating the buoyancy of my body weight. I was surfing! Woohoo!
After my success, I wanted to spend the whole afternoon learning windsurfing. This kind of sport is incredible fun and it keeps you fit, by the way, because you activate almost all the muscle groups of the body just keeping the sail balanced. No wonder all surfer boys and girls are so fit! 😉 But it also depends on the proper technique and, of course, you should know also the rules and regulations for emergency situations in the water and how to respond properly, just in case.
The trial lesson was over for today. My instructor gave me two thumbs up and invited me to the intensive course for surfing beginners the next day. Unfortunately, my stay at the TUI BLUE hotel was coming to an end and I could only take one course before leaving. When I come back the next time, I will definitely surf again!
By the way, for the introductory course in wind surfing or other water sports activities, you can register easily with the BLUE App .