Learning to ride the waves

FOR someone whose only swimming experience so far is being pushed into a pool in Hawar, I balked when my editor suggested I attend the surf school at the Wahooo! water park.

It felt more like I had lead weights in my stomach than butterflies when I saw the roaring Flow Rider, which was incidentally running only on half its speed!

I decided that I was going to float down the Lazy River first and talk to some of the other students, but little did I know that I would be persuaded to change my mind.

Seeing so many others (including one of them a mum!) much older and brave enough to take the ultimate plunge convinced me to go for it.

I came across Naikita, my instructor, as someone you could really bank on to help you ride the waves.

Handling the surfboard, which I thought would be rocket science, was made simple as she explained how with every twitch you can have a different wave experience.

My first try was frightening because I thought I was drowning towards the end, but the feel of the current was good and I plucked up the courage to go for it a second time.

Although I lost the board both times I didn't really have to hold on to dear life as the water wasn't very deep and the force of the waves brings you ashore anyway.

Moreover, the place is manned by lifeguards trained by the UK Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) to help if things go wrong.

The water maintained at tropical temperatures throughout made the surfing experience all the more pleasurable.

After 15 minutes of being soaked, I got to dry myself in a body dryer, which looked like something out of a Star Trek movie.

Although I really have no love for water or water sports for that matter, my mini-adventure and the passion I saw exuberated by the students really inspired me to take up surfing sometime in the future.

Special thanks to Wahooo! operations manager Tom Scheffer, assistant operations manager Susan Clark, Naikita and other surfers for making the experience a little less scary.

Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group

'Learning to ride the waves', Gulf Daily News, March 21, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

Taking the plunge! (News)

WOULD-BE surfers took the plunge at the Wahooo! water park in Bahrain yesterday as the Middle East's first indoor surf school opened for business.

Six people have already signed up for the first five-week course, which includes seven-and-a-half hours of training per week.

Among those who hopped aboard was first-time surfer Diane Shutte.

"The Middle East is the last place you would associate with surfing, but when I heard about the course I immediately signed up for it," said the 27-year-old.

"The instructors are very good and I would recommend it to anybody."

Bahraini mum Sana Boumlaough, 26, was also keen to make a splash.

"I'm really looking forward to completing the course to become an accomplished surfer," she told the GDN.

"I visit Wahooo! often with my husband and four-year-old daughter to try out new rides or just float down the Lazy River.

"I've also convinced my friend Eman Yadini to join me in the classes."

Moroccan Hisham Maare, the youngest of the students at 21 and the only one with any surfing experience, was keen to get back in the groove.

"I would surf in the Mediterranean back in my native Morocco and when I saw a billboard advertising the surf school, I joined in because I missed the waves," he said.

Indian Swaroop Raj, 29, was also part of the first batch of students, whose ages ranged from 21 to 32.

"It's the perfect work out and for me it's the best way to relax on an off day," he said.

"The instructors too are very nice and try their best not to make surfing look difficult for beginners."

In the first and second classes, the Flow Rider wave machine is kept running on two pumps and students are left to experience the challenge of the waves.

In the third, fourth and fifth weeks, more pumps are activated so that they can improve their skills and perform tricks such as the 360 degree spins.

All instructors were trained by the Flow Riding surf team, which was specially flown in from South Africa.

Thrill

Its members included 2009 International Flow Boarding Championships (IFC) winner Wesley Fischer, South African competitive body board champion and IFC team member Billy Tennant and wakeboarding specialist Matt Lammers.

"It's a little different surfing out in the open ocean to doing it in a wave simulator but the thrill of the big waves is the same," said instructor Naikita Van Huyssteen.

Wahooo! operations manager Tom Scheffer said as demand for the classes increased plans were in place to run classes on Fridays too.

The course, open for everyone above the height of 1.2 metres, culminates with a Big Barrel Bash where the students will show off their skills.

Experienced surfers can also be part of the April 25 event, taking place from 7-10pm after going through a rigorous assessment.

For more information or to enrol, call 17173000 or visit www.wahooo.com.bh.

Copyright 2010 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group

'Taking the plunge!',Gulf Daily News, March 21, 2010, Jennifer Gnana

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