Why Mumbai doesn’t ride the waves

Dreadlocks is the first thing we notice between the flashes of ocean sand and surfboards at Rajodi Beach 82 km and an Rs 250 rickshaw ride from the Virar stationMr Dreadlocks is Adil Damania an instructor with the Mumbai Surf Club established in 2018 Back then the shack was a local garbage dumping spot and a shipping container served as a changing roomDamania yells instructions to a nervously giggly group of three to four students lying on their stomachs on surfboards parked in the sand ldquoNow raise only your shoulders hold the board from the sides keep your legs stuck to the boardhelliprdquo Itrsquos not smooth sailing when one tries to do this on a wave More 20yearolds trickle in some struggle to stop their board from slipping from under their arms others fly past as if it were a mere extension of their armAmong the latter is Vaishali Ramesh who has been surfing on Rajodi Beach for almost three years ldquoI was born in Chennai but grew up in Delhirdquo says the banker from Andheri while sipping on nimbu paani ldquoWhen I moved here I didnrsquot know many people I was living in Airoli and would travel here on weekends Itrsquos been oneandhalf years since I moved to Andheri and I am very glad I did This place has all my free timerdquo The swell of a wave and the anticipation and elation to catch it releases dopamine Summer is considered the quintessential surfing season since the waves during this season are known to be at its peak thereby providing the perfect weather conditions to catch the waveAkshay Chuttar has been religiously renewing his instructing licence how often with the Surfing Association of India SAI itrsquos granted under the aegis of the International Surfing Association ISA headquartered in the mecca of surfing San Deigo CaliforniaThe certification requires five days of agility tests to assess how one handles a surfboard as well as the ability to rescue someone in danger The exams are usually held in different states ldquoSince the sport is pursued by very few in the country the certification process is not as stringent as in other countriesrdquo Chuttar says ldquoMost of us learn from other instructors You have to do some additional exercises for strength training to be in this career This is not common knowledgerdquoPreeti Rawat says that the surf school has taken all their savings as it is an expensive sport The surfboards alone cost up to Rs 30000This small community of surfers and instructors didnrsquot crop up overnightOne of the early birds was Prathmesh Matre a Virar resident who came to check out the club in 2019 ldquoI was very happy to have something more to do on weekends other than clubbingrdquo he says ldquoI had surfed before but there was no place for it in Mumbai I grabbed the opportunity with both handsrdquoMatre now a pro rents out a surfboard and heads to the Arabian Sea ldquoThis beach is great for beginners as the waves are only three to four feet high and there are no jagged rocks on the beach you could crash intordquo he saysPrathmesh Matre Shikha Dholakia Vaishali Ramesh and Akshay ChuttarIf things are so good why is the Mumbai Surf Club the only one aroundldquoBecause it takes effort to find a beach with surfing potentialrdquo says Preeti Rawat who founded the Club with spouse Suyash Rawat ldquoAnd knowledge to see that potential and patience to build a business around itrdquoSuyash a doctor by profession tested various beaches with his board before settling on this small section of Rajodi ldquoWe are the only licensed surf club in the cityrdquo says Preeti fourmonthold daughter Gaya on hip ldquoNo one else has taken the trouble to find a surfable beach and go through the red tape to acquire a licence from SFI and the Maharashtra Tourism Development CorporationrdquoAdil Damania Sujith Vikaraman Rammohan Paranjpe and KrishnaNot just a fledging hobby serious surfers feel the sport has the potential to boost tourism something the state should awaken to soon like Orissa Kerala and Goa have Like Raffael Kably who moved from Khar to Kerala for the waves and was the director of the Soul and Surf school in Varkala ldquoIn Maharashtra we have a bit of a challenge in tourismrdquo he says ldquoIf you go surfing in Goa Kerala and even Orissa there are hotels around and more importantly lifeguards Those who want to free surf on their own know a lifeguard will fish them out if they get pummelled by continuous wavesrdquoIt is no secret that most Indians do not know how to swim According to a 2020 report on Accidental Deaths amp Suicides in India ADSI 83 people died by accidental drowning in 2018 aloneKably a chef by profession moved back to Mumbai only last year Though he learned to ride the waves as a kid and is now in his late 30s he has never surfed in Mumbairsquos waters ldquoI wouldnrsquot know where to beginrdquo he shrugsFirst timers are taught how to balance themselves on a surfboard at RajodiSujith Vikraman who has been an instructor at Kallialay Surf School on Varkala Beach since 2009 found spots of surfing heaven in Kerala through trial and error ldquoWe would open Google Maps and drive down the Kerala coastrdquo he says ldquoWe tested the waves and found Varkala and Edava beaches where the waves have a perfect breaking pointrdquoHe says Maharashtrarsquos coastline holds a lot of potential ldquoThere are many rocks on the beachrdquo he says ldquowhich is good to break large waves Imagine a soup spilling out of a bowl with a high edge the splash will be higherrdquo But one opinion is that the waves in Maharashtra are favourable only in summerThe outlook towards running a surf school cannot be casual just because the nature of the sport is says Krishna A Karnataka native he started a surf school in Malwanrsquos Tarkarli Beach which he shut after two years ldquoOne board costs Rs 25000 to Rs 30000 each and you need 50 of them if you want to enough students to keep yourself afloatrdquo he says ldquoAlso until you tell people about your classes they wonrsquot know So you need a website and need to make enough noise on social media and hence be an expert in that toordquo says Krishna over the phone from Goa where he is currently teachingTo keep himself relevant and keep making money Krishna keeps moving state to state surf to surf He will finally settle down in Kolam Beach by peak summer ldquoOne needs to renew the surf school license every year That too entails serious expenses I couldnrsquot manage it all on my own and shut it down by the end of 2022rdquo he signs offSFI vicepresident and founding member Rammohan Paranjpe says one of the biggest factors that helps surfing take off anywhere is state support ldquoThere is either a lack of interest or knowhow by the Maharashtra Tourism Department about how to provide an environment conducive to surfingrdquo The area canrsquot just be about surfing but also be a place to relax eat and encourage nightlife ldquoMumbai water is generally extremely dirty and many people donrsquot want to surf there But there is a lot of potential in Maharashtra We just got a request to start a school in Dapoli we just conducted a survey and it looks doable It also means that whoever does start the school will need at least R20 lakhs and above and they wonrsquot break even for a few years Itrsquos tough finding business partners for these ventures because most people might not understand how surfing worksrdquo says Paranjpe adding that surf schools need to be run with those who are passionate about surfing as well as have a sound business sensemdasha tough combination in generalRawat concurs ldquoEven though this might look like fun and play it is finally a business and it is a surf school not a beachside cafe I get a lot of people who want to only come and chill here but unless they take a lesson I do not let them stay over in the dormsrdquo To break even the school has recently added two cottages and added a wooden roof to the common area and one of the instructors also takes yoga sessions for those who want to stretch before and after a surfing sessionRawat keeps food costs low by providing only finger food during the morning and asking visitors to order food in advance Lunch and dinner is cooked by Suyashrsquos parents who drive down with the food There are hardly any hotels around Rajodi which is one of the reasonrsquos says Rawat that causes difficultly in accessing the beachBut those who make the effort are reaping the benefits Shikha Dholakia waits for her chance at a wave ldquoI used to work in a very highstress jobrdquo says the marketing executive from Virar ldquoI got fed up quit and began my small firm from home I started to surf to do more with life than just kill time over the weekend I am still learning but I have waited two summers for these perfect wavesrdquo