Head to Virar to enjoy surfing

A bunch of surfing enthusiasts at the Mumbai Surf Club

For any lover of water sports, living in Mumbai poses the most frustrating challenge ever. Though gifted with a long coastline, stretching from Colaba to Gorai on the western shore and Mulund on the eastern shore, there's hardly any way to engage with the water. So, if you wanted to go scuba diving, your closest options are at Tarkarli or Goa. And the closest surf clubs, too, were in Goa. It was definitely not a regular weekend-break for the enthusiast.

Thanks to Suyash Rawat, a 32-year-old emergency medical practitioner, this break is now less than a two-hour train journey away. Take a train to Virar and then get into an auto-rickshaw for the 7-km ride to Rajori beach. In fact, Raut, who has been setting up the Mumbai Surf Club piece by piece since March, says the plan is to set up a space where people can pitch their tents, enjoy food at the cafe between the gruelling hours of negotiating the waves.

Founder Suyash Rawat riding the waves at Rajori Beach, Virar

Rawat, an open water swimmer, marathoner and triathlete, says he bought a surfboard a few years ago and hit the waves along the Virar coastline. However, it changed from a passion to a passion project after a trip to Kerala in March. There, while taking lessons from Krishna Lamani at the Kovalam Surf Club, he was introduced to the skills required. A few classes on, he and Krishna became friends. So much so, that when Rawat returned home, he scoured the coastline for waves and beaches that would be suitable for surfing. "I would send Krishna videos and photographs of the waves. Sometimes, I would surf and take videos of that as well and send it to him," he adds.

Instructor Krishna Lamani showing the moves

Rajori Beach, in Virar, which enjoys a kilometre-long stretch of grey sand, presented itself as the perfect place to start a surf club where beginners can start. Rawat points out that there are no currents here and because it's a sandy beach, it's safer for beginners. It's also what he calls a steady beach, i.e. the sea-bed doesn't drop suddenly and there are no rip tides. "We take beginners to waist-high waters, so it's safe for them," he adds.

What's interesting is that while surfing has completely shut down for the monsoons along the western coast, classes are still on at the Mumbai Surf Club. Rawat says it's because currently the Maharashtra authorities doesn't have regulations for the sport. "So, we gauge on a daily basis when the waters are safe to enter. In fact, in the monsoons, the sea is choppy and the frequency of waves is higher. This is a good space for beginners to learn," he adds.

Krishna Lamani

The club, which has a presence on social media, has already started attracting enthusiasts. Training is provided by Lamani, a Kovalam native who was trained under the study-to-surf programme by Belgian surfer, Jelle Rigole at the Kovalam Surf Club. In fact, Krishna, who was just five when he started surfing, was later helped by Rigole in getting an instructor's training course in Mangaluru. When Rawat called him here, Rigole even helped the two with contacts to find surfboards and figure other logistical details.

It's not easy-going. Finding good quality surf boards in India, where the sport is popular only in certain pockets and then among a very niche crowd, has been quite a challenge. It's why the rates are cheap. Rawat says they charge R750 per session which lasts 90 minutes. If you're a beginner, 90 minutes will keep you hungry for a whole day.

And, with the clouds looming over, what's a good time to go? Rawat says, give him a call a day prior to check for conditions, and if it's a thumbs-up from him, get on that train to Virar the next day.

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