Windsurf challenge was a breeze

Having participated in many sports that involve the ability to stay upright, I rocked up to Element Watersports in Tauranga with few worries.

The water in the bay was still warm, it was a sunny day, and there was just the right breeze. How hard can it be? Just stand up, hold on, steer.

Well, I'm not going to lie, those three things in conjunction are not what I would call simple tasks.

Windsurfing - challenge accepted. Luckily I had been taken out for a sail with Luke prior to my attempts to stay upright on a very wide, and apparently easy-to-balance-on board.

Inside a boat is a much easier way to learn how the wind and sail work together.

Having never been sailing before, with a laughable lack of sailing knowledge, I was pleasantly surprised at how relaxing, yet engaging, it was.

My battle with the centreboard was somewhat comical - it just crept up and refused to stay down and do its job of assisting steering. I am proud I now know what a centreboard is (the middle rudder-like piece that gets pushed down, but can move back up so it does not scrape along the ground).

Once we returned to shore, I felt relaxed and ready to tackle windsurfing.

I no longer believe in my sense of balance. I did only fall off once, but the near misses were a little more than I'd like to admit.

While the patience of the instructor must be commended, I have a whole new appreciation for the windsurfers I see flicking their weight around the waves.

Thankfully I was in a calm bay, because just learning how to position the sail, where to put my feet, how to make it turn, and how to stay upright during all those things was a challenge without waves.

I am proud to say I did manage to make it turn and go forward with little disaster.

I'd certainly recommend the day sailing and windsurfing to anyone who enjoys a relaxed challenge and getting out and about without the pressure to perform. Most definitely a great one for people wanting to improve balance!

You can check out Element Watersports at www.elementswatersports.co.nz.