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Goa Sports
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Goa Water Sports
The fabulous golden Goan coast is sprinkled with water
sports ranging from windsurfing to paragliding. John
Lucas, an Englishman, who first came to Goa in the 1970
on a spiritual journey, found his heaven here in Goa.
Being a keen windsurfer, the next time he came back to
Goa, he had with him, his board and rig. And the trend
for water sports in Goa was set. Today there
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are various
water based sports and activities available in Goa. The best
season for enjoying water sports in Goa is from October to
May.
Dinghy Sailing
A pleasant change from windsurfing is dinghy sailing, often
referred as ‘beer and sandwich’ sailing. With the winds in Goa,
so gentle most of the time, this particular sport offers its
participants much time to relax. Dinghies are available for
hire at the Cidade de Goa and the Taj Holiday Village.
Instructors are available for beginners. These 15-odd feet
long crafts hold three to four people comfortably. The Zuari
estuary at Dona Paula is an excellent learning area. With two
sails and side decks to sit upon, dinghy sailing is as much
fun as windsurfing and it is not necessary to be either agile
or youthful to enjoy this form of sailing.
Scuba Diving
Scuba diving is also fast gaining popularity. Underwater
visibility in the more tranquil of Goa’s bays and lagoons
ranges between five to ten meters. Although Goa does not have
magnificent coral reefs, but it boasts of myriad schools of
fascinating marine life. Attractive coral heads, lobsters,
bright colored fish, and other marine life can be conveniently
explored in the shallow waters. There are even a few wrecks
dating to colonial Portuguese and British times to explore
underwater. |
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Windsurfing
Windsurfing is a unique blend of surfing and sailing,
which requires the surfer to adjust his strength and
balance to the changing patterns of wind and water. To
the expert who has honed himself in all these nuances,
windsurfing can indeed be an exhilarating experience.
Windsurfing trainers and experts alike claim Dona Paula
bay to be the ideal location for the beginners. The
prevailing winds and the calm sea, |
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ensure almost
lake-like conditions. The morning breeze is light and steady —
just right for learners; while stronger winds that set in
during the afternoons offer a perfect challenge for the more
experienced.
Water Skiing
For the speed-lovers Goa offers the thrills of venturing into
the sea on speedboats. The high-class speedboats which are
available in some places, can achieve speeds of up to 30-40
miles an hour. These crafts, which can carry between six to
eight people, are available at the Cidade de Goa, Bogmallo
Beach Resort, and Taj Hotels. They can be conveniently used
for sightseeing as well as water-skiing.
Angling
The beaches of Goa offer a varied and plentiful, almost
inexhaustible, supply of seafood, still fairly cheap and
absolutely fresh. The Agonda beach in Canacona, which lies a
short distance from the more famous Palolem beach is a popular
spot for angling. Soormai, salmon and mullet are frequent
catches. |
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Parasailing
High fliers can opt for parasailing. Both the Taj and
Bogmallo Resort hotels provide the necessary equipment
for this enthralling sport. There’s a rope about 300
feet long attached to the parasail harness at one end
and to the speedboat at the other. When the boat speeds
off on the water, the parasailor just takes one or two
steps and he is lifted into the air, the parasail
lifting behind him.
Water Scooter
Water scooters accommodate two people on a ride. This
action sport provides all the thrills of a motorbike
with the softness of an ocean instead of hard tar road
beneath the feet. They are readily available at Dona
Paula jetty, Cidade de Goa, Majorda, and Candolim beach.
Swimming |
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The most common water sport is swimming.
The waters around the Goan beaches are warm and almost always
safe. Swimming can be enjoyed by the young, the old, the
infirm, the affluent and the budget travellers alike. There are
life guards at all Goan beaches. |
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