A novel combination of two watersports is making popular waves with visitors to the shores of Windermere.
English Lakes Hotels Resorts & Venues, which runs the Watersports Centre at Low Wood Bay, has been working with new venture Wake on the Bay to offer tuition in ‘wakesurfing’, the 2021 season’s ‘must-try’ water sport.
The exhilarating activity requires a short surfboard, about 1.5 m long, plus a specialist wakesurfing boat, tow rope and buoyancy aid for safety. The surfer starts off as a waterskier or wakeboarder would do, holding on to the tow rope as the boat accelerates. Once upright and ready, the surfer discards the rope and that’s when the fun begins.
Edward Grey from Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa explains: “As the Mastercraft sports boat generates a wake that mimics the ocean in a controlled and consistent way, it allows the surfer to work the wave and develop their surfing skills and style, adding different moves, jumps and tricks.
“Wake on the Bay is an exciting opportunity to share my passion for this sport with others, and indeed bring what’s usually an ocean based activity inland!”
Edward has a wealth of watersports experience gathered from all over the world. He grew up learning to sail and race boats at the Royal Windermere Yacht Club, which led to sailing with team GB at Junior and Youth level and opened up opportunities to race sailing dinghies all over the world at World Championship level.
He became a dinghy sailing instructor before training as a senior sailing, waterskiing and wakeboarding instructor. He learned to surf whilst in Australia where he also coached a school sailing team which won the Queensland State Championships and secured a bronze at the Australian Schools National Championships.
For further information about the Watersports Centre at Low Wood Bay, or to book a wakesurfing session, call 01539 439 441 or visit https://englishlakes.co.uk/low-wood-bay/watersports/ Sessions include wetsuits and buoyancy aids, so all participants need to bring is swimming gear and a towel.