WindsurfingUK issue 5 October 2017 | Page 68

66TRAVEL SOUTH AFRICA Ragged coastline Langebaan, located just an hour and a half drive up the ragged coastline from Cape Town, is a favourite with locals for slow weekend escapes filled with sand and sea, and provides a great stop for travellers making their way up the coast to Namibia. Luckily, for those who know of it, the tranquil Langebaan lagoon is often overlooked, or unheard of, by overseas tourists who flock to iconic Cape Town in the summer months. But windsurfers be warned – missing out on this little South African gem would be a huge mistake! The tranquil Langebaan lagoon provides an expanse of crystalline flat water, surrounded by a verdant national park and a quaint fisherman’s village with amazing restaurants and vibrant bars and coffee shops. In the South African summer months between November and March, the wind blows a consistent 15-25 knots. Combined with warm weather and sunshine filled days, you have the perfect conditions for getting into the sport. uk WIND SURFING The centre in Langebaan is stocked with all the latest equipment and the buoyant beginner’s board with its tiny centreboard made stabilising myself super simple My dad, whose old windsurf board still sits in the garage of my childhood home, had warned me what a frustrating and tiring experience learning to windsurf had been for him and I was nervous to say the least. The first part of my introduction to the sport including learning about the wind direction and the angle of the sails – something we zoomed through pretty quickly considering my sailing background. Trying aimlessly Then it was on to the water. Having attempted to windsurf once, with no instruction, I knew that it was easy enough to get on the board, have the sail pulled up for me, and zoom off in one direction – but turning