Sea Rafting in Goa

Goa beach

After tasting success with white water rafting in the Mhadei river basin, the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC)-Southern Water Adventures wants to start sea rafting in the state. This will be the first such exercise in India, John Pollard, managing director, Southern Water Adventures, told us on Tuesday.  It will be first introduced at Vagator beach in North Goa during the upcoming tourist season.

A senior GTDC official confirmed to us the corporation’s intention of starting the venture.  The official said GTDC is trying to tie up with web portals to market its products, such as white water rafting, hot air ballooning, scuba driving as well the proposed new activity. “Two or three rounds of meeting have been held with the managements of these portals,” he said.

Though trials have already been conducted at Vagator beach, permissions from the fisheries department and Captain of Ports are awaited, said Pollard. “We should able to go ahead with the project once the permissions are issued,” he said.

Asked about the difference between white water rafting and sea rafting, Pollar said, while the former starts at the highest point in the river basin with rafters descending along the flow of the river covering a certain distance, sea rafters will ride on waves moving towards the shore, giving water sports enthusiasts an experience similar to that of sea surfing.

While white water rafting in the Mhadei basin is about a 2.5 to 3-hour experience, covering a distance of about 10 km, it is yet to be known how much distance will be covered under sea rafting. Pollard said rafts used for white water rafting can be used in the sea as well, though smaller rafts can also be used in the sea. This year, the tourism corporation had tied up with an adventure sports video company to capture rafting experience through personalised videos on the same day.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/in-a-first-for-india-state-govt-plans-to-introduce-sea-rafting-at-vagator/articleshow/65878764.cms

FaLang translation system by Faboba