In Mumbay there are three yacht clubs, where it is possible to charter or hire boats. The Royal Mumbay Yacht Club is the biggest and best known. The other two clubs are the Colaba Sailing Club and the Bombay Sailing Association.
Among the favorite destinations for sailors are the Andeman and Nicobar archipelagos in the Bay of Bengal, and the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea off the west coast of India. The Andeman and Nicobar archipelagos consists of more than 500 islands. The islands are a part of India but geographically closer to Myanmar and Thailand. Many of the islands are uninhabited and the area is of immense natural beauty with forests leading down steep hillsides to rocks or beaches with white sand. Along the shores are fringing coral reefs where the ocean depths show their wealth of sea life. The Lakshadweep Islands are a coral reef paradise, with beautiful clear waters full of tropical fish and turtles.
For windsurfers, there are more opportunities. At many of the beach resorts you can hire the equipment. Goa is among the more popular destinations for windsurfers, winter months are best for the less experienced, but if you are looking for waves and howling winds, the best time is just before monsoon in the months of April and May. Pune has a number of picturesque lakes where you can go out windsurfing, like Pawna, Panshet, Muslhi and Khadakvasla. Equipment is available only at the Khadakvasla lake. Windsurfing on the crystal clear lakes is a unique experience. In Mumbay, the best sites for windsurfing are Cuffe Parade, Chaupate, Juhu and Marve. The Lakshadweep lagoons are excellent for windsurfing, but no equipment is available on any of the islands, so you will have to take your own boards on board the liners that sail between Cochin and the islands.
