Kite Surfing

What it is

Ride a board pulled by a power kite. Flat, shallow, steady-wind lagoons are what makes a kite spot, and Rameswaram island in Tamil Nadu has them on both sides, which is why India's kite schools are there.

When to go

Two seasons at Rameswaram: the south-west monsoon wind from about mid-May to September, and the north-east wind from December to mid-March. Schools move between the island's lagoons to stay on the windward side.

First time?

A beginner course is about three days (9 to 12 hours) under IKO-certified instructors, from kite control on land to the first rides. You need to be comfortable in water, but the lagoons are shallow enough to stand in.

Where to do it

• Rameswaram

  waist-deep flat lagoons, schools on the north and south shores