Windsurfing is one of the most exhilarating and challenging workouts you’ll ever find.  

The last time I tried it was when I was 16 years old in Naples, Fla., and I was frightened off the sport after being accosted by two giant manatees.

This time around, I’m on Cherry Beach in the Port Lands meeting with Max Robinson and Roy Itzhaki, instructors at the Toronto Windsurfing Club.

After I arrive, I’m given the rundown of the equipment … mast, sail, board … check! Robinson explains the basic sailing concepts, seamanship and water safety.

The club’s adult beginner lessons  are open to anyone 18 years of age or older with basic swimming ability.

The lesson focuses on hauling up the board’s sail and steering, followed by learning to tack and gybe, which are sailing terms for turning around by heading into or away from the wind.

Beginners also learn about rigging (a term for putting the sail, mast and boom together and attaching it to the board), launching and landing.

The instructor walks you through all the basics while on the sand and allows you to get familiar with the windsurf board.

Next, I spend some time on a dry-land simulator, and then I am ready.

To windsurf, I have to maintain the correct stance and balance on the board while holding the sail in the right position to move forward and steer. The workout focuses on your arms, shoulders, core and thighs, and there’s not much cardio involved in recreational windsurfing.

It’s exhilarating to take your windsurf board into the water for the first time. Catching the wind and allowing the sail to carry you over the water just takes your breath away.

The instructors follow you in a boat, and it is very safe to windsurf in Lake Ontario. Especially since you don’t have to worry about manatees or sharks, which is nice.

“Every time I get off the water, I seem to be smiling, and to be able to share that feeling with such a nice group of people is amazing,” says Robinson. 

Members have access to the clubhouse, lockers and change rooms. Students in the lesson program also have access to wetsuits, life-jackets and windsurfing equipment.

The Toronto Windsurfing Club also offers the only specialty youth windsurfing camp in Ontario where kids can learn to windsurf, get fit and have fun.

“It’s worth a try. There’s nothing like coasting across the water on a windsurfer,” says Robinson who discovered the sport at age 11.

Windsurfing is one of the hottest Summer Olympics sports, so this August, you can see how the pros do it in Rio.