I AM no stranger to being in the freezing cold water off of Ardrossan and Irvine beaches as part of the Wild Sea Women Ayrshire and had been intrigued about paddleboarding by some of the dippers.

I booked myself and a friend a lesson with Ayrshire Paddle Sports. A new and exciting company operating from Ardrossan North Beach, and Bookers Pond in Irvine on choppier or more inclement days.

I didn’t sleep too well the night before with a mix of excitement and trepidation but Lynsey and Lewis were really welcoming and immediately put me at ease with their friendliness.

As we got started, Lynsey fully explained the paddle board and some techniques before we even hit the water.

We pulled our paddle boards into the sea, which actually felt quite balmy in our wetsuits. We were coached how to firstly kneel and paddle, before standing and turning.

Although it was difficult to keep balance, I felt standing on the board was not too difficult perhaps thanks to my regular yoga practice.

However, over the course of my two hour lesson I felt everything in my body getting sore and tired – my toes, my ankles, my core, my shoulders, my back, my wrists and fingers. I was tired and it was getting harder to focus and concentrate. My movements got slower. What a work out!

Lynsey was keen to teach us how to fall off and mount our paddle board safely. This was my biggest challenge, the fear falling into the sea despite our buoyancy aid and being attached to our board.

I understand this as a mental barrier of letting go of control. I also did not want to get my hair wet. I slithered into the sea gently but managed to mount the board again from the water with ease.

The feeling on the water was incredible. Drifting along the sea being able to peer to bottom of the crystal clear water, we even saw a star fish. Although don’t look down too often as you’ll fall in. Looking ahead and above I noticed the birds skimming over the water, took in with awe Arran in her splendour, and gazed at the blue sky and fluffy clouds.

I was undecided about purchasing a board as they can fairly expensive, but I bit the bullet splashing out on a mid-range board for our continued adventures.

Find out more at ayrshirepaddlesports@hotmail.com.