Despite cities in Tamil Nadu having an expansive coastline studded with beautiful beaches, only a handful explore water sports. Many of the active open water swimmers come from Karnataka and Goa. Although surfing and kayaking have grown in popularity, other water sports are yet to see an uptick. However, since the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, there has been a small yet steady rise in the number of swimmers looking to go beyond the four edges of the pool, jumping into quarries, lakes and the big blue sea. With adequate safety measures, these enthusiasts are looking to improve their fitness while also getting a front row seat to the many wonders of Nature. The Hindu's Sanjana Ganesh headed to Kovalam, or Covelong, for an open water swimming lesson. Murthy Megavan, the founder of Murthy Surf School, talks about the dos and don'ts of open water swimming, the different types the waves, safety precautions, and much more. Dive in. Reporting: Sanjana Ganesh Video: Thamodharan Bharath and Johan Sathyadas Producer: Shiva Raj Thank you for watching our video! You can subscribe to our channel here: https://bit.ly/3c8Adi6 Visit https://www.thehindu.com/ for the latest updates, analysis, opinions, and more. You can also download our apps: Android: https://bit.ly/3nboBEi iOs: https://apple.co/3EDCwt4 The Hindu is committed to keeping you up-to-date with information on the developments in India and the world. We promise to deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda. You can support us by subscribing to our digital offerings here: https://bit.ly/3emywiz Follow us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_hindu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_hindu/ #swimming #oceanswim #covelong #kovalam #chennai