Thirty kilometres across the Palk Strait from Rameswaram temple lies Kathadi North, a boutique hotel offering a unique blend of adventure, environment and comfort. Located at Pirappanvalasai village in Ramanathapuram district, it is run by Quest Adventure Sports Academy that offers courses in scuba diving, kitesurfing, sea kayaking, snorkelling, swimming, and stand-up paddling. The academy’s windsurfing chapter in Rameswaram kicked off when Jehan Driver, a passionate kitesurfer who started the academy in 2011 (it was called Quest Expeditions then), began his own quest along India’s East coast for good quality water and strong winds.
“My heart settled on Rameswaram because of the Gulf of Mannar with its pristine water and islands,” says the 42-year-old who moved to the town from Mumbai in 2014. “Setting up base at a place with good geography and community made sense to me,” he adds.
Kathadi isn’t just a place to lounge by the beach and soak in the sunlight. People from across India as well as from Europe such as France come here to learn to dive and sail. The name ‘Kathadi’ refers to the windmills that encircle the property and also the wind that drives the sails of windsurfers and kitesurfers. Every weekend since 2018, the academy has been holding free training sessions as part of its WaterBabies programme.
The programme, which has trained over 100 children from nearby villages, aims to equip local youth with water sports skills and create awareness about possible career options, as well as teach them about sustainability in the marine industry and environmental conservation. Last year, the local WaterBabies won 21 medals in SUP and kayaking at a national event held at the academy. For Jehan and the local community, it was a proud moment.
Palk Bay is a unique sheltered bay on the northern shore of the Rameswaram peninsula. It is blessed with six months of lake-like conditions that make it ideal for scuba diving and snorkelling, while South-West winds batter the southern coast.
People from across India as well as from Europe such as France come here to learn to dive and sail.
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“On a good day, we have visibility of up to 15 metres and on bad days, up to five, which is excellent by the standards of mainland India,” Jehan notes. Palk Bay offers an opportunity to explore its seagrass meadows, coral reefs and macro marine life while learning and growing through water sports.
Every Sunday, locals from Pirappanvalasai, aged between eight and 17, dive into the water for a few hours of training
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As part of the WaterBabies sessions, every Sunday from 10am to noon, locals from Pirappanvalasai, aged between eight and 17, dive into the water for a few hours of training in sea kayaking or stand-up paddling. Following this, Quest’s 12 guides conduct a wide range of awareness sessions from 3pm to 5pm, from the sports tourism industry to sustainable fishing.
However, the kids already have more prowess than one may think.
“Most of these children go fishing for squid in the morning, on makeshift thermocol rafts they built themselves. Little do they know that the same movements coupled with technical gear and their natural understanding of currents and the sea can fetch medals,” explains Jehan
“What I love is their enthusiasm, and also the outcome. Everyone loves winning medals. Moreover, a few youngsters have taken up competitive sports, while some want to be instructors. Out of the seniors who continued with the programme, over 70% have taken up jobs in the adventure sports industry,” he explains.
Jehan Driver, a passionate kitesurfer, started the academy in 2011
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Special arrangement
Reefs and biodiversity in the Palk Bay are affected by many environmental concerns. “Last year, we started noticing changes in the weather patterns, including heat waves in April and May. Heat waves bleach the corals and, along with mechanised fishing, exemplify the effects of human interference in the bay,” Jehan notes.
He has also taken matters into his own hands and engaged in reef reconstruction and artificial reef-building to heal the bay. These reefs, made from concrete, calcite and corals, are built one nautical mile offshore from the Rameswaram coasts and cost approximately ₹25,000 per unit. These reefs play a vital role in reversing and controlling the effects of human activities in the bay.
With its thatched-roof cottages, meals of freshly-caught fish awaiting one after every dive or dip in the sea, and a team of locals and experts that call the sea their home, Kathadi is not just a place to vacation. It is a space of learning, conserving and growing — for oneself and the environment.
For details about the academy, visit quest-asia.com, call 8657195551
Published – July 23, 2025 11:03 pm IST
