WIGHT WATER - HOW IT STARTED…

Wight Water has evolved over 40 years. A family run business providing the very best in water sports tuition, with the latest equipment, plus experienced and highly experienced staff.

In 1982 South Wight Borough Council put all its deckchair and beach hut sites up for tender. Ceri Williams won the bid for Dunroamin Beach mid way along the sea wall between the twin resorts of Shanklin and Sandown, fighting off competition from a host of multi national companies.

Ceri was into canoeing and brother Ian was taught to windsurf by his future wife Jill. In 1984 they formed a partnership with Ceri putting his Palm Surfski into the business and Ian putting his Wayler Ypsi and his wife's Surf Partner UFO into it (boards which today are antiques or museum pieces). Thus was Wight Water Adventure Sports bornThey bought two secondhand Hawke Surf Catamarans and borrowed canoes from Wight Aquatics and began hiring equipment off the beach. Meanwhile they continued to operate a deckchair and beach hut site. With groups beginning to book they took the plunge and went and saw a nice man at the bank wearing their very best clothes and careful not to say words like 'bollocks' which the bank manager probably wouldn't understand.

Having successfully mortgaged their houses, parent's house, parent's investment bonds and swept up any loose change lying around they spent a stash on new stores, changing rooms and equipment buying Palm Waveriders, Pyranha Freestyle kayaks and Mystere Pulsar windsurfers (anybody remember what a heap of junk they were?!) plus loads of wetsuits.

Between 1988 (I think) and 1994 they ran Wight Rescue, a lifeguard and rescue boat service under contract to the Council. Meanwhile Ceri had clawed his way to the dizzy heights of BCU Senior Instructor and Ian to the revered, even hallowed position of RYA Windsurfing Trainer.

These were busy times and they set up a shop in Orchardleigh Road, Shanklin, then some years later another in Cowes. By now they were getting too cocky by half and demanded more money from the bank to build concrete beach huts, a store and boat park. Ross Williams learnt to windsurf at Wight Water and Ian took them and friends to the Nationals at Weymouth each year. Highlights of the Nationals include Aaran lofting his golf ball on the pitch and putt course into a crowded car park, Ross's manic display of driving on the go-karts, and the annual attempt to get them all thrown out of the swimming pool in a record time. Oh - they also did quite well in the windsurfing too.

Sadly Ian and Ceri are no longer with us. Offshore Sports is know as Earth, Wind & Water, the retail part of the business is in the hands of Aaron Williams. Wight Water the watersports business is with Ceri's stepson Scott Gardner. Ross Williams runs Tradewinds Beach Cafe, and Jill Williams still runs the beach huts.