National Sailing Club to begin camps at Lago Mar

“We’re bringing in tourism from all over Houston and beyond,” Man said. “That’s important for the area because it brings more business.”

Lago Mar partners with two hotels—both less than 5 miles from the lagoon—to offer discounted rates to out-of-town guests. These guests are often patronizing local restaurants and stores, shopping at the Tanger Outlets down the road, picking up souvenirs at the Texas City Buc-ee’s or taking a road trip to Galveston, Man said.

Private sailing lessons range from one hour to three hours of instruction. There are also camps for children and teens—where Man said participants learn specifically about safe operation of sailboats—as well as group learn-to-sail courses for adults and other topic-specific clinics. Private instruction starts at $100, and prices for other activities vary.

By perimeter, the lagoon is the largest of its kind in the country. This makes it the ideal size to enjoy water sports of all types, Man said, including the addition of regatta and sailing races in the future. The club is also working to add events to a members-only social calendar.

Learning to sail in a lagoon environment can also help assuage safety concerns, he added, because learners do not have to worry about marine life, large waves or rip currents as they would during open-water instruction.

“It's a pretty unique opportunity to see families learning how to use the water sports equipment,” Man said, noting how gratifying it is to see smiles on the faces of both children and parents. “Those types of memories and bonding experiences, they’re memories that are irreplaceable.”