Summer is finally in full swing, and so are the sweltering temperatures. Whether you live two miles or 2000 miles from the nearest body of water, the urge to go may grow stronger as the days grow longer. After all, nothing beats the heat and defines the season quite like the combo of sand and surf.
Many people also enjoy adding sports to that mix, especially those that you play in or on the water. If you want to shake things up this season, trying out one or more watersports can be rewarding and thrilling. Here are a few that are worth doing at least once.
Swimming
When we call swimming a watersport, we do not mean the simple wading to which you may be accustomed. We are talking about serious swimming, with proper form and long distances. You do not need any equipment, though goggles and appropriate attire may make you more comfortable. All you need is strength, stamina, and the ability to hold your breath.
As with any watersport, drowning is a danger when swimming. Humans were not meant to go out to sea. We still do, though, so we must do it carefully. The most important piece of advice to keep in mind is that however far you swim out from the shore, you will have to swim back that same distance.
Surfing
How many sports, water-based or otherwise, have seen a cultural reach as extraordinary as surfing? How many have inspired a whole genre of music or become interwoven with the identities of entire states? There is just something deeply compelling about the idea of riding a wave — overcoming a force of nature that usually overcomes us.
While surfing with only one’s body is a real skill that one can cultivate, many rely on surfboards. These long, smooth planks are designed to hold a person’s weight, even as a wave carries it. Learning can be tricky, but pulling it off is immensely satisfying.
Water Skiing
Far more recreational than the aforementioned pursuits is water skiing. You have almost certainly seen this activity in many movies and TV shows with summertime settings. It involves tying one end of a rope to a boat’s stern, while a person on skis grips the handle at the other end.
It is quite different from conventional skiing. Instead of a snowy slope, one glides on the more level, if uneven, water surface. Instead of being pushed by gravity, the skier is tugged by a vessel. Either way, you are challenged to stay on your feet, especially when the driver decides to turn.
Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a sort of blend between surfing and water skiing. A person still holds tight as a boat tows them by a rope, but they have something else strapped to their feet. Initially known as the “monowaterski,” the wakeboard is a specialized board designed to ride in a vessel’s wake.
Wakeboards come with foot bindings, which at least means that wiping them out will not separate you from your equipment. That may be small comfort to anyone inexperienced in such high-speed aquatic antics. Despite that concern, those who get the hang of wakeboarding may seek out choppier waters to test their mettle and get some sweet airtime.
Kneeboarding
Standing on a wakeboard is not always easy, especially for novices. If you lose your balance on shaky legs over a constantly shifting surface, you get a big gulp of salt water. You might even think that riding on your knees is preferable. If so, then kneeboarding may be a good place to start.
This take on the concept sees the rider planting their knees on their board and sitting on their heels. A strap attached to the rider’s thighs helps with staying on the board. Far from being a set of training wheels, people can learn to do tricks like flips.
Kayaking
Kayaks are narrow vessels that usually only hold one or two people. no sailing expertise or high-powered motor is required. You power them by paddling with a double-sided oar. The pastime can be as intense or as leisurely as you and your shipmates want.
Kayaking is popular for lakes and rivers, though confident and skilled adventurers can take their watercraft miles out into open water. While many people elect to rent kayaks, enthusiasts can buy their own. They are even inflatable kayaks, which provide the same experience at a lower cost.
Tubing
Tubing is another watersport that involves a boat, a towing line, and a person holding on for dear life. If water skiing, wakeboarding, and kneeboarding seemed tough, all give recreationists a greater ability to control their experience. Often, riders simply strive to stay perched in their inner tube for as long as possible before falling into the water.
Once again, control is not impossible to attain. Tube riders really can learn to ride their tube, angling it so it hits the wake just right and lifts off the surf. Most of the time, though, people are happy to make it an endurance challenge.
Trampoline Jumping
Inflatable trampolines are popular fixtures on beaches and lakes that see high tourist activity. They usually float where the water is shallow enough for the trampoline’s anchor to weigh and the jumpers to reach from shore. However, they are in a deep enough spot that people can bounce high for big splashes.
This activity may stretch the definition of watersports just a tad. As with swimming, though, it is what you make of it. After all, people do use trampolines for exercise. Sure, they are usually smaller and done at home or in a special gym. But who is to say that you cannot have fun and get a workout in at the same time? The same goes for all the watersports on this list.
Get Great Watersports Equipment Today
If the activities on this list sound fun, wait until you try them for yourself. In fact, why wait? You can find high-quality equipment for a variety of watersports right here at Less Is Always More.
