Today there are many water sports: water skiing, wakeboarding, windsurfing, paddleboarding, etc. Someone likes a calm surface, while others prefer huge waves and turbulent currents. In this content, we will tell you about most of the popular water sports in more detail, and you can choose the one that suits you best.
WINDSURFING
Windsurfing is a sailing sport that handles a light board on the water with a sail mounted on it. There is no rudder on a sailing ship, so control is carried out by turning and tilting the mast with the sail about the wind with your hands, as well as directing the board itself with the keel and fin mounted on it. The direction of travel and speed depends on the position of the sail about the wind.
There are several disciplines in windsurfing. You can ride both on a calm surface and the waves, performing various interesting tricks. Windsurfing is possible in any wind strength, but there are two main ways to move:
Displacement mode: here, the board is kept afloat due to the force of Archimedes and is partially submerged in water. The speed of movement in this way is relatively low since there is a lot of water resistance.
Planing mode: the board is kept on the surface of the water due to the buoyancy force of the flow. Gliding is possible at a sufficiently high wind force – from 6-7 m / s and at a sufficiently high speed. However, experienced riders can plane with a fairly wide sail and with wind speeds of only 3-4 m / s.
At the moment, windsurfing is gaining more and more popularity and is not only a spectacular sport but also excellent entertainment for a wide range of people.
SUPBOARDING
SUP boarding is rapidly gaining momentum in the water sports industry. This sport is very diverse because you can ride the board in various ways, both standing, kneeling, or sitting. SUP boards are quite stable, so for those who have never tried to ride them, the first swim will not be difficult. And the listed advantages are far from the only ones. There are several types of SUP boards, and we will tell you more about each of them:
Universal – such SUP boards are lightweight and are suitable for beginners and who want to go on a journey through calm waters not far from the coast.
Touring (tourist) ones are more dimensional, rigid, and capable of withstanding even 2-3 people or tourists with all the equipment. They are designed for long heat. These SUP boards are subject to increased requirements for technical equipment, strength, and safety.
Racing ones have a special shape of a bullet, which creates the least resistance during movement and allows you to develop high speed while maintaining the rower’s strength. Such SUP boards are usually much longer and narrower than general-purpose or touring boards. Racing boards are designed with a top speed priority, even at the expense of stability or a comfortable finish.
For yoga – inflatable SUP boards for relaxation or fitness on any body of water. The design of the yoga board combines stability and dynamic rowing. Such SUP boards are popular not only for individual training but you can also easily link several pieces to each other and organize a group lesson.
For fishing – stable boards with air cushions along the sides, which are equipped with several necessary types of equipment: a spacious refrigerator for fish (or beer), compartments for fishing accessories, mounts for fishing rods, and seats.
SNORKELING
Snorkeling is a type of swimming under the water’s surface with a mask, snorkel, and fins. With such equipment, you will observe the underwater world for a long time without much effort. Snorkeling is a fairly popular pastime, especially among children, who dive with great interest under the water to see shells, pebbles, and other details at the bottom.
At the diving sites, snorkeling will be the most interesting. You can watch coral reefs, sea turtles, fish, and other inhabitants and swim under the sandy bottom; you can see flatfish such as stingray or flounder.
ONBOARDING
My boarding is an unusual water sport as the rider’s position while riding is not “typical.” The board is designed for riding behind a boat or on a winch, but unlike a wakeboard, the athlete is in a kneeling position. Hence the name “board”, which comes from the English words “knee” – knee and “board” – board.
SKIM BOARDING
Skimboarding can be called a mixture of surfing and skateboarding. This is a young kind of water sport and differs from surfing in that a person does not need to swim far to catch a wave.
The skiing itself takes place within the coast. To ride aboard, you need to run overland and, having jumped onto the board, slide on water or wet sand, performing simple or complex tricks.
BODY BOARDING
A bodyboard is a board designed for riding in a prone position on coastal waves. Bodyboarding doesn’t require a lot of equipment. Fins are most often used to aid riding to facilitate rowing and steering, as there are no fins on the board’s bottom. Riding a bodyboard is easy enough.
For example, surfing requires certain skills, while on a bodyboard, you can catch a wave on the first try. If the wave is too big, then you need to dive under it so as not to be carried back to the shore, and it is best to start when the wave is about two meters away from you.
DIVING
Everyone loves to go diving together. Diving underwater would encourage you to see the world as it is and spend time with marine life. At the same time, every healthy person can go diving. The list of restrictions is small. Nowadays, diving is very popular among the population. Both adults and children are engaged in the cognition of the water world.
Having tried diving, people cannot imagine a vacation without diving under the water, because every time you get to know new places as if you are in a parallel world, which has its inhabitants and attractions. There is a misconception that diving is difficult and requires a lot of preparation, but it is not. People receive a certificate after 3-4 days of training.
WATER SKIING
Externally, water skiing is similar to cross-country skiing, but still, they have differences. Water skis are wider, as the athlete’s main thing is to stay afloat, so for a beginner, it is better to use the widest skis for training, as they are more stable.
There are several types of water skiing, primarily single (monoski for slalom) and doubles. Some inexpensive paired recreational skis are equipped with a special loop for the rear leg so that the athlete can master slalom skiing without buying separate expensive equipment.
Waterskiing is divided into several disciplines: ski jumping, figure skating, and slalom. Each discipline requires specialized skis. Skis for figure skating are short, wide, and have bends at both ends for performing certain tricks; jumps – long, wide, and with great requirements for aerodynamics and balance in the air; monoski slalom is narrower, stiffer, and longer for sharp maneuvers on the water.
A beginner should learn pair skiing. Such skis are more versatile and stable, and, as we already wrote above, some pair skis allow you to master slalom skiing.
WAKE BOARDING
Wakeboarding is the most popular and extreme water activity. It is riding on a special board on the water surface behind a boat or a winch, holding on to the halyard. This is a very entertaining sport! During the movement, the athlete performs jumps, flips in the air, or slalom elements.
It is best to learn this sport in wake parks with instructors, where professionals will select the right wakeboard equipment for you. Usually, training starts with learning to move on the water surface so that you get used to the wakeboard and can learn more difficult elements. Learning to jump and slide on figures in the park in the early stages is too traumatic, so it’s better to take safety first. Do not forget about a life jacket and a helmet, because the first time falls are inevitable.
WAKE SURFING
Wakesurfing is a fairly young and spectacular sport rapidly gaining momentum in urban conditions, as it is ideal for relaxation and entertainment away from the Ocean. Wakesurfing is similar to my boarding, except that you ride without bindings and halyards.
For this, the boat is specially loaded with ballast on one side to increase the height and length of the wake wave. The athlete starts, holding the halyard, and then simply releases it, switching to the wave from the boat. Wakesurfing is not easy for beginners, but the sensation of riding the wave from a boat in which friends sit and cheer you up is worth working out.
WAKESKATING
Wakeskating is a new extreme water sport that is very similar to wakeboarding. Wakeskate is a wakeboard without bindings. The rider also holds onto the halyard from a towing boat or a winch in a wake park, but the main difference is that instead of leg bindings on the board, there is regular skin like on a skateboard. And neither can you put on your favorite sneakers, which are not attached to the board in any way.
KAYAKING
Kayaking is an active water sport and is sailing on the water in a boat called a kayak. It is quite simple to operate. The kayak has a narrow body, long length, and pointed ends to cut the water surface as quickly as possible—a single kayak paddle with two paddles at both ends.
Kayaking is also suitable for those who just want to sit back and relax on the lake’s water surface and enjoy the views. But still, the kayak cannot be called just a boat, which is intended only for walks in various water bodies. Professionals often go on rafting on difficult routes with river rapids and even waterfalls. Tourist swims usually take place along calmer currents; you just need to be prepared because you will have to paddle for a long time.
FLYBOARDING
Flyboarding is a modern, technically challenging sport that has become very popular among a wide range of people in a short time because you can soar in the air! I wonder how? Water-jet boots attached to a platform on which a person is standing allow to take off and move. The direction of travel can be controlled by changing the inclination of the feet.
With the keyboard, you can fly up to 10 meters and perform various tricks. From the outside, such entertainment looks incredible. Not everyone succeeds in taking off the first time because many fall back into the water. Still, after training, you will succeed, and in the future, you will not be able to imagine rest without such an attraction.
HYDROFOILING
The hydrofoil replaces fins on almost any water sports board – wakeboard, wake surf, kiteboard, windsurf, and even SUP board. The advantage is that you will not feel not only vibrations from the chop but no friction of the board on the water at all. It will feel like you are floating in the air!
The principle of controlling the hydrofoil is quite simple: if you tilt your body backward and press on the board with your back foot, it will rise higher along with the wave.
If you tilt your body forward and push on the board with your front foot, then the board will sink more into the water. The main thing is to learn how to balance, and then controlling the hydrofoil will not be a torment for you but a pleasure.
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Meet Tyr Alan, your trusted guide on the high seas and calm lakes alike. A seasoned mariner with over two decades of hands-on experience, Tyr’s passion for boating is as vast as the open water. From navigating the rugged coasts to gently cruising down tranquil inland waterways, Tyr’s voyages have taken him across the globe, gifting him with an encyclopedic knowledge of boating that he’s eager to share with you.
