If you’ve gotten bitten by the water bug, you understand just how free and fun water activities can be. If you haven’t, give it a few hours at the lake, and it’ll happen. Humans love spending time in or near water, so much so that it actually has a healing impact on us. Being near water lowers our levels of stress, boosts our mood, and improves our immune system. The following will explore a few water sports and activities you might want to try. Special attention will be paid to those activities that are high energy and high adrenaline.
Exploring Beneath The Surface
Beneath the water’s surface, there are entire worlds of plants and animals that would blow your mind. If you’re interested in seeing the secret life of the ocean or lake, you’re looking for some gear that can help you keep your eyes open and breathe. Choosing between snorkeling vs scuba diving depends on how deep you want to go and how long you plan on staying there. Be sure to look up regulations and licensing in your area to make sure that you’re meeting all your legal requirements. In some places, scuba diving requires certification.
Tubing
Tubing requires a few big items to get started, but once you’ve got them lined up, you’re ready for hours upon hours of fun. Tubing involves tying a donut-shaped, sturdy inflatable device (specifically designed for tubing—don’t use just anything) to the back of a boat. You’ll want to use a cord specifically for tubing to ensure that it’s the right length and make sure that you’re tying the knots properly. Then you toss someone on the tube and drive the boat.
The wake creates waves that the tube crashes and leaps and sometimes gets quite high in the air. Almost certainly, you’ll be legally required to wear a life jacket that’s been properly fitted while tubing because it’s pretty easy to get thrown into the water. Think of it as the water sports equivalent of riding a mechanical bull.
Whitewater Rafting
Maybe you don’t live near the ocean or a big lake, but maybe there are rivers. Whitewater rafting is an adventure and a half and is something that you can get involved in pretty easily. There are tour services on many major rivers that provide you with everything you need: all the safety gear, a team of people who know how to maneuver and teach maneuvers to first-timers, and routes that are safe and fun.
Whitewater rafting is one of those things that you can quickly get attached to and begin planning your weekend around. Some people even devote themselves to traveling around the country and visiting the different whitewater rafting spots.
Cliff Diving
Cliff diving is exactly what it sounds like, and it’s not for the faint of heart. It involves leaping off a cliff into deep water. This can be an awesome, all-encompassing thrill, but it also requires some safety precautions. You want to be sure that the area you’ve chosen doesn’t have any hidden rocks and has water that’s deep enough to sustain the momentum of your fall without you touching the bottom. You also want to pay attention to how you land; hitting the water in certain positions can really hurt.
Jet Skiing
Jet skiing seems to have the magical ability to make time fly by. Once you get on, you never want to get off, and often it’s the limitations of your gas tank that determine how long this activity lasts. In many places, driving a jet ski requires a boating license, so be sure to look up what the requirements are where you’ll be jet skiing. You also want to give yourself lots of space and be wary of wakes and rough waters if you’re new to jet skiing. It’s easy to get the vehicle going fast, and you will get some air time if you hit a wave the wrong way.
The above list is just the beginning. The world of water sports and activities is vast and filled with fun. There are group activities, solo activities, and activities that are open to all budgets. Remember that if you’re going out into the wilderness or off the beaten path to participate in any of these activities, you need to tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. Accidents can happen, and you want someone to notice if you hadn’t returned when you planned on it. Also, don’t forget to stay hydrated. Just because you’re in the water and so feel cool doesn’t mean what you’re doing isn’t a big workout. Please bring water and sip it throughout the day.
