Thrilling Watersports You Should Try in 2024

Besides being fun and providing an adrenaline rush, watersports are great for one's health. These sports work almost every body part, promoting the natural burning of calories while exercising your entire body. Most watersports include excellent aerobic and anaerobic exercises, which can significantly boost your endurance and stamina.

Others, like canoeing, can help boost bone density. Engaging in watersports can help lower chronic illness risk and improve mental health. Outlined below are six thrilling watersports you should try in 2024.

1.    Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding is an action-packed water sport that combines snowboarding, surfing, and skiing techniques. In this sport, a rider stands on a wakeboard and is towed by a wakeboarding boat as they slice through water waves with flair. Wakeboards are meant to jump wakes, skim over water surfaces, and reverse so riders can ride backward. Wakeboarding is done using several pieces of equipment, including:

• Wakeboards

• Wakeboarding boat

• Wakeboard line

• Life vest

• Wet suit

• Helmet

While some of this equipment is not as affordable, you can rent it. While wakeboarding isn't the simplest watersport for beginners, sticking with it and overcoming the learning curve can be a rewarding experience.

2.    Canoeing

Canoeing is a watersport done in tiny, lightweight boats propelled by paddles moving through water. The sport can be played wherever there's a water body. Canoeing should preferably be done in areas without strong currents, waves, or winds to ensure a smooth ride.

While recreational canoeing isn't a skillful sport, it's very simple and relaxed with calm waters and the right equipment. Nevertheless, when canoeing in more challenging areas, there are several crucial paddle skills and strokes you can use to enhance your techniques. Some of the most critical canoeing paddling strokes to know include:

• Draw stroke

• Forward stroke

• Cross draw stroke

• J stroke

• Stern pry stroke

Note that you don't require experience to start canoeing because most locations have instructors to guide you and respond to any queries you might have regarding the sport.

3.    Surfing

Surfing is a thrilling sport that lets you connect with nature, have fun, and exercise. Besides being fun, it provides multiple health benefits, like better cardiovascular health and improved strength and endurance. If you're new to surfing, consider investing in premium surf gear and choose a surfboard suitable for your skill level and size. Upon getting the necessary equipment, learn proper paddling tricks by practicing on dry land and understanding wave dynamics.

As a surfing beginner, you should begin with a long surfboard as it offers more buoyancy and stability in the water. As you gain more experience and confidence, shortboards will give you more maneuverability and are suitable for experienced surfers.

4.    Bodyboarding

Boogie boarding or bodyboarding is a water sport that includes riding a lean, lightweight board on a breaking wave's crest, curl, and face. This exciting activity is a great workout that improves overall fitness and health. You need physical strength, endurance, balance, and coordination to ride waves on a bodyboard, which engages different muscle groups like the core, legs, back, and arms.

Unlike other watersports, bodyboarding isn't as hard on joints because it's low-impact. For safe and comfortable bodyboarding, you require some basic equipment and gear that will safeguard you from the elements and boost your performance, including:

• A bodyboard

• Swim fins

• A wet suit

• Other accessories like sunscreen for your skin, wax for the board, and more

5.    Snorkeling

Snorkeling is an underwater sport that involves swimming along the water's surface and exploring the underworld equipped with a:

• Mask: To let you see clearly when under the water

• Swim fins: To help you move with more control and less effort

• Snorkel: To aid with breathing when your face is submerged in water

Snorkeling doesn't need any special training, a lot of physical effort, or significant expenses. Ideal snorkeling areas are temperate, warm seas with vibrant marine life, translucent water, and nearly no current or waves. The rich and colorful biodiversity of coral reefs is the most popular spot for snorkeling. When snorkeling, you can see:

• Sea horses

• Whale sharks

• Colorful tropical fish

• Sea turtles

• Octopuses

• Reef sharks

• Starfish

To make the most of snorkeling, improve your swimming and breath-hold skills and learn to conserve your energy.

6.    Scuba diving

Scuba diving is an underwater sport with a self-contained breathing apparatus. This sport requires specific skills, knowledge, and training. While you don't need excellent swimming skills to scuba dive, you should know how to swim and be comfortable in water.

A course can equip you with the skills to enjoy scuba diving safely. With scuba certification, you can rent dive gear, receive air tank fills, and book diving adventures anywhere around the globe.

Endnote

Watersports allow you to explore nature while improving your mental and physical health. Familiarize yourself with the thrilling watersports you should try in 2024.