February 23, 2012

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Water Sports for the Whole Family

Whitewater kayaking, Isére, Bourg-Saint-Maurice

Image via Wikipedia

There are not many things that family members of different generations can do together as a family but enjoying the water and water sports is something that family members of all ages can enjoy. Rather than just planning a family reunion, think of planning a family reunion around the lake or ocean.

There are many water sports that center around the water that the whole family can enjoy. If someone in the family owns a boat or wants to rent a boat for the occasion the elder members of the party can enjoy basking in the sun and watching the younger generations play in the water. Everyone will also enjoy sailing around and seeing the sites.

Other activities that people of all ages can enjoy are fishing trips. Children will enjoy being able to catch a fish while older generations will enjoy teaching the younger how to cast and reel in a fish.

If the members of your family are still active and up for an adventure suggest taking the whole family kayaking or canoeing. Kayaking and canoeing are great ways for the whole family to get involved in something that is both a work out and a whole bunch of fun. Kayaking and canoeing will also allow you to take your family to new and exciting places that boats are not able to go to because smaller vessels can squeeze into caves and float around coves. If you need some refreshing in being active, consider going to http://www.411.ca and hiring a trainer to help you out.

While planning a trip for the whole family can be difficult because of various ages and various athletic ability, if you plan to do something around the water the whole family is likely to have a great time.

Filed Under: Canoeing, Fishing, Swimming, Water Sports Tagged With: , ,

Extreme Aquatic Sports

Slalom water skier on lake in southern Ontario

Image via Wikipedia

Participating in extreme sports can offer an adrenaline rush, and is a popular hobby of individuals of all ages. There are many sports that are typically considered to be extreme, such as skydiving, bungee jumping, water skiing, wind surfing, rock climbing, and other exciting activities. The term extreme basically refers to the high level of physical exertion required in order to succeed.

Aquatic extreme sports are most popular during the warm summer months, and many people enjoy actively participating. Water skiing is one of the favorite pastimes of those who make frequent trips to a lake, but learning to get up on the skis can be tough. It requires a good amount of balance and leg strength in order to remain standing. Once a person feels comfortable with simply riding the skis, he or she may decide to start attempting tricks and jumps.

Wind surfing is another fun way to spend some time in the water. Boards can be rented at most surf shops, so amateurs won’t have to invest too much money in trying out this sport. There are also plenty of instructors who can offer tips and tricks to balancing on the board, when to pull up the sail, and how to keep the board upright. Many windsurfers also enjoy learning new tricks, so the sport will never get boring.

Choosing an extreme sport is a fun way to stay active and have fun. Parents often enjoy participating in sports with their children, allowing them to keep up with the fast-paced lifestyles.

Filed Under: Sports, Water Sports Tagged With: , ,

Know How to Stay Safe in the Water This Summer

A young girl taking a break in a swimming pool... 

Image via Wikipedia

Warm weather is here, and that means the water is calling! Pool pro or not, brushing up on water safety guidelines is a smart way for your family to start the summer; chances are good you’ll be spending a lot of it near water. Check out this quick safe swimming refresher course before you and your family dive into water activities.

 

Safe Swimming

 

  • Learn to swim. Even basic swimming skills can provide a measure of safety.
  • Inexperienced swimmers and children should use an approved flotation device.
  • Never allow a child near a pool alone. Keep your eyes on your swimming child at all times.
  • Choose pools or beaches monitored by a lifeguard, and obey safety signs and posted rules.
  • Know the condition of the water you’re swimming in and its environment, especially lakes, ponds, and oceans. Know depth, wave conditions, and potential hazards before you swim.
  • Establish family rules of water safety which should be followed even at a friend’s house.
  • Don’t swim alone, and make sure you stay within a safe distance of land or friends should you need help.
  • Even experienced swimmers can overdo it; don’t swim if you feel fatigued or ill.

 

Water Safety: More Than Swimming

 

The American Red Cross provides a wealth of excellent water safety guidelines specific to each water activity you’ll be enjoying this summer. Safe swimming guidelines will provide basic protection for most water activities, but it’s important you know the rules and guidelines for other water recreation. Days on the beach? Afternoons on the boat? Testing out new jet skis? Know how to stay safe while you have fun.

Filed Under: Swimming, Water Sports Tagged With: , ,

Careers for Scuba Divers

Pictogram representing the sport of Scuba diving.

Image via Wikipedia

Most people dream of being able to turn their favorite hobby into a well-paying career. If you’re a scuba diver and want to pursue a career that allows you to dive or work with underwater life, you’ll be happy to know that plenty of careers exist that will enable you to make money doing what you love.

A few of the careers available to those who love diving and sea life include:

  • Marine biology
  • Scuba instruction
  • Drilling
  • Hazmat
  • Zoology
  • Touring/Cruise ships

These are just a few of the fields that could allow you to turn your love for diving into a paying job. Choosing the right major in college is also important for those who want to pursue a career in diving. Some of the majors and courses to consider include:

  • Biology
  • Anthropology
  • Hospitality (for those considering working in the tourism industry)
  • Construction
  • Business (for those who want to open their own dive store or lead dive teams

Regardless of the field you choose to go into, choosing the right college and taking the right classes is important. When choosing a school, most choose between a traditional campus-based curriculum and online school. With a campus school, students typically attend full-time. Professors and counselors can also help students choose the best courses for their chosen careers.

Online degrees offer similar benefits. One of the best things about getting online degrees is the flexibility of scheduling. Many students who want to pursue careers in diving work full-time or do internships during the day, allowing them to graduate with a degree and a great deal of experience at the same time.

Scuba diving doesn’t have to be just a hobby—there are plenty of careers available to those who want to turn their love of diving into a well-paying job and a number of majors to choose from.

Filed Under: Diving, Water Sports Tagged With: ,

Simple Wake Boarding Rules Can Save Lives

Wake boarding is a great water activity and is best enjoyed when all the safety precautions have been followed. Always wear a life jacket when wake boarding – this simple device as saved thousands of lives. Absolutely no one should be drunk when on the water – just following this rule alone could have saved thousands of teenagers and young adults combined. Being impaired on the water is more dangerous than on the road. We are land creatures if you haven’t noticed your legs lately and they don’t work well in water if you’re drunk.

Anyone that is new to wake boarding should take it slow and have someone tell them what to do. Reinforce safety techniques so they are not easily forgotten when everyone is out having fun on the water. If everyone knows what to do in case of emergency it can lift the anxiety of being on the water. Most people don’t want to say that they are scared when they go out to have fun, because they don’t want to ruin it for everyone. Make sure everyone is rehearsed in what to do if they are left on the water alone. This will make sure that the new people who are afraid to speak up know what they need to do.

Wake boarding can be a very fun sport for anyone who is willing to try it out and most of the time everyone comes back home safe. When people start doing stupid things on the water that’s when accidents happen and people get hurt. Make sure that anyone who is new to the water sport knows not to play around until they get the feel of it. Advance wake boarders can do what they want, because they have been out on the water many times before. They already have a feel of how the water moves and how to avoid danger when it comes their way. New comers have to play it safe for a little bit and the advance wake boarders get to play.

Filed Under: Water Sports Tagged With: ,

Essential Rafting Gear

When you go rafting what do you take? What gear is necessary to bring on your trip? Rafting is a sport that requires careful preparation. When getting ready for a trip out on the water you must remember a few things.

First is the no-brainer. You must prepare a raft. An inflatable raft is definitely an essential for a trip down the river. Make sure you inspect the raft before you head out and watch for holes, rips or other damage that may cause your raft to not work properly.

Next you need a pump. Without a pump this trip is impossible. You don’t want to try to take a deflated raft on the water. Pump your raft to its capacity and bring the pump along in case of deflation. This is also where a repair kit will come in handy.

Thirdly, ask yourself what makes the raft move? The oars of course! Do not forget the oars or you will be out of luck. This is one of the necessary components in rafting and probably the most important. This is what helps you navigate through the water and keep you upright in rapids.

Then, you are out on the water so a waterproof sack is essential for a trip like this. This is where you will store your food, camera, extra clothes, toothbrush, first aid kit, repair kit and other various personal items that you do not want to get wet. Your waterproof sack is your protection for most of your gear.

Lastly, you will need clips or carabiners in order to get your gear off of the bottom of your raft floor. Even with the waterproof sack you should keep your gear above the floor to keep it safe from water damage. Straps also come in handy to help keep your gear safe by strapping it to the walls of your raft.\t

Filed Under: Water Sports Tagged With: , , ,

Preparing Your Repair Kit

When rafting, especially on multi-day trips, you need to be prepared. A repair kit is essential for almost any rafting trip. If all you are doing is floating down one mile it is still a good idea to include a repair kit in your bag.

Repair kits are easy to prepare and even more important to remember. Duct tape should be the first thing you include in your kit. True its not high-tech repair device, but it’s a safe, cheap method of fixing small tears or holes that make occur while rafting.

Something that is great to have along in your repair kit is a small patch kit. Fabric that matches that of your raft is preferred. If you cannot find an exact match, try to get as close as you can. Most rafts come with extra fabric for this exact purpose. Repair glue is an essential in truly repairing holes or rips in your raft.

Make sure that you also include a small brush and scissors. You do not want your patch to be too big so be sure to cut it down to size. Then you want to apply the glue with a small brush to prevent it staying on your fingers.

Next, you don’t want to forget sandpaper. This is to scuff up the area that needs repairing. Sandpaper works best to provide a scratchy surface for the glue to settle in with and repair the damaged area of the raft with ease.

After using your sandpaper and glue you want to provide a rag to wipe away any extra glue that may have seeped out. This is to keep your raft smooth and free of bumps. If the hole is on the bottom of the raft and you patch it fast and it ends up unsmooth it may significantly slow down your progress down the river.

Filed Under: Water Sports Tagged With: , , ,

Choosing the Right Water Ski

Waterskiing is an exciting recreational activity. But how do you chose the water ski that is best for you? Choosing the right ski can make all the difference in becoming an expert or wiping out every time. But how do you choose the right one? What is the difference between them? Chances are your skis fit into one of four different categories. The different types of water skis are combination pairs, trick skis, jump skis and slalom skis.

Combination pairs are the skis that most likely you learned on, or are about to learn on as a beginner. These skis are a little wider and allow for more balance and control. They are the most common because the are so easy to work with.

Trick skis are skis that are used for doing tricks such as jumping or spinning. The reason these skis are special for tricks is because they have no fins on them. That makes them harder to control, but easier to slide across the water and easier to turn and maneuver. It is advised to be at an intermediate to expert level skier before attempting these skis.

Jump skis are specially designed for jumping off of ramps. They are long and wide and are made of specific material that helps glide you along the ramp. Don’t be fooled by how light they are, because these skis are very durable and strong.

The last category of skis is the slalom skis, which is probably the most advanced of the categories. This type of ski has only one ski instead of two. Though the flat bottom and wide tail allow you to go faster and right straighter, it is more difficult to control and ride. This ski is mainly used for people who like to make sharper turns and ride faster.

Filed Under: Water Sports Tagged With: , , ,

Kayaking in Utah

Located near Logan, Utah is a river called The Maze. The Maze is part of Cutler Marsh, and it provides an easy and relaxing paddle. This river has calm waters that prove to have beautiful sights as you navigate your way through the marsh. The view makes for great day trip with many photo opportunities and impressive memories. With no fees and gorgeous resting areas it is an ideal trip for any kayaking group.

Now the marsh didn’t get its name for just any reason. In order to navigate through The Maze it is advised to follow the trails clearly marked by buoys. These buoys have two orange stripes that make it easy to spot. There are quite a few trails on The Maze, so figuring out your journey beforehand helps navigate through it even easier. In the case that you get lost, a GPS can be very helpful on this river.

One trail that provides beautiful sights and a peaceful trip is the North Marsh Canoe Trail. This trail can be found by looking for and following slow moving water in The Little Bear River. By starting at Cutler Marsh Marina this trail continues underneath the Valley View Highway and requires navigating through some small islands. You will then find yourself in open water until the trail then leads you to Benson Marina.

Another trail you may follow is the Logan River Canoe Trail. This trail also starts at the Cutler Marsh Marina and continues by heading south. After a few hundred yards you will find yourself needing to head east and until you reach the Logan River. This trail is also marked by the orange stripped buoys. The current here is slow enough and tame enough that paddling upstream should be no problem.

Filed Under: Canoeing, Water Sports Tagged With: , , ,

The art of fly Fishing

Deep sea fishing from a boat in the Gulf of Mexico
Image via Wikipedia

Anglers all around the world will tell you that fishing is not just a sport, it is an art. It is not all just about throwing the line in and waiting for the fish to catch a hold. There is a technique to fishing and ways to attract the fish that let you bring home the bacon, or in this case, the fish. The two most common ways to fish are traditional lure fishing and fly fishing.

With traditional fishing it is important for the lure and the hook to lead the line and weight it down, but with fly fishing you need to know exactly where you are and the water speed and direction. The fly is too light to weigh down the line so the angler must let the water guide his fly. Once it is in the water, the angler watches it and waits to catch a fish going in for his morning meal. It does not always happen quickly. In fact, the waiting process can be quite intense.

This method of fishing is one where the angler must outwit the fish. He must trick the fish into believing his fly is an actual insect and safe to eat. Sometimes the fish is fooled, while other times the angler watches as the fish refuse the bait.

Fly fishing is done on the top of the water if not just below. This provides some advantages compared to lure fishing. Fly fishing is usually done in extremely shallow waters and it is always a plus when there are very shallow areas with many rocks as fish tend to be attracted to those kind of areas.

The greatest fly fishers have devoted their life to fishing. Though it sounds easy enough, fly fishing can take years to master and is a sport that requires a lot of skill.

Filed Under: Fishing, Water Sports Tagged With: , ,
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