Have you ever done any water sports for fun or for competition? In the United States, these sports are continuing to gain popularity. You may think you need to have special skills, a boat, or the nicest lake to have fun wakesurfing or wakeboarding, but that?s actually not the case. You can enjoy water sports just like anyone else with a little practice and a few resources. Just like any land sport from basketball to soccer, water sports are a great way to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family while staying active.
Interested in learning more about the popularity of water sports and how to participate? Keep reading to find out what water sports there are and why you should give them a try.
Popularity of Water Sports in America
Believe it or not, water sports are an activity chosen by many in the United States. We aren?t a country that only loves baseball and football any longer. Now, we?ve branched out from land sports to water sports. People aren?t letting a few obstacles get in their way of getting out onto the water to enjoy a plethora of water sports.
In fact, more than 13% of the population in the United States took part in some type of water sport during 2016. For those who participated, ages ranged from six years old and above. That means everyone from a young child to teenager, to full-grown adult can get physically fit and active out on the water nowadays.
When you go to the lake or the beach, you don?t have to sit on the sand getting a tan. You can put your book down or turn your music off for a change and enjoy a physically active water sport.
You may be wondering what exactly you need to be able to enjoy water sports? There are a range of things that come in handy when trying to participate in water sports. It can depend on the sport you want to do, but there are a few necessities no matter what sport your choose. For example, you?ll need some type of body water and a boat.
Luckily, you don?t have to own a lake house or a beach house or own a boat to participate. You can rent boats to use for water sports, and you can simply find the closest lake or body of water near you that allows water sports. Then, depending on the water sport, you?ll need the necessary items like a wakeboard, wakesurf ropes, and boat accessories to participate safely.
Types of Water Sports to Try
Millennials are one of the age groups leading the way for participation in water sports. Almost 20% of millennials enjoy water sports. Even if their families aren?t part of the 12.7 million in America who own a boat, they can still get out on the water by renting a boat or borrowing a friends.
Once they get out onto the water, one of the most popular sports to try is wakeboarding. More than 3.2 million people wakeboarded in the United States during 2015. When you wakeboard, you want to make sure you have the right type of board and wakeboard ropes. One of the best wakeboarding tips is remembering to find ropes that are around 52 – 78 feet in length. For wakeboards, get one that is around 4.2 to 4.8 feet long.
Like any sport, this one takes practice before you can master it. Once you get out on the water, commit to giving it a try, no matter how many times you fall down. Eventually, you?ll be able to get up on the board and ride the waves as someone drives the boat around the body of water.
Are you interested in trying out some water sports this year? Which water sport interests you the most? Let us know about your experiences wakeboarding or wakesurfing and where you do it.