24 Water Sports

Water Sports written by John Lockyer

Did you know there is more water than land covering the Earth? That's a whole lot of water! The water might be in a creek, a lake, a river or an ocean. Wherever it is, people always find ways to have fun in it. Water sports happen on, in and under the water. Some water sports make us feel relaxed. Other water sports are exciting and sometimes scary.

snorkeling People who snorkel, swim on the water or through it. They use a diving mask, fins, and a tube called a snorkel which helps them to breathe underwater. They like to look at interesting fish and reefs. scuba diving If people want to dive deep underwater, they will need a scuba set. The scuba set lets them breathe air from a tank on their back. Down under the sea, divers might see turtles, fish, sharks or whales.

kayaking A kayak is a small boat which is pointed at both ends. Kayaking is done on the sea, lakes and rivers. Some people like to kayak on rivers with white water. White water moves very fast over rocks, logs and holes. rafting Rafting is done on rivers with white water too. A raft can carry many people. They all need to paddle hard in the fast-moving water. If they hit a rock or a hole, the paddlers might fall out!

surfing Surfing is a fun water sport. Many surfers ride the waves on a surfboard. Other surfers ride the waves on a kneeboard or a bodyboard. Some people ride the waves without a board. They are body surfers. paddle boarding Paddle boards are bigger than surfboards. People lie, kneel and stand up on them. Paddle boards are used on lakes, lagoons and also in the surf. The riders use a long paddle to move around.

windsurfing Windsurfers ride on a large board with a sail on it. Windsurfing is like surfing and sailing at the same time. The wind blows into the sail and pushes the board along. In strong winds, windsurfers can do jumps and flips in the air. kiteboarding Kiteboarders use the wind also. They ride a small board and are pulled along by a large kite. Kiteboarders do jumps and flips too. They also ride up and down waves, float in the air and twist and turn.