Watersports blog

Body boarding is an imitative way of wave riding. Its average board consists of small and rectangular hydrodynamic foam. This board can be shaped, formed and adapted to different sizes of the riders and different riding styles.  Body boarding has been rapidly growing especially in the last few decades. In fact, it is now considered as one of the most popular extreme water sports worldwide.

Body boarding is also regarded as one of the first known forms of surfing. Though it has existed centuries before the European contact, it was only when James King, the lieutenant of the Discovery wrote and described surfing when he first saw it in Hawaii that body boarding started its history in writing.

So what are the equipments needed in body boarding? Here they are:

1.    Multi-surf board wall rock
2.    Wall accent
3.    Long sleeve rash guard (clothing)
4.    wetsuit (clothing)
5.    skim board
6.    surfboard
7.    surf carrier
8.    body board
9.    body board bag
10.    flotation vest
11.    beach shelter
12.    wake surfer
13.    gloves
14.    waterproof wrist camera
15.    rack pad
16.    swimsuit
17.    traction pad
18.    single wall rack
19.    surfboard fin set

You might think that body boarding is such an expensive sport. Yes it is! However, the pleasure you get when you are there is priceless!

At the last World Surfing Games held in Portugal, New Zealand finished 10th, 2 places higher than its rank in the 2006 event.

The best finish was contributed by Daryn McBride of Mt. Maunganui, who ranked ninth in the overall longboard division. However, he was eliminated from the said division by Miguel Ruivo and Briton Ben Skinner of Portugal in the repechage.

McBride ranked third as he scored 9.36 points out of 20. He had to score 4.52 point but managed to score 3.53 on his final wave.

Earlier, Luke Cederman and Zennor Wernham and Maz Quinn were eliminated from the men’s division.

Quinn had the best score of the three; however, he could not succeed in the repechage placing him only in the third. The fickle condition of the water and the small waves made life a bit difficult for Quinn, who finished with a total score of 7.01 and 10.16 point ride.

Quinn was the highest finisher representing New Zealand in the open men’s team placing him on the 17th. Wernham ranked 25th. It was a notable improvement in his performance in 2006 where he placed 41st.
Cederman was also victimized by the small waves. Well-known for his fiery forehand surfing but still, he could not find that fiery forehand with the smaller waves on his backhand thereby placing him only on the 33rd.

All tourists as well as the locals who want to cool down and have fun under the scorching summer sun may have in the near future, a new option as the proposal for the building of the Ta’Quali finally gets the green light.
The application the Malta Environment and Planning Authority received is generally related to the larger tract of property beside the Flower Power nursery and is planned to be a family-oriented sports complex. This sports complex is said to include basketball and tennis courts, rock-climbing and rugby grounds. However, the most awaited is its water skiing complex.
The idea about Ta’Quali is to develop an all-season ski complex placed in a climate-controlled environment. This project is said to be promoted as a proposal which largely encourages sports-oriented and leisure projects.
According to organizers of this project, the ski-complex would definitely be using a massive amount of energy and water to run. Nevertheless, the local company organizing the project said that the project will be backed up by their British investors. The company even explains that the development of the project is eco-friendly because it will be using recycled water and solar. For this reason, people will definitely have fun without worrying about the environment.

Water sports have always been adventurous and fun especially for kids however, safety should always be the first priority. When taking your kids to the beach or the pool to do water sports, you have to make sure that the location has the complete safety facilities. Your children should also compulsorarily wear their life jackets, even if they know how to swim.

Life jackets, lifebuoys and whistle are the very important things that you should check before allowing your kid to do water sports. He should also be accompanied by an adult or an attentive lifeguard. Your kid should also be lectured with the first things to do when there is an emergency. Remember that you should only allow your kid to do water sports when the weather or climate is pleasant.

There are many different kinds of water sports for your kid. There are some that are done for pleasure and there are some for adventure and excitement. Your child can engage in boating, rafting, canoeing, sailing, scuba diving, surfing and of course swimming but remember, no matter what your kid chose to engage and participate in; excitement, fun and adventure are useless when his safety is at stake.

The recent fall of the US Economy as well as several other economies around the world is impacting Scuba Diving Tourism. Several Tourism in Australia and other parts of the world have closed their scuba diving tours. Rising fuel costs, diminished interest and global economic instability are to blame for this event.

Australia is home of the Great Barrier Reef. It is one of the most alive and intriguing scuba diving spots in the entire world. Divers come to the Great Barrier Reef hoping to see marine life at its best. That is why, it is a sad occasion to see scuba diving tourism in this area slowly ebb away. Of course, interest in the Barrier Reef and scuba diving in general will never cease. It is only experiencing a minor set back that tourist operators hope will revert as soon as the economy gets back on its feet.

One of the affected business include Townsville’ Sunsea Cruises in north Queensland. Australia. Operator Darin McDonald says that he has to close trips to the Great Barrier Reef because people are getting more cautious about taking scuba diving holidays because prices are going up. He says that cancelling the tours was a hard decision.

“It’s certainly been a gut-wrenching exercise,” Said McDonald. “We can’t continue to make the losses we have on this operation. We’ve looked at other options of how we can save this business. But realistically, we can’t see any other option but to have to close the doors.”

Kitesurfing is one of the latest and most popular extreme sports. It has captured the attention of adrenaline seekers everywhere and has become an international sensation. This year, Chile will host the final leg of the Kitesurfing World Cup. The competition will showcase the talents of great kitesurfers from all over the world including Dutch Kevin Langeree and Aaron Hadlow of the UK.

The Chilean event will be the 10th and final leg of the world cup. The thirty best kitesurfers in the world will be vying for the top spot in this year’s competition. The Kitesurfing World Cup will be held from October 4 – 11, 2008 in Matanzas Beach Resort some kilometers out of Santiago. This is the second time for the competition to take place in Chile.

The competition judges are Martin Vari from Argentina, Dreu Bebaisa of Australia and Guilly Brandao from Brazil.

Kitesurfing is an extreme water sport where the rider rides a surfboard while he or she is surfing on the water. It is extremely dangerous because a strong gust of wind could pull a surfer up and into the face of an oncoming wave. The parachute lines also add to the sports ‘extreme’ reputation.

White Water Rafting is exhilarating. It is the perfect sport for thrill seekers looking for a head rush. But, despite that, it can be very dangerous and should not be taken lightly. Here are a few tips to ensure a safe and fun white water rafting adventure.

BE PREPARED – For those who have never tried white water rafting, it is important that they are well prepared before starting. Preparation for the sport includes being fit and having advanced swimming skills. You may be wearing a lifejacket with your flash swimwear but that in itself won’t save you. You need to know how to and be strong enough to swim to shore when you need to. It is also advised that first time rafters be honest with their guides about their physical health and swimming skills.

LISTEN – White Water Rafting is a dangerous sport. That is why first timers should pay attention to the instructors. Learn the paddling styles well and don’t take your training for granted. Keep in mind that your incompetence on the raft would not only affect your safety, but the safety of others with you too.

START SLOW – If you are just starting out, select milder rapids. Don’t make the mistake of going for higher level rapids on your first try. Go slow and once you get a feel for it, you can graduate to harder sites.