Watersports blog

The authorities finally found a family of three that were reported missing on a canoeing trip down the Mitchell River in far north Queensland.

The family, composed of a mother, father and a seven-year old son, left Mount Carbine at the northern part of Cairns late on Friday but evening has passed and they still have not arrived at the pick up point.

According to reports, a massive air and land search was launched and the State Emergency Service (SES) personnel were also contacted to assist with the search. The authorities then saw the family just before nine in the morning about twenty kilometers off from where they started.

The family stated that they got lost during the canoeing adventure and was forced to take shelter under their canoe while waiting for the rescue team they luckily had waterproofs and were wearing appropriate swimwear.

Rolf Straatemeier of the Mareeba District said that the canoeing party failed to check out the length of the journey and ran out of light but still managed to set camp at a nearby river bank.

A search crew in Northern Californian coast has been set up to look for a missing abalone diver after they discovered an abandoned diving gear and swimwear and recently used abalone on a beach.

The state’s fire crews were reportedly searching the bluffs located near Sear Ranch beach for clue for the body’s whereabouts.

The crew was deployed after a rope was found dangling in the area. The said area is known for free diving activities because it has been allowed there. Free diving, where the diver doesn’t use oxygen tanks, uses other methods such as the flotation device and abalone. The aforementioned diving gear was found in the beachside.

As of press time, no missing person’s report had been filed. The U.S. Coast Guard stated that there’s no sign of a diver in distress in the area. However, the search continues.

Rafting has become a big hit in Montenegro and this can be evidenced by the spike of earnings in this adventure alone.
According to reports, revenues from rafting in the first five months of this year in the country reached 740,000 euros. This data was provided by Montenegro’s Department of Public Revenues.

Novo Radovic, the country’s chief tax inspector, said that rafting is now becoming a solid income-generator for Montenegro which is a good development.

As of this year, there are now a total of 25 legal establishments allowed to operating rafting trips in the country. Six of the operators are not yet permanent residents of the country.

Along with the increase in visitors to Montenegro the retail establishments particularly those selling products relating to rafting have see an increase in sales. Swimwear, waterproof clothing and rafting equipment have brought new trade.

Montenegro’s Tara River is one of the most popular rafting destinations. The area boasts of the Tara River Gorge, Europe’s deepest canyon and second longest in the globe.  This area is part of the Dumitor National Park and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Men’s swimwears are becoming a rage these days following the world-record breaking performances made by top swimmers since the Beijing Olympics last year. Multiple Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, who wore a bodysuit swimwear, gained worldwide attention following his eight gold-medal haul at that time, making him the athlete with the most number of Olympic gold medals.

At this point, Phelps said that the controversy caused by the men’s swimwear calls for a much needed change in swimwear rules. According to reports, these new men’s swimwear suits have polyurethane content which boosts the swimmers’ speeds.

Several new world records have been set in this week’s World Swimming Championships in Rome, Italy which left the spectators and players stunned in disbelief.

Phelps, a 14-time Olympic gold medalist, said that it may be time to revert back to usual men’s swimwear or “banana hammocks” (tight fitting men’s swimwear).

FINA, a global policymaker on swimming competitions, is now back on the discussion tables as officials debate on what should be done next to resolve the controversy involving high-tech swimwear.

Critics from all over said that these swimwear trap air which adds buoyancy to the swimmer.

The international swimming federation FINA has decides that swimmers can no longer wear two swimsuits. Therese Alshammar was recently told that her world record on the 50-meter butterfly was not valid. The Swedish swimmer was wearing two swimsuits; a training suit under a body suit. The FINA said that that’s no longer allowed, swimmers must only wear one suit. Swimmers wear extra layers to increase their buoyancy.

These are the new rules:

• It is not allowed to wear swimsuits that cover the neck or extend past the ankles or shoulders.

• The material the swimsuit is made of can be not more than 0.04 inches thick.

• It’s not allowed to wear more than one suit and that suit must follow the shape of the body

• The buoyancy effect of a swimsuits may not be more that one Newton (this means they cannot support more than 3.5 ounces).

Alshammar says the new rules are sexist, “Man en woman are allowed to wear small Speedo-like underpants under their suit, but women are not allowed to use extra cover for their breasts”.