With the UK beginning to come out of another lockdown, we believe it is time to showcase some of the great activities water can provide for you.

Join us today as we take a look at how you can enjoy the warm weather we have all been looking forward to.

Surfing

A very well-known and popular water sport. Surfing is practised by people all over the world including the UK.

Surfing is described as being a “surface water sport”. Surfers use the face of a wave of water to carry themselves to the shore…but it always looks way cooler than that!

Regardless, surfing is always about getting on your board, catching a wave, and looking awesome doing it, in whatever way possible!

Many different types of boards exist in surfing, all dating back to different creation processes through different cultures.

These boards were referred to as “reed craft” by the Moche civilisation of Peru whilst other areas such as people native to the pacific coast (Polynesian culture) used what is referred to as an “Alaia”.

As to the origins of surfing, it was thought to be a prominent activity within Polynesian culture, but the modernised version of surfing that we picture today is said to date back to 4th century Hawaii when Polynesians visited the islands.

It didn’t make its way to America (specifically California) until 1885 when some teens came to shore on a break from boarding school.

Whilst we often picture surfing as standing on a board, riding through clear waves as they curl over, bodyboarding is also classified as surfing in a way. We recommend this if you’re just starting out, as learning to surf can take quite a while.

Water Skiing

This time you most certainly need a friend and a boat! Like surfing, water skiing is practised worldwide, with healthy participants in Australia and the Americas.

Water skiing is all about throwing on your skis and having your buddy drive a boat at a good speed. This enables you to follow behind the boat as you skim across the water with style.

It was invented in 1922 in Minnesota when a man by the name of Ralph Samuelson attached makeshift skis to his feet and gave it a go as he held on to a clothesline!

This sport should avoid the ocean in most cases as opposed to surfing. Water Skiing is recommended to be done on smooth, calm waters.

This is due to this sport requiring excellent balance, which big waves can throw off easily. In addition, great endurance paired with upper and lower body strength is needed to keep skimming the water and hold on to the boat stringing you along.

Water skiing is also accessible for people with disabilities, allowing for everyone to get involved and have fun! You can get seated skis that come equipped with handles.

Kayaking

Kayaking separates itself from canoeing with the position of the person in the kayak and the blades used for the paddling.

Kayaks position the rider very close and low to the water, using each side of the double-bladed paddle to move them along.

This can be a very chilled sport, enjoying calm waters and a slow meander…or you can tackle rapids and go wild with it!

Kayaks were created by the Inuit people of the northern regions of Antarctica using driftwood or, in more gruesome cases, the skeleton of a whale…this was then wrapped in animal skin (often from a seal) to create the body.

The literal translation of the Kayak is “hunter’s boat”, so these were often used for fishing on the water. Kayaks are still used for fishing today, but have developed many other recreational uses, such as the aforementioned traversing of rapids.

Whilst we can’t provide you with surfboards, water skis, or a kayak, we can provide you with quality drinking water through our water filters, to keep you hydrated, while tackling these sports!

Give us a call on 01462 455772 where we would be happy to help you and answer any of your questions.