Water | Surf Fest

Stay Healthy With Water Sports

Summer is a great time of year to get out on the water. Being able to stay healthy and fit can be fun when you go water skiing, surfing or even fishing. Everyone needs to get a little sun so that they can help their body make the vitamin D that they need. In addition to that, playing outdoors helps your cardiovascular system.

Being able to have fun while working out is a great way to make sure that you are getting in thirty minutes of activity a day. Surfing is a great way to use your entire body. It works almost every muscle. Having a good surf board and vest is essential when you are starting out, as well as a wetsuit.

Water skiing is another great sport. It not only helps with balance, but it increases your arm strength as well. Each time you are pulled up out of the water, you have to be able to hang on to the handle on the lead. Repeating this over and over strengthens the upper arms and chest muscles.

Fishing works in a similar way, especially if you go deep sea fishing and have to help reel in a really big catch. Spending time outdoors is a great way to stay in shape. Just remember to always be safe when you are near the water. Wear a life jacket and other protective gear, so that all you do is have fun rather than have to deal with an accident or tragedy.

Filed Under: Health, Water Sports Tagged With: Fish, Water, Waterskiing

Water Sports – An Interesting And Innovative Option To Lose Excess Weight

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Do you find it difficult to go to the gym on a daily basis? Do you find the idea of playing sports appealing? Are you bored of playing the same old baseball and basketball matches with your friends to improve your fitness? Well, why don’t you do something new and innovative to improve your fitness? How about water sports?

One of the biggest advantages of opting for water sports is that your mind shifts focus from fitness and exercise to survival. If you don’t swim when you are in the water, you will drown and die. On the other hand, there is nothing stopping you from standing idly during the basketball match, right? You are not going to sink into the ground, right? This simple difference will force you to stay mobile and active at all times.

If you are a sailing on a boat, you will have to use your muscles to power the boat over the surface of the water. Going in for a motorized boat is one option but that will just defeat the purpose of going in for water sports.

Another advantage of choosing water sports is the new things that you will learn. Knowing how to assess the change in direction of wind and making various changes to the sails to ensure they remain filled with air and move at high speed can be a very interesting task. In such a scenario, you will quickly lose sight of the physical exertion and will enjoy yourself throughout the activity. The best part is that you will end up losing your excess fat in a very short period of time.

Filed Under: Health, Water Sports Tagged With: Boat, Sports, Water

Importance of Correct Water Chemicals

Everyone talks about the levels of chlorine in the pool and the overall acidity of the water, but as a water sports athlete, what does that mean to you? It is always important to check the chemical content of the pool to make sure that the water is safe and maintained in a way that is beneficial to all patrons using it. You may have seen a lifeguard or pool manager getting water from the pool and putting drops of various colors in. This is a chemical check of the pool

Chlorine is one of the most important parts of pool maintenance. It should be checked regularly, especially if there are a lot of people in the pool or there have been recent problems with the chlorine pump. A person takes a certain amount of water from the pool and adds a white tablet to the water to check for chlorine. Typically, the darker pink the water turns, the more chlorine in the pool. If you see this test being done and the water not changing, it is time to exit the pool until the problem can be solved.

The other test that is performed frequently is the check for the acidity of the pool. So many times, people’s eyes burn as they swim in the pool. Everyone blames it on the chlorine, but it is actually the acidity of the pool that makes this happen. Instead of a white tablet, drops are poured into a measured amount of water. Depending on the color, the pool will have a low or high ph. The lifeguard or pool manager will then decide how much acid, if any, should be added to the pool. Usually, when the acid is being added, patrons are asked to leave the pool for at least 20-30 minutes. These tests are key to make sure that patrons can enjoy the pool without fear of health risks.

Filed Under: Water Sports Tagged With: Chlorine, Water

Kids and the Water

No matter what type of water sport that you participate in, there is a chance that kids are going to be in and around the water. Because of this, there are certain precautions that need to be taken no matter what is going on. Someone always needs to be responsible for nothing but watching the kids around water.

Many times that designated person is a lifeguard. If there is a swim meet going on in one area of the pool, there may be a special place that the kids can play and be supervised. One of the best individuals to supervise children around the water is a lifeguard. He or she is trained to take care of individuals that may run into problems around the water. They know the rules that keep kids safe.

If you are bringing your child with you while you swim laps, even if they know how to swim, it is important to make sure that someone else is watching them. Don’t think that just because they can swim and know there way around the water that they are going to be okay. Bring a responsible person with you. Let that person know what your expectations are for the kids as well as the things that are acceptable and the things that aren’t.

Even with a responsible person around, it is also important to teach kids to be careful of the water. You just want them to have a healthy fear of the water and the unpredictability that it brings with it. Teach them not to run around the water. Teach them to never swim alone. Teach them to make good decisions when it comes to pool, lake and ocean safety. Then, show them that you take these rules seriously by leaving someone in charge of them while they are around it.

Filed Under: Water Sports Tagged With: Lifeguard, Water

Water Sports Must Have: Sunscreen

While there are all types of equipment that people need when it comes to participating in water sports, very few can compare to the need for sunscreen. Being out on the water can make a person think that they don’t need sunscreen. They are staying cool with the water and around them and don’t realize that the sun is beating down on their skin.

Find sunscreen that is waterproof. Take note: just because it is waterproof doesn’t mean that it will last all day. It still needs to be applied regularly. In fact, better to apply it too frequently than not enough. Every part of your skin that is not covered up by clothing needs to be covered in sunscreen.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that a hat is protecting them from the sun. The sun can come off the water and still burn your face, even if you have on a hat and sunglasses. Put plenty of sunscreen in your hands and work from top to bottom to over all parts of your face. Many times people forget to put sunscreen on their ears and the back on their necks. If any part of your back and shoulders are showing, be sure to cover them well. You can ask someone to help you if you can’t reach.

If you are participating in any type of water sport that involves wearing a life jacket, it is important to take it off while you apply or reapply the sunscreen. The jacket may prevent you from getting certain areas of the body and it can hurt to find that there is just one small area of your body that is left sunburned. There are all types and brands of sunscreen on the market, so most people search until they find one that is best for them.

Filed Under: Equipment, Water Sports Tagged With: Sunscreen, Water

Pulling Someone Out of the Water

Whether a person can’t swim or they just ran into a little trouble, they may be looking to you for a little help. While you want to do all that you can, you need to make sure that you take care of yourself first and foremost. People that are struggling have a tendency to grab onto anything they can reach to keep themselves above water and you don’t want to be what they try to use to stay afloat.

Throw something into the water for them to use. Most pools and boats have some type of flotation device that you can throw out to them. Yell for them to grab on and try to calm down. Next, if a rope is attached, you can use it to pull them to the side of the pool or boat. You don’t want to just stand there at the edge and pull. The person can still pull hard enough to have you fall into the water as well. Stay as low to the ground as possible and pull them in. If there are other people around, be sure to have them help.

Once they have gotten close, you can lay on your stomach and stretch your hand out into the water. If there are other people there, have them hold onto your feet or legs to stabilize you. You can pull them close enough to the side to get them out. If you are by yourself, you may not be able to pull them out. You may have to just keep them to the side until assistance arrives.

Remember that the last option is to go in after them, however, make sure that you are trained to handle something like this. Lifeguards are taught to even push a person away until they calm down and accept the help.

Filed Under: Water Sports Tagged With: Pull buoy, Water

Learning to Dive Into the Water

Diving is one of the most dangerous things that you can do in the water. Because you are going head first into an area (with your arms extended) you run the risk of hitting something with your head and damaging your spine. Because of this, some swimming lessons have removed the diving portion for safety reasons. If you are working on diving, it is important to be in an area with a lifeguard or some other instructor to make sure that you are doing it correctly.

One of the easiest ways to start is to sit on the edge of the pool with one leg below you. You other leg is pulled up to your chest with your toes on the edge. This will give you a little bit of a push when you begin the dive. Stretch your arms out above your head and let your hands meet. Lean over your knees so that you are hunched over and your fingers are pointing towards the water. From here, you can almost lean over into the water.

With diving, the point is not to get down as deep into the water as possible. You only want to enter the water and skim your body just below the surface. For most people, diving is a way to get in the water quickly and get moving. Some people don’t pay attention when they dive and just try to make it in as quickly as possible. Don’t make that mistake. Just take your time, make sure the area is clear.

Also, when you dive in, make sure that the water is deep enough. Even though you aren’t planning to go down very far, you want to have some room for error. Also, when it comes to open waters, like an ocean or lake, don’t jump in unless you are sure that the water is okay.

Filed Under: Water Sports Tagged With: Diving, Water

Safety in Numbers When it Comes to Water

You may have always heard as a child that you should never swim alone. This statement may hold more weight than you realize. It isn’t just about eating too much and then finding yourself with a cramp and it isn’t just about running by a pool and hitting your head.

Anytime you are around the water, it is always a good idea to have someone with you. There are so many reasons why this is important. While you may be a strong swimmer and completely competent, but unexpected things happen all of the time. One of the most common issues that swimmers experience, especially when long distances away from the shore is exhaustion. It might not seem that far when you first get started but halfway there things begin to look a little daunting.

Another unexpected issue can be some type of a fall or injury that occurs which makes it difficult to keep swimming or even keep yourself afloat. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to never jump into water head first. Even if you think you know the depth of the water, or plan to dive in and swim along the surface, there are things that could make that impossible.

When it comes to water sports, even those that require swimming long distances alone, you’ll notice that someone is always around for just in case. Even if the other person cannot assist you, they can go and get help. They can talk to you and keep you calm. If they need to, they can pull you out of the water. This isn’t just something that mothers tell their children to keep them in line. This is an important fact that everyone should be aware of and can even be the difference between life and death.

Filed Under: Water Sports Tagged With: Swimming, Water

Teaching Swimming at an Early Age

At just six months old, some babies are becoming the youngest members of a swimming lesson. One program may just look to have the child acclimated to the water and what it feels like to get a little splash of it on the body or even on the head. Other programs begin teaching babies how to roll over onto their backs to simulate floating until an adult is able to pull them from the water. No matter what type of program, there are benefits to putting smaller children into the water at an early age.

It goes without saying that to participate in any type of water sports, a person must know how to swim. If they don’t they aren’t going to be very successful swimming across a pool to make a goal and they won’t be all that safe then they look to dive into the water and can’t find their way back to the edge. For most people, the younger they are exposed to the water, the more comfortable they are going to be. If a child has been in the water (even with just a Parent and Tot swimming lesson) every time they enter the water they become more familiar with the weightless feeling and the way the body moves from one place to another.

Once swimming is mastered, children have the chance to try out a variety of water sports and see which ones interest them the most. They may want to try out the swim team one summer and a water polo team the next. The more activities they are exposed to, the more opportunities will be available to them. It goes without saying that they will also just enjoy being out in the water, playing, and having fun with friends. Get this kids out in the water as soon as possible and open the doors of possibility for them when it comes to water sports.