Super Splashy Fun With These Watersports

Flyboarding

If you're a true water baby, you'll feel right at home on the water.

You could hop on a boat ride but for real adrenaline thrills, look no further than these watersports.

Master a jetski, paddle in a kayak, try your hand at wakeboarding or waterskiing, brave the river rapids white water rafting, or take on the latest craze of water jetpack flyboarding.

There's certainly plenty of choice when it comes to getting your kicks on the water.

Jetski

Jetskiing

Experience fast and furious fun on a jetski

If you’re going out on the water, then forget about boats. Forget windsurfing. Definitely forget swimming. If it’s adventure, excitement, and adrenalin filled fun that you’re looking for, then you need to focus on just one speeding, bumping, crazy thing – the jetski. This incredible mode of transport is a must for anyone who loves to spend time on the water, and who loves to spend that time moving fast! Feel the wind in your face and the scenery rushing by when you take up the chance to ride a jetski!

Find out how to work a jetski. Balance is key, so your practice runs will be an essential part of getting you ready to race! Once you know how to start, how to steer, and (possibly most importantly) how to stop, you can race to your heart’s content!

As well as the assurance that you will love the day, there’s something else that’s absolutely guaranteed; you are going to get wet. Very wet. It’s also fairly certain that you’re going to fall into the water… Not that I'm assuming anything, but, as easy as they look, these amazing machines are pretty tricky to control at first.

Something to consider:

Ride a JetBike or JetRIB on an in-land lake near Reading, Berkshire. A RYA qualified instructor will walk you through the controls and you'll have approximately 30 minutes riding time, including tuition.
From £59 per person from Into The Blue (at time of writing)Learn more°

Kayaking

Kayaking

Forget motorised fun - connect with nature under your own steam in a kayak

Stick your oar in and glide through the water in a fantastic kayaking experience, in which you’ll learn everything there is to know about these people-powered paddlers. Whether you choose to kayak on calm flat waters or take on nature’s might and tackle the open seas, you’ll be bearing off and peeling out in no time – having a boat-load of fun in the process. It’s a great way to get outside, do something active and see some of Britain’s best sights in the process. So hop in, grab a paddle and let the good times glide!

Ditch the daily grind, leave the hum-drum far behind and enjoy a wonderful watery adventure. A fun-filled kayaking experience is the perfect way to get out and about, learning a great new skill in the process. Thanks to expert instructors who’ll guide you through every last detail, you certainly won’t be up the creek without a paddle. And once you’ve mastered the art of kayaking you can do it virtually everywhere, giving you a new dimension to your future travels. So all that’s left is for you to climb in, sit tight and see a very different side to Old Blighty. Prepare to have one ‘hull’ of a time!

Here's a suggestion:

Enjoy a kayak adventure tour of London's Regents Canal on a morning or evening tour that lasts around 1½ hours. Pass Regent’s Park Zoo, Camden Tow, Giraffe House, Snowdon Aviary, Little Venice, and Primrose hill
From £74 per person from Virgin Experience Days (at time of writing)Learn more

Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding

The aquatic version of snowboarding ditches snow in favour of the proper wet stuff, and the hill in favour of a motorised cable.

What do you get when you mix waterskiing and snowboarding? No, not a wet snowboarder. You get wakeboarding – one of the funkiest and fastest growing sports around. Riders are pulled along on a cable and surf across the water’s surface on a single board. It’s generally easier to learn than waterskiing which makes this a fantastic sport for those looking to tentatively test the waters, or anyone with a thirst for adventure. You’ll skim, slither and slide your way through this fun-filled experience so prepare to wipe out, get wet and make a serious splash!

The Wakeboarding Experience is a chance to have a barrel of laughs and get soaked to the skin as you attempt to keep your balance in a snowboard-style waterskiing lesson.

It’s fun, it’s cool (when you’re not wiping out) and it’s simple to learn. So strap in, grab on and dive right in for a wet and wild wakeboarding adventure! Far from being a ‘drag’, you’ll soon find that thrills and spills are the name of the game as you twist and turn to keep your balance, maintain control and stay onboard. It’s easier said than done so prepare to find out what you’re made of and get ready for a dunking in this rip roaring, rough and ready adventure.

Something to consider:

Receive an extended introduction to wakeboarding in Exmouth, Devon. Spend 30 minutes practising on land, 30 minutes on water, and then 15 minute trying your hand at a few tricks.
From £75 per person from Experience Days (at time of writing)Learn more°

Waterskiing

Way back in 1922, a man named Ralph Samuelson from Minnesota, USA, decided it would be a good idea to strap two pieces of wood to his feet, and get someone (his brother Ben, in the end) in a boat to pull him along the surface of a lake. Lake Pepin, to be exact, in, strangely enough, Lake City.

Waterskiing

Waterskiing is a classic water sport and is perhaps the grandfather to them all.

It may not have been the most auspicious of starts – Samuelson got really rather wet, and almost injured himself on a number of occasions, but in the end he worked out exactly how to hold onto the clothesline he used as a tow rope, just how much of the ‘skis’ should poke out of the water, and how fast his brother should be driving (20 miles per hour worked out pretty well).

And that was waterskiing. Then, Samuelson was pretty much the only person who took part (becoming the first waterski jumper and speed skier), but now it is a worldwide favourite watersport, and it attracts newcomers every day. It is hard work, but great exercise, and a lot warmer than traditional skiing (even when you get a bit damp)!

So why not join in the fun with one of the waterskiing experiences on offer?

If you’ve never stepped foot on a waterski before, then a beginner’s experience will be ideal for you. It might seem a little frightening, but once you’re into the swing of things, you’ll wonder why you never tried it before! Learn all the different ways to stand, to start, to balance, to make the most of the time you have on the skis. It’s an adrenalin-filled experience, and the time will go so quickly it will surprise you!

Try this for size:

Take a half-day introductory waterskiing course near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire. Start with kneeboarding before progressing to standing up.
From £65 per person from Buyagift (at time of writing)Learn more°

White water rafting

White water rafting

Expect plenty of thrills and spills on a scary white knuckle ride along rapids

Quench your thirst for adventure with this wet ‘n wild white water rafting experience. Thrills and spills are the name of the game as you attempt to tame the rapids and tackle a series of runs down a thrilling white water course. Prepare to have a whole raft of laughs and get thoroughly soaked to the skin in this rip roaring experience, which pits you and your team against nature’s fury. One thing’s for sure, this is no picnic in the park – so dive right in, get your heart pounding and your adrenalin pumping in this rough and ready adventure!

Reckon you can take on the rapids? Find out what you’re made of in this water-based adventure which is all digs and drops, pitches and pivots. Dip your toes into the world of white water rafting and tackle the twists and turns of a challenging course complete with chutes and fast-moving currents. Far from landing in deep water, under expert tuition you’ll take a series of runs and learn how to steer the craft, negotiate obstacles and combat the course in this watery white-knuckle ride. Just one question remains: will you tame the unruly rapids?

A top choice:

Climb aboard an inflatable rubber raft and head downstream through powerful, fast-flowing rapids. It's fast, furious, and physically demanding fun. It takes place at locations near Stockton-on-Tees, Northampton, and Pitlochry
From £99 for two from Activity Superstore (at time of writing)Learn more

Water jetpack (flyboarding)

Water jetpack flyboarding

The jetpack finally exists - in the water. Using the force of high pressure water, you can soar and dive like a rocket man

Do you remember as a child wishing you could fly? And, maybe, as an adult too? Surely it would have to be the best super power available, being able to swoop through the air, perform tricks, really experience something special that only a handful (if that!) of other people had ever been able to do. Taking off in a plane or a helicopter is all very well, but it’s pretty commonplace. Skydiving is exhilarating, but it’s over in seconds, and once you’re down, you can’t then just decide to soar back up again. So did you give up on your crazy, incredible dream? Let’s hope not, because with the water jetpack (flyboarding) experience day, the air (and the water) is yours for the taking… You’ll be flying like a pro in no time, and you won’t even get your feathers wet!

Start with the essential training, and learn how to gain height and speed with your jetpack. Learn how to steer it. Learn how to land. Is there anything else you need to know? That will certainly keep you swooping and sweeping around for the entire experience.

With speeds of up to 30 miles per hour, and heights of up to 15 metres, this really is an exhilarating experience not to be missed. The ‘jet pack’ can be either worn on your back (it includes a seat so you can really concentrate on what you are doing) or ridden like a motorcycle, depending on where and with whom you experience this once-in-a-lifetime treat.

Futuristic and downright insane, this is the most fun you can have in the air, above water, wearing jet boots. Honestly.

Using the power of the water itself, this water jetpack experience day is like no other you’ll ever encounter.

Try this for size:

Take to the air thanks to this futuristic invention. Powerful jets of water propel you up, side-to-side, and ultimately, to a splashy touchdown. Choose to ascend using a Flyboard or opt for a seated water jet bike. This activity takes place near Lincoln, Reading, Tidenham, Frodsham, Liverpool, and the Wirral.
From £125 per person from Red Letter Days (at time of writing)Learn more°

Wipeout! - What You Need To Know

  • WHEN: Events take place year-round. Those that involve the sea are usually weather-dependant. Some experiences take place between April and October to catch the best (and most reliable) weather.
  • WHERE: Experiences can be found nationwide.
  • WHO: These are the perfect gift experiences for anyone who hasn’t quite grown up – or who doesn’t want to. And that’s not a bad thing! For the young and the young at heart, you'll feel like James Bond or Superman, ready to take on any challenge.
  • OCCASIONS: What a birthday or Christmas treat these would be… or how about a stag or hen do?
  • PRICES: Getting wet starts from around £30 a head for a taster session, while the more extreme events can cost up to around £100 per person. Group sessions for around £300 are ideal for stag and hen parties. (correct at the time of writing)

(Photo credits to Chusa8; ChanhNguyen; Free-photos; Putevodnik; Stormin0111; Skeeze; Ivabalk)

David

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