Just out of curiosity, I recently viewed a list of watersports (which is one of our main subject areas at Arizona Boating & Watersports/Western Outdoor Times), thinking the list would help me plan the editorial content of some future issues. I was amazed!
Just FYI, following is a list of most of the watersports, although I’m sure there will be others added after this issue’s press time. I realize we’ll never be able to cover them all (I don’t even know what some of the are), but if there are any in which you have particular interest, experience, or expertise, and would like coverage of that sport, please let me know by emailing me: Editor. We’ll try to meet your requests – at least some of them.
In The Water
• Swimming, including pool swimming and open water swimming
• Diving off springboards or off platforms
• Modern pentathlon includes épée fencing, pistol shooting, swimming, a show jumping course on horseback, and cross country running.
• Rescue swimming is swimming with the goal to rescue other swimmers or the practice thereof.
• Snorkeling is the practice of swimming at the surface (typically of the sea) being equipped with a mask, fins, and a short tube called a snorkel.
• Synchronized diving
• Synchronized swimming is a hybrid of swimming, gymnastics, and ballet.
• Triathlon, a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events, usually a combination of swimming, cycling and running.
• Waboba is played with a waboba ball on beaches or in pools.
• Water aerobics is aerobics in the water.
• Water polo is a team sport played in water.
• Aquajogging
On The Water (Surface Water Sports)
• Barefoot skiing is waterskiing without skis
• Boating is the use of boats
• Boat racing is the use of powerboats to participate in races
• Bodyboarding is similar to surfing, but the board is smaller and the person (normally) lies down on the board
• Cable skiing is similar to wake boarding but with cables for artificial maneuvering
• Canoeing
• Canoe polo
• Dragon Boat Racing teams of 20 paddlers racing
• Fishing is the recreation and sport of catching fish
• Flyboard
• Flowrider
• Jet Skiing
• Kayaking
• Kiteboating
• Kitesurfing on flat water using a kite for propulsion
• Kneeboarding
• Paddleboarding a person is propelled on a surf style board using a long paddle
• Parasailing where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat) while attached to a parachute
• Picigin, kicking around a small ball on shallow waters.
• Rafting
• Rowing
• Sailing using the wind for propulsion
• Sit-down hydrofoiling is riding on the water with a hydrofoil attached to a ski
• Skimboarding is a boardsport in which a board is used to ride on an incoming wave
• Skurfing is where the participant “skurfs” behind a boat on a surfboard
• Stand up paddle surfing a surf style board with a paddle, used in flatwater or waves
• Stand up Pedal board surfing Using these boards is as intuitive and stable as walking. Step on and go – no seat, paddle or overboard splashes required.The Pedal board is powered only by the legs and the steering control on the handlebar.
• Surfing downhill on ocean waves or artificial waves in a wave pool
• Wakeboarding is similar to water skiing, but using only one board attached to the feet
• Wakeskating is similar to wakeboarding, but the board is not attached to the feet
• Wakesurfing is a mix between wakeboarding and surfing
• Waterskiing is using skis to slide over the water while being pulled by a boat or other device
• White water rafting
• Windsurfing on flat water using wind for propulsion in combination with sails
• Yachting sailing on yachts, daysailing, cruising or Yacht racing
There are a large number of sports that involve water. The following is a list of water sports, divided by category. These categories are based on the relation of the sports to the water. Some of the sports include only one part related to swimming, such as a triathlon.
Underwater
• cave diving
• deep diving
• Free-diving
• ice diving
• spearfishing
• Underwater archaeology, particularly activity involving wreck diving
• Underwater photography, including underwater videography, is photography done under water.
• Numerous contests worldwide are arranged every year. Digital cameras have revolutionized how many divers participate.
• Underwater videography
• Aquathlon (underwater wrestling)
• Finswimming
• Free-diving
• Sport diving (sport)
• Spearfishing
• Underwater football
• Underwater hockey is a game played underwater which has some similarities to hockey. Two teams of players use short wooden curved sticks to move a heavy puck across the pool bottom to the opponents’ goal.
• Underwater ice hockey
• Underwater orienteering
• Underwater photography (sport)
• Underwater rugby is a game played underwater which has some similarities to rugby football. Two teams try to score goals by sending a slightly negatively buoyant ball into the opponents’ goal placed on the bottom of the pool.
• Underwater target shooting
