8 Watersports You've Got To Try

If you love the water but have tried all the usual activities, we’ve got just the thing for you. We’ve rounded up some lesser-known water-based adventures, so whether you’re an adrenaline junkie or a zen-seeker, you’re sure to find a new favourite to try out on the water.

Taking well-loved watersports to new heights (literally!), hydrofoiling is a must for any watersports aficionados out there. 

Foiling is the act of riding a hydrofoil through a body of water. Lots of boats use foils - shaped vanes which lift the hull clear of the surface - to help them travel more easily through the water at speed. Hydrofoiling brings the same principles to your favourite watersports, lifting you out of the water, giving you the feeling of flying above it. 

All you do is attach the hydrofoil to the underside of your craft, and once you’re in the water, it will lift you above the surface thus reducing drag, allowing you to travel faster and against the current.  

A hit with surfers, hydrofoils are redefining rideable waves and opening up access to new waves and offshore surf breaks. But you can get hydrofoils for pretty much everything from your paddleboard to your windsurf board.

It’s fast, it’s exciting, and it looks beyond gnarly, which is why we can’t wait to give it a go. 

If you’re someone who can never decide what kind of activity you want to do next, but you know you love the water, then coasteering is for you. Combining multiple activities along the coastline, it’s a hit with adrenaline-seekers looking to push the boundaries of their adventures.

Coasteering involves moving around intertidal coastlines, which means you could be swimming, jumping, diving, scrambling, climbing or caving, depending on where you are and what you face. It’s a great way to access some more remote areas of coastline and is incredibly versatile, making it the ultimate group activity. Plus, as you’re at the mercy of the sea and the tides, you can do the same route multiple times and always find new challenges.

The UK is a coasteering paradise, with miles of rugged coastline to explore, so you don’t have far to go if you’re looking to get your fix. You need relatively little gear too, which is always a bonus. A wetsuit is a must, as is a helmet, but otherwise, you’ll just want some old trainers to protect your feet and maybe some old layers to protect your wetsuit from getting snagged on the rocks.

You may have guessed, but ice swimming is wild swimming just in icy cold waters (below 5°C to be precise). Not for the faint-hearted, those brave enough to attempt it report multiple benefits, from an endorphin hit to a natural boost to their immunity. 

A frozen lake or a very cold body of water is essential, so it's no surprise that it's popular in Nordic countries. Finland, home to Europe's largest lake district, is one of the best countries to give it a go. 

However, before you plunge yourself into your local icy swimming spot, be aware that although called swimming, most people barely manage a dip of more than a few seconds when starting out. It's definitely an activity that requires patience and persistence to build up your tolerance to the cold. But if you catch the bug, you can put yourself to the test in various ice swimming competitions held across the world. 

One for all the canoers and kayakers looking to take their adventure to the next level, creeking is said to be one of the most dangerous extreme sports out there. Essentially it involves descending steep, low-volume whitewater in a canoe or kayak. But this isn’t something you can have a go at using your current raft. Creeking requires specialist kayaks and canoes that can withstand the intense white water and low depths you’ll find yourself navigating.

Once you’re in, creeking is incredibly intense and you’ll need all five senses on high alert as you battle your way through the water. But it’s also a very strategic sport, requiring you to spend time assessing conditions and planning lines before you even get into the water. This makes it a great option for critical-thinkers keen to push their mind and body to the limits. 

Norway, with its wide network of creeks, canyons and epic slides, is one of the world’s best creeking destinations.

If you’re a water skier looking for your next challenge, why not try giving barefoot water skiing a go? As strange as it sounds, you literally ditch the water skis and take to the water barefoot. 

So why do it? Not only will you get massive street cred amongst your friends for braving it, but you can reach much higher speeds by ditching the skis. The current world record speed stands at 135mph for being towed by a boat, but if you’re looking to take things to the next-level, the world record set whilst being towed by a helicopter is a mind-boggling 153mph.

In essence, as with water skiing, with barefoot water skiing it’s usually best to start on a boom rather than a rope, but once you’ve mastered that, the possibilities are endless. Whether you want to push speed, tricks or finesse, the only limit to where you can take the sport is your own ability. 

Another must-do on our bucket list is hydroflying. Literally flying above the water via a jetpack or jet board, hydroflying is said to be incredibly easy and heaps of fun. 

The pressure from a water hose of a personal watercraft shoots you up into the air to give you a unique feeling of flying above the water. 

You can choose a jetpack attachment, which lifts you from just below the shoulder to create the feeling of being suspended in mid-air, a jet board attaches to your feet and lifts you from below for a more magic carpet-type ride, or a jet ski, which yes, propels you into the air on a jet ski. Once you’ve mastered the controls, you can get seriously high above the water and start experimenting with all kinds of gnarly tricks.

Although less unusual than some of the others on this list, wakeboarding is definitely not one you should skip; it doesn’t get much more adrenaline-inducing than being strapped to a board and towed behind a motorboat at speed. 

You’ll need to work on your balance to stay upright as you’re towed along, but once you’ve mastered the basics, you can move on to jumps and tricks and have so much fun pushing the boundaries out on the water.

Although technically it can be done in the sea, you're most likely to come across wakeboarders in calmer man-made bodies of water or lakes.

If you’ve mastered SUP adventures, why not give SUP yoga a go? Trying your fave yoga moves on your paddleboard ups the workout level. It’s a real test of physical and mental strength as you battle to hold your posture while the board bobs along the water. 

Start with easy poses that keep your weight low on the board, like child’s pose or easy pose, before moving onto more difficult positions like downward dog, backbends or maybe even headstands (for the hardcore yogis out there).  

Our top tip for any wannabe pro SUP yogi – don’t be afraid of getting wet. You will fall off - it’s inevitable! Just remember yoga is as much about meditation, breathing and acceptance as it is a physical challenge. So, take a deep breath before climbing back onto your board to give it another go.

For those of you wild enough to try anything once, here are some other watersports to try out:

• Horse surfing – Yes, that’s being pulled along in the shallows by a horse on a surfboard

• Surf skiing – Taking surfing to beyond difficult, try skiing the waves like you would the mountains

• Cliff diving – A high-risk sport for the properly gnarly, cliff diving is popular in many countries, although it's thought to have its origins in Hawaii

• Cage diving with sharks – Sure, you can swim with baby sharks, but to get the heart pumping, it’s all about plunging yourself into the water with the Great White, albeit from the relative safety of a cage

Ready to give one of these latest watersport crazes a go? We’ve got everything you need to gear up for your adventure, from wetsuits and beachwear to dry bags and safety equipment. What are you waiting for? Start browsing today and seek your next thrill out on the water.

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