Water sports enthusiasts, ahoy!!! Here are the top 12 water sports destinations for 2012. Spring and summer are not far away at these destinations, so grab your summer gear, book your trip now, and head out to the beautiful sun, blue waves, clear waters, and that incredible adrenaline rush.
1. Australia
Whether scuba diving, speed boating, surfing, or parasailing, Australia is guaranteed to kick your adrenaline into high gear. If it’s snorkeling you want, head to the Cape Byron Marine Park with its blue sea turtles and groupers. Water skiers, Gippsland Lakes awaits you with its Rip Curl Pro contest where surfers are guaranteed the biggest pipes they ever saw. Other great places are Ninety Mile Beach and the Murray River.
2. Lakshadweep
On the Indian Ocean, Lakshadweep is fast becoming the water sports adventurer’s favorite haunt. Here, you can go snorkeling, deep sea fishing, speed boating, windsurfing, kayaking, glass bottom boat sailing, lagoon fishing, water scooter riding, and banana boating to your heart’s desire. The best locations are Agatti Island and the Bangaram Island of the Lakshadweep Islands. Lakshadweep islands are famous for coral reefs, lovely beaches, and clear waters.
3. Mauritius
Another of the top destinations for water sports in the Indian Ocean is Mauritius; with prevailing winds all through the year, it is an absolute surfer’s paradise. Crystal-clear water, blue lagoons, exciting coral reefs, and great summer weather make this a fantastic destination. Coastal hotels offer all the water sports you can enjoy, along with equipment and coaching, sometimes for free. Get ready for deep-sea diving, boating, snorkeling, deep-sea fishing (feel like some tunas, sailfish, bonitos, and sharks, blue and black marlins?).
4. Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s waters are warm and comfortable at a cozy 80°F (27°C); this encourages many people to spend all day in the ocean, surfing, diving, and snorkeling. The inland waters are calmer, creating a safe environment for windsurfing, dinghy sailing, jet, and water skiing. Due to visibility and storm conditions, it’s best to hit the East Coast between April and September and the South and West Coasts between November and April.
5. Acapulco, Mexico
The entire bay of Acapulco is lined with beaches, such as the Playa Diamante and Playa Revolcadero. Acapulco is great for surfers because of the size of the waves. The Playa Puerto Marque and the Playa Icacos are famous for boating, fishing, banana and glass bottom boating, parasailing, scuba diving, sports fishing, wave running, and much more.
6. Aruba
Aruba’s constant trade winds make this island a fabulous destination for windsurfing and kite-surfing lovers. Aruba hosts the annual Hi-Winds Windsurfing Pro-Am Grand Prix World Cup event each year. Snorkeling and scuba diving in Aruba are a treat, with the variety of multi-hued tropical fish, colorful reefs, and clear waters. Waters are warm, at 78°F, and visibility is at 90 feet.
7. Bahamas
With year-round warm temperatures of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, it is no wonder the Bahamas is so popular. Whether you’re into kiteboarding, kayaking, surfing, wave-running, shark encounters, or wild dolphin excursions, head to the Bahamas. There are over 700 islands, with 1,000 plus dive sites, bottomless blue holes, historic wrecks, and amazing underwater marine life.
8. Bermuda
Bermuda has many underwater caves, which host an amazing marine ecosystem. And, in coastal waters like the Castle Harbor, Hamilton Harbor, and Great Sound, you’ll find many little beaches, grottos, islets, and coves, a true paradise if you’re into boating, sailing, swimming, snorkeling, surfing, or what have you.
9. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas is the most popular destination for water sports lovers. You’ll find them all here – jet skiers, wave runners, parasailers, water skiers, kayakers, boaters, boogie boarders, snorkelers, etc. The Sea of Cortez, the earth’s youngest sea, is a treasure trove of unique species of vertebrates and invertebrates, great for snorkelers and divers.
10. Jamaica
In Jamaica, you can enjoy quality water sports in regions such as Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios, and Port Antonio. If you’re into big boat deep-sea fishing, you’ll be interested to learn that Jamaica hosts the Jamaica International Blue Marlin Team Tournament and the International Fishing Tournament each year. That says it all. Bottom fishing is another specialty here. You can also jet ski, parasail, scuba dive, snorkel, and other activities.
11. Hawaii
The Hawaiian climate is warm throughout the year, with ocean temperatures ranging between 81 degrees to 76 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s an ideal location for surfing, body boarding, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving and parasailing. Kailua in Oahu and Maui is the best Kayaking spot, while several locations in Kauai are fabulous for scuba diving.
12. Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico’s exceptional climate, unique landscaping, calm waters, and miles and miles of beaches make it a popular water sports destination. You can either enjoy all kinds of water sports solo or take one of the tour packages and combine jet skiing with snorkeling, boating, and fishing for an overall experience of Puerto Rico’s amazing waters.
Which of these top destinations for water sports do you want to visit?
