Did you know Florida has a coast line of 1,100 miles? Being surrounded by water, lounging beach or poolside is Florida’s specialty. With a shore line, including islands and bays, of approximately 3,000 miles. More than 30,000 lakes of varying size glisten in the bright sunshine; and the combined length of navigable rivers is more than 2,500 miles.
Vacation Friendly Water Sports in Florida
Whether you are a beginner or expert, you’ll agree water sports are a great way to get exercise and have fun on vacation. We’re going to look at some popular water sports that people enjoy, in Florida, and can be a lot of fun for visitors too.
Individual Water Sports
These are water sports that you can do on your own and have some fun doing. They are also great for getting exercise.
Swimming
Florida offers a long swimming history from the first concrete pools of the 1900’s to famous aquatic sports athletic training sites, and even swimming with manatees. Citizens and vacationers alike have the opportunity to visit and often swim in a variety of famous swimming sites.
Surfing
Florida’s climate is very agreeable, with an average temperature in Southern Florida of 28.2C / 82.7F during summer and 20.3C / 68.5F during winter. This makes it a great destination for surfers. The main swell season in winter from November to March gets the swells from North Atlantic low pressures, generating surf from anywhere between 1-10ft. Summer can have long spells of flat surf broken up by small windswell days. That said the best waves that Florida gets are during the summer cyclone season of August to October.
Windsurfing
This sport combines radical surfing technique and combines knowing how to sail. The equipment that’s used is a surfboard that has a sail that’s attached to it with a mast that is movable. Here in Florida on a windy day (and we have some good windy days and sunny days, 3 to 4 days a week, during the month of September to May) we have a great time at the beach. Some like to ride when the stormy weather approaches, but this later practice is not advisable unless you’re very skillful and know what you’re doing…and be careful, don’t try riding the storm!
Jet Skiing
Florida has more than 1,800 miles of coastline, 1,200 miles of sandy beaches and nearly 8,000 lakes. With this much water at the public’s disposal, Florida is one of the best jet ski destinations in the United States. Whether you wish to jet ski along the coast, down a river or across a lake, Florida is sure to provide you with an exciting and fun place to get some great use out of your personal watercraft.
Wakeboarding
It’s been said many times before, but we’ll say it again because it’s true: Orlando is the Mecca of wakeboarding. There are two things that make Orlando ideal for being the wakeboard capital of the world: its year-round summer climate, and If you fly over the city, you’ll notice that most of the ground is reflecting back up at you.
Water Skiing
It’s tough to debate Orlando’s legitimacy of being the best city to dwell in if you’re a serious water skier, based on the weather and the abundance of unpopulated, skiable lakes alone. And that’s exactly why the majority of the world’s best skiers call Orlando home.
Kitesurfing
Whether you are traveling to Florida for an extreme Kiteboarding vacation, looking to get into the sport by taking lessons, or just looking for a new place to kiteboard, kitesurf, power kite or land kite – Florida is a world class destination with its tropical climate, warm water (even in December) and consistent winds.
Team Water Sports
These water sports have movement synchronization, balance, joint effort, teamwork and energy to be successful and win.
Water Polo
Water polo’s a very energetic sport. It also involves a workout of the full body since the players have to swim while defending the ball along with try scoring in the goal of the opponent. Water polo’s much more like handball as opposed to polo. It’s very competitive and intense with many techniques and strategies involved in playing the game.
Rafting
People who love extreme sports and thrills love this water sport. You have to maneuver a raft over dangerous or rough water and there’s usually 4-12 people in the raft. It’s great to enjoy while on vacation and can be leisurely or thrilling based on the water’s speed and the location. A few Florida rivers do offer enough small rapids to make a white-water rafting trip exciting while a few others include Class III and IV rapids for thrill-seekers.
Canoeing
Where are you going kayaking this winter? Florida has lots of choices, and the best time to explore Florida by kayak and canoe is during our glorious cooler, dryer season. So many choices; so few weekends!
Recreational Water Sports
These types of sports are great for relieving stress, full of fun and they can help with you refreshing, relaxing, and rejuvenating. They’re really popular and they’re something that that tourists enjoy too.
Snorkeling
With warm, calm waters, snorkeling is one of the most popular activities found in Florida. The diverse and pristine waters in Florida allow beginners and experts alike to explore diverse marine life right from the beach. Grab your mask and fin and dive into one of Florida’s must-see snorkel spots.
Spearfishing
Spearfishing is an incredibly demanding yet exciting sports that attracts divers to the Florida keys every year. A combination of hunting and fishing, spearfishing is a technique of catching any saltwater fish with the use of a spear, gig, or lance propelled by a person at or below the surface level of water.
Underwater Photography
Is photography one of your favorite things? Then you should try this sport. This can be done using snorkeling equipment or scuba equipment so that you can get some truly fascinating pictures. You never know what you are going to see under the water and you’re going to get pictures that you would never get anywhere else. There are a lot of digital cameras that can used underwater. Give it a try and see what you can get pictures of.
Parasailing
When you go parasailing, you’ll be hooked into a parachute and towed by a boat. You’re going to see some amazing and breathtaking views of the horizon and water paired with a ride that is full of fun. If you are going to someplace like Hawaii that has crystal clear waters, one of the best things that you can do is to try parasailing.
Scuba Diving
Grab a map of Florida and you’ll see why there are as many diving opportunities as there are ‘gators in the ‘glades. Looking much like a long finger pointing into the blue oceanic waters, many of the best snorkeling in Florida are within a few short hours drive from just about anywhere in the state.
You could dive from spots at the top of the state to the bottom of the Florida Keys – and every place in between.
Conclusion
If you are looking for something fun to try or a way to get some exercise, water sports are a great choice. Try one of these sports above or one of the other ones and you may just find that you have found a new hobby.
Planning a Trip to Florida?
After seeing Florida’s beaches, return to the beauty and comfort of a home from Naples Florida Vacation Homes. We have a wide selection of homes located all over the Southwest Florida area. Whether you’re hoping to squeeze in a few rounds of golf during your visit or you’d like to relax by a private pool, you’ll find the perfect home to fit your needs.
Check out our rentals and book today! We look forward to having you.
