9 Reasons Why You Should Take Up Watersports For Your New Year’s Resolution

Choosing the right New Year’s resolution often involves thinking about what will make you a healthier, better and more accomplished person. Unfortunately, this tends to include cutbacks, restrictions and forced activities.

So, why not make your New Year’s resolution for 2017 an exciting one? Take up watersports and you could still be that fabled fitter-and-improved person without the drawbacks.

If you’re not convinced, take a look through these top nine reasons for why starting a watersport is the ideal New Year’s resolution.     

Explore

Like hang gliding where you see the land from above, watersports lets you discover the world from a new viewpoint. Kayak around craggy seashores, paddle past forested coastlines, or snorkel through a different ecosystem.

You’ll be stunned by how different the land looks from the water — and how much you can see of it in a just a short time. Once you’re confident with your skills, you can even take your watersports abroad to explore fjords, glaciers, mangroves, and lagoons!

Exercise

This ties in perfectly with another popular New Year’s resolution: keeping fit and/or losing weight.

Using paddles in a kayak or canoe really works your core, arms and upper torso, while sports like surfing and stand-up paddleboarding rely heavily on strong lower body muscles — especially your quads, glutes and hamstrings. For an all-over cardio workout, swimming and snorkelling are perfect. They also help you avoid putting the stress and strain on your joints that a land exercise session might.

Water resistance and movement naturally requires you to balance, which works your core muscles and boosts strength almost effortlessly. Many watersports can burn between 200 and 300 calories per 30-minute session, and they’re a fun alternative to the gym where you can get fit without even realising it.

Learn new skills

Watersports aren’t something you master after a few hours. There’s a series of levels to them and a variety of techniques to learn that add excitement every time you head to the water.

If you’re thinking about swimming; you can learn the back, breast and front strokes. If you want to master kayaking, you can try the rolling technique and different paddling types. Or, if you’re thinking about sailing, there are lots of manoeuvres for mooring and anchoring to conquer. Check out some of the DVDs and books out there to help you hone your craft, or book a specialised course and instructor.

Sociable

Watersports — especially sailing, kayaking and canoeing — can make the perfect social activity. If you’re just starting out, watersport courses are great for meeting new people or getting your old friends together.

Paddling next to each other on the water is a great way to chat and laugh without interruption — and learning techniques such as getting out of a capsized kayak or balancing on your surfboard are often good for a laugh.

There are also plenty of watersport courses and equipment for juniors, which are ideal for filling in a weekend with the family doing something exciting together.

Relaxation

Setting off in your single-seat kayak, taking your time to enjoy the sights, and stopping and starting whenever you like makes you feel completely free from the world.

Many paddlers, divers, swimmers, surfers, and sailors we know love the lack of restraint when it comes to watersports. Whether you’re under the surface or on it; being able to leave your troubles on the shore and surround yourself with nothing but water is a great stress-release.

Group or solo activity

If you fancy alone time one week and a group excursion the next, that’s easily done with a watersport. You have single-seat sea kayaks, tandem sit-on-tops and family-sized canoes if you’re a paddler, and you can always choose to head out on the waves alone if you’re into surfing or paddleboarding. Equally inclusive and exclusive, you can be as sociable as you want with a watersport.

Wildlife spotting

Taking up watersports is a great way to spot birds, marine life and land animals. Even in the UK, you can see and get close to creatures including deer, seals, otters, puffins, and dolphins in their natural habitats. There are a variety of organised nature trails you can go on throughout the country and we think it’s a great activity to keep yourself entertained as you sail, swim or paddle.  

Exciting

A huge attraction for many watersports enthusiasts is the thrill of it. Imagine skimming across the waves on a jet-ski, tailing a speeding boat on a set of water-skis, and white-water rafting along fast rivers.

The water is not a human’s natural environment, and this creates an exhilarating experience whenever you’re in or on it. Slightly tamer than skydiving (in our opinion), paddling, diving and sailing sports are ideal for getting a natural rush of adrenaline.  

Variety

Watersports is an offbeat idea with so much choice. From paddling, surfing, and swimming, to snorkelling, sailing and scuba-diving; there’s the perfect activity for anyone.

For the more cautious among us, get a touring kayak or open canoe to paddle along calm waters. Or, if you’re after a thrill-sport, hop on a jet-ski or try paragliding! The variety of watersports means you can chop and change, so you won’t get bored if you resolve yourself to taking part in them next year.

Browse our selection of kayak, canoe, paddleboard, and sit-on-top equipment to kick-start your New Year’s resolution now.