5 Great Water Sports for Beginners

Looking to try something new on vacation? Here are 5 great water sports for beginners: swimming, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, SUP yoga, and surfing.

Water sports for beginners 

There is nothing like a day on the water, especially in the summer heat. Many of us are about to head out on vacation, so we are dreaming of all the fun we can have on the water. But water sports aren’t just for vacation, and they also aren’t just for experienced athletes. Watersports is a broad category that offers a little bit for everyone. 

Whether you are getting ready to head out on vacation or just want to try something new, here are our favorite watersports for beginners!

Swimming

We believe that everyone should know how to swim. Being able to swim is more than just fun or great for exercise, it is also an important matter of safety. That’s why the first thing we do at a Deep End Fitness session is a screener. Water confidence is a life-saving skill and everyone should have it.

The Deep End Fitness Program is designed for athletes of all levels to help develop mental focus, manage stress, strengthen water confidence and build efficient breathing techniques. We do this through enhancing water and life confidence while in the pool. We have sessions that cater to your level and needs. Come check it out! 

Once you know how to swim you have opened the door to a world of other awesome water sports! Or, you can choose to focus on swimming!

“Water confidence is a survival skill and everyone should have it.”

Kayaking

Whether you live near an ocean, river or lake, you are bound to meet people who kayak. Kayaking is a great water sport for beginners. It’s a great way to leisurely get out on the water, fish or even explore hidden spots in nature. It’s also awesome exercise for the upper body! Make sure that you have a kayak that suits your size, a good paddle and a life jacket. Take safety into account and research where you plan on getting in the water. While kayaking is generally safe, currents and rapids can quickly make it dangerous. It is always better to kayak in well known spots and to bring a friend. 

Stand up paddle boarding and SUP yoga

Stand up paddle boarding is great exercise and perfect for people who want to get out on the water but don’t necessarily want to surf or be pulled behind a boat. It consists of a large board and a paddle and is pretty simple: get out in the water, get on your board and get going. standing does require a bit of balance, but it doesn’t take most people very long to get the hang of it. It also doesn’t require lessons: while there are teachers available, the skills are pretty simple and could be found online. The SUP community is huge and spans the globe, and there are plenty of activities. If you find that you enjoy going a bit faster, you may be interested in eventually trying out an SUP race. Speed not your speed?  Within SUP you will also find people who practice SUP yoga which is yoga on a paddle board. 

Beginner surfing 

Surfing can be just as fun for beginners as it is for the pros. There is nothing like the feeling of standing up on your board and riding a wave to the shore, and if it is your first time, a little wave will do. It will still be exciting. A good teacher can help you spot the right waves, stand up and ride them like a (beginner) pro. Hey, everyone has to start somewhere!

Underwater Torpedo League

You may want to try the fastest growing underwater sport out there: the Underwater Torpedo League. Popularized by servicemen and women, it combines the fun of a football game with the challenge of competing underwater. Sometimes called “Underwater Fight Club” it’s bound to be a good time. Want to see what it’s all about before you try it? Check out our YouTube channel for some awesome footage of the best time you’ll ever have in a pool, guaranteed.

Which Water Sports are in the 2021 Summer Olympics? | Deep End Fitness

After being postponed in 2020, Tokyo will be hosting the 2021 Summer Olympic Games. Water sports in the Olympics include swimming, diving, and water polo.

Which Water Sports are in the Summer Olympics?

After spending nearly a year wondering if they would happen, the 2020, now 2021, Olympic Summer Games are almost here. The world watches as we return to international athletics and these games will celebrate our slow return to normal and how the world has come together to combat covid. 

As the best of our athletes prepare to make the journey to Tokyo, we can’t help but get a little excited about our favorite water sports. Water sports are some of the most exciting in the Olympic games as athletes must contend with the added challenge of water. 

The International Olympic Committee makes changes to the official Olympic program more frequently than we realize. So let’s get into what water sports to watch for this year, and maybe even in the future. 

Swimming

Swimming is by far one of the most popular sports in the Olympics with thousands tuning in to watch the world’s fastest swimmers face off. With legendary swimmers such as Michael Phelps competing with almost inhuman success, swimming has gained the world’s attention year after year. While popular swimmers like Michael Phelps may not be swimming in the Olympics this year, there are still plenty of new young swimmers who are pushing the bounds.  Watch for swimmers like Katie Ledeckey, Abbey Weitzel, Caleb Dressel, and lesser known Gianlucca Urlando. Life track and field, there are countless swimming events broken down by distance (and stroke) and exciting relays. 

Marathon Swimming

Marathons aren’t just for runners! Since 2008 athletes have competed in grueling marathon swimming events at the Olympics. Marathon swimming is the longest swimming event in the Olympics covering a distance of 10 kilometers in open water. This high endurance water sport can also be pretty exciting: while the races often last nearly two hours, the winner is usually decided by tenths of a second. Athletes have a force to contend with not seen in the pool: nature. Swimmers have to use the sea’s currents and tides to their advantage, making for an exciting race. 

Diving

While technically a water sport, diving actually is judged more on what happens out of the water than in it. Diving first became an Olympic sport in 1904 at the St Louis games. It has been an Olympic sport ever since! Divers are judged on the aerial acrobatics they perform before hitting the water. In 2000 they also added synchronized diving, where divers must perform tricks in harmony. 

Synchronized swimming

While many of us still refer to this sport as synchronized swimming, its official title changed to artistic swimming. Today, this sport is performed either with a partner, known as duets, or in teams. This is an artistic sport that combines elements of swimming, dance and gymnastics as swimmers perform synchronized movements in the water. While this water sport is as much of an art form as it is athletics, it requires incredible strength, flexibility, breath support and precision. Like in gymnastics floor routines, routines are usually performed to music. 

Water Polo

Some people consider water polo the toughest Olympic sport, water or otherwise. It has been included at nearly every Olympic Games. But have you ever stopped to watch it? Many people are not actually familiar with the rules, even though it has been popular for over a hundred years. Gameplay is fairly simple: two teams take to the field, except here the field is not a field but a pool. Each team may have seven players: six in the outfield and one goalkeeper. Other than the goalkeeper, the players are constantly moving around the pool–some believe that players move between one and two miles per game! The goal is to score points by getting a ball into the opposing team’s goal. The team with the most points wins. This is a high-intensity water sport as players may not rest by touching the bottom of the pool. They tread water or use a slightly more efficient version of treading water called the egg beater. Except for the goalkeeper, players are also only allowed to hold the ball with one hand, adding an extra challenge. 

Future Olympic Sport: Underwater Torpedo League (UTL)

Every now and then, the Olympic Committee will allow a demonstration to gauge interest globally in new, up-and-coming sports. One sport that is quickly gaining attraction around the world is the Underwater Torpedo League. It is truly a test of strength, stamina, breath support, and the ability to stay calm in the clutch. One could compare it to water polo, except that all the action occurs underwater. It has become popular with athletes such as surfers, MMA fighters, former military personnel, pro swimmers, and functional fitness athletes. But there have also been a number of former football players and swimmers who have tried the game. We are hoping that it will become a sport in the Olympics by 2028. 

“It is truly a test of strength, stamina, breath support, and the ability to stay calm.”

Try UTL and Deep End Fitness Yourself

Ready to train underwater? Come check out Deep End Fitness. Designed by former marines, it is a program designed for athletes of all levels and people who want to lead, push their physical limits, and develop deeper focus. Deep End Fitness is a licensed sport, so anyone can get a program up and running once they have been trained. You do not have to compete in UTL to train in Deep End Fitness, but we hope you’ll give this new Olympic water sport a try.