Water activities and water sports are usually reserved for when we're on holiday, or at the very best, on weekends as a pastime or hobby. It's usually a luxury for those who have the time and the location to enjoy such activities. Of course, some people with access to water sports manage to slip it into their daily routine. Still, most of us participate if we're on a vacation in Hawaii or some other beachside destination.
But many more people now have location-independent freedom and can have a travel lifestyle that includes water sports as a daily activity. Storylines is building a maritime vessel specifically designed for those who choose to live to work and not work to live. And for all of the water sports enthusiasts out there, the ship has an onboard, waters-edge marina. Residents of the ship can take out personal watercraft equipment such as jet skis, kayaks, sailboats, paddleboards and snorkeling gear.
If you are like us, one who longs for a life of adventure, where water activities are more than a monthly occurrence and you dream of some of the most iconic destinations worldwide, read on.
Popular Water Sports Destinations
First, some popular water adventure sports:
- Ocean swimming
- Scuba diving
- Freediving
- Snorkeling
- Surfing
- Surf skiing
- Water skiing
- Jet skiing
- Sailing
- Kayaking
- Cliff diving
- Parasailing
- Sea walking
- Whitewater rafting
- Wakeboarding
- Paddleboarding (SUP)
- Cage diving
- Kite surfing
Not all water activities are suited to all bodies of water so we want to highlight the locations worldwide that are renowned for their specific form of water adventure sports. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Snorkeling the Red Sea, Egypt
There are many phenomenal snorkeling locations worldwide, yet the Red Sea in Egypt is consistently rated among the best. So what makes the Red Sea so unique for snorkeling and scuba diving? In short, it has it all:
- Excellent visibility: Unbelievably crystal clear waters
- Technicolor coral: Not as bleached as other famous coral reefs
- Diverse wildlife: From schools of fish to sharks
- Whalesharks: Considered by many to be the ultimate bucket list snorkeling experience
- Best wrecks: Including The Thistlegorm; the mother of all shipwrecks
- The caves: And gullies of Saint John’s reefs
Windsurfing in St. Martin, The Caribbean
While there are many terrific places to go windsurfing around the world, not many can beat the tropical island scenery and beautiful bays of St. Martin in the Caribbean Sea. This location is also popular for kitesurfing.
The best time for windsurfing is during the winter months, and for beginners, the best location is Orient Bay. For the more experienced who wish to carve up some surf, you will want to head to Green Cay, Le Galion Beach and Pinel Island. If you are an expert windsurfer, you are already well aware that the water all around St. Martin is your playground.
Paddle boarding in Ibiza, Spain
Photo credit Ibiza Spotlight
The island of Ibiza is renowned for its party reputation. Yet there's more to this jewel of the Mediterranean than drinking and dancing the nights (and days) away. The island is also a nature paradise with beautiful beaches and still, sparkling azure waters.
One of the best ways to explore the island's waters and beaches is stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). Paddleboarding is a great water sport as it's suitable for people of just about any age. It's also a total core body workout.
In Ibiza, there are guided boat tours that can take you to the island's hidden gems (and local secrets) to explore by paddleboard. These beaches are usually inaccessible by land. One such tour group is Sup Paradise Ibiza, which will also teach and support newcomers to paddleboarding who may get the wobbles. But hey, at least if you topple over, you will fall into that extremely inviting water!
Surfing in Hawaii, USA
There are many gnarly surf breaks around the world but we’re featuring Hawaii as it is an iconic surf destination and an incredible place to surf for all experience levels. The scenery is next-level and as the birthplace of surfing, it is a quintessential watersports destination.
One of the great things about surfing in Hawaii is there's a surf break for all kinds of surfers. Whether it be beginners taking surfing lessons in Waikiki or paddling out with the big boys at Banzai Pipeline on Oahu's North Shore in winter: there's something for everyone.
However, Hawaii is not only renowned for its surfing. It is a true water adventure sports playground, hugely popular for paddle boarding, cliff diving and snorkeling.
White water rafting on the Zambezi River, Zambia/Zimbabwe
Zambezi is consistently rated in the top 10 rafting destinations and it’s known as the wildest in the world. Perhaps the best reason to raft the Zambezi is its starting point near the bottom of Victoria Falls, a destination in itself and the largest waterfall in the world (based on length and height).
There’s only one tour company operating rafting here; Zambezi Rafting. Pre-book your tickets as it's a popular water activity. If you like a healthy dose of adrenalin, try and sit at the front of the raft for maximum impact. Just know that the raft will flip at least once, and when it does, you will be tumbling around, disoriented, trying to find the surface to catch your breath. But never fear; you will have a local expert guide to help you back into the raft.
Having experienced this firsthand, I can attest that when you travel to Africa, you see and experience certain things that are only in Africa moments. One of mine happened after our raft flipped, and our guide told us to stay in the water and float down the river awhile before we reached the next rapid. With our life jackets keeping us buoyant, it was a truly relaxing experience floating with the current until the guide casually pointed out a crocodile sunbathing by the river's edge. It’s the first time I’ve seen people walk on water to get back in the raft...Only in Africa.
Kayaking in Halong Bay, Vietnam
The giant limestone cliffs jutting out of the sparkling emerald water have become synonymous with Halong Bay in Vietnam. There’s no better way to explore them than by kayak as it gives you the freedom to access areas of the bay that boats and cruises cannot. You can explore and paddle through a vast array of tunnels at the towering limestone cliffs. Being inside a cave with the sun shining through the tunnel entrance illuminating the emerald green water beneath you while reflecting off the limestone rock above is truly a sight to behold.
Many kayak tours in Halong Bay, such as Halong Bay tours, will take you to all the hot spots.
Water Sports as Part of a Travel Lifestyle
For many, travel is a global lifestyle, not merely a vacation. A global travel lifestyle enables people to integrate their interests (including watersports) and their work with worldwide adventures.
Storylines, a luxury residential community at sea, facilitates global citizens in leading a travel lifestyle by creating an environment that quite literally delivers people to one exotic destination after another. The ship slowly circumnavigates the globe every three years. It is designed to live on, with such amenities as high-speed internet, co-working spaces, a school and a community of like-minded global citizens.
The ship’s small watercraft marina is open at all the water sports playgrounds around the Mediterranean, French Polynesia, the Maldives and other iconic destinations all over the world. It is possible to paddle board in the Balearic Islands, snorkel in the Middle East and windsurf in the Caribbean with the ease of arriving at such destinations in the comfort of your own floating home.
This is the future of lifestyle design, and it's selling out quickly. Check out the remaining homes today to get in on the ground floor (or upper deck, so to speak).