Nine Water Sport Wonderlands for Epic Summer Fun

It’s summer time and the living is . . . beachy. The amphibious among us want nothing more than to leave terra firma behind this time of year to become one with the water. Whether your preference is to tame waves that buck like broncos, cruise an ocean’s glassy surfaces or venture down under into the quiet blue depths, here are destinations worthy of any aqua-lover.

Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP):

Stand up paddleboarding burst out of nowhere and now seems to be everywhere: Oceans, lakes, rivers, coves—even the Antarctic. In fact, Peruvian fisherman have been paddling upright for 3,000 years, proving that everything old is new again.

Abaco, The Bahamas

Abaco, a 120-mile-long chain of islands in the Bahamas, is a stunner for stand up paddleboarders. Gliding over the blue-green ocean, with visibility up to 150 feet deep, look down to see the colorful reefs and exotic Bahamas marine life, including parrotfish, sea turtles, nurse sharks, and rays. The water temperature is in the 80s, so falling off the board is a delight. Already known as a great core work-out, SUP yoga classes are all the rage. Casting for bonefish, the breed synonymous with the Bahamas, is also gaining in popularity in this multi-tasking sport.

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Snorkeling

Snorkeling channels your inner fish. Those fins, so unwieldy on land, transform swimmers into graceful sea creatures once in the water when they start their dolphin kicks. Unfettered by air tanks and the whoosh of oxygen compressors, the snorkel experience is magical and serene, with vibrant underwater ecosystems on full display only a few feet below the surface.

St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands

No less a global advocate for the seas than President John F. Kennedy appreciated the power and beauty of the oceans and their importance to the planet. He designated St. Croix’s Buck Island as the first underwater U.S. National Monument, acknowledging it as “one of the finest marine gardens in the Caribbean Sea.” Snorkel among coral barrier reefs to view octopus, radiant parrotfish, or three species of sea turtle which nest in the park. The waters are relatively shallow and gentle, perfect for beginners. Experienced snorkelers have an ocean of options to explore beyond the horizon.

Sailing

Sailing needs no introduction. Seafarers have been beckoned by the seas and the adventures that since 1519 when Ferdinand Magellan set out to circumnavigate the globe. And what could be more romantic then the caress of scented breezes, the lap of waves against the hull and the rhythmic flap of the sails. If saltwater courses through your veins, the siren song of the sea is impossible to ignore.

The Greek Islands

Sailing through the Greek Islands is a step back to the same waters of ancient mythical legends. In addition to crystal waters and spectacular sunsets, there are also ruins to explore not to mention a vast array of scrumptious foods on shore. The country is made up of some 6,000 islands scattered in the Aegean and Ionian seas. Only 227 are inhabited, each with a distinct personality, for a truly multicultural fabric on the same trip. While some of the sailing destinations in Greece entail open-water passages best suited to seasoned sailors, a Greece cruise close to the islands is a more sedate option.

Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island

Summer in Rhode Island is like the JFK airport of boating, a bustling festival of international salts who venture here from Europe, the Caribbean, even ports as far flung as South Africa. The reason: Newport Harbor is enormous and well equipped to handle hundreds of mega-yachts on their global stopovers and worth a stroll down the slips to observe the magnificent crafts. On the quieter side is the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Preserve, where roughly 4,400 acres of protected land and water are set aside for the many birds and other wildlife that live in the marshes and forests and along the rocky shores.

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Sea Kayaking

Sea kayaks, valued for their stealth, have been used for centuries by Inuit hunters. This same noiseless quality allows modern day kayakers to get up close and personal with whales and dolphins and other marine life without startling them. Best of all, these boats are almost impossible to tip over so little chance of an unscheduled swim.

Andaman Coast, Thailand

Close to the glitz and glamour of Phuket is the kayaking wonderland of Thailand’s Andaman Coast. Glide past 160 limestone islands with sheer cliffs rising straight from the sea, some with hongs or hidden lagoons at their center. To access these isolated treasures, a kayaker shimmies through sea caves at low tide.  The roof can be so low that paddlers lie on their backs for a variation on limbo, to arrive in a bowl of crystalline water girded by walls of stone festooned with vines and other exotic vegetation. The only other way to access these hongs is by helicopter.

Baja California Peninsula, Mexico

Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, often referred to as the “Galapagos of North America,” offers larger than life animal encounters right off the prow of your vessel. The region is renowned around the globe for its spectacular marine environment and multitude of sea life—300 species of birds, whales, dolphins, sea lions, 900 fish species plus that gentle behemoth, the whale shark. This sanctuary is unique in that the animals have little fear of humans. Don’t be surprised if a whale surfaces for a closer look with its eye the size of a bowling ball.

The Florida Keys

Kayaking the mangrove forest of the The Florida Keys is truly unique. The overhanging canopies create a leafy and secret maze laced with water tunnels only wide and shallow enough to allow a kayak to pass. Below the surface, the grove’s watery roots protect colorful corals, as well as starfish, horseshoe crabs, sea anemones, sea hares, and jellyfish, while the dense forest area is home to a wide variety of birds. Be on the lookout for egrets, osprey, bald eagles, and great white herons.

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Windsurfing

This combination of sailing and surfing, so tied to the Maui beach culture, first surfaced in Pennsylvania, of all places. S. Newman Darby launched his invention on the Susquehanna River in 1964 but never patented his design. Now the sport is truly global with windsurfers carving, leaping, and somersaulting off waves across the world.

Ho’okipa Beach, Maui, Hawaii

Ho’okipa Beach on Maui is perhaps the most photographed windsurfing destination on the planet and often referred to as the sport’s triple black diamond run. The windy season blows in through the summer and the wavy season in winter, with swells as high as 30 feet to the delight of the sport’s extremists. Winter is also whale season, with the big mammals breaching for a glorious ocean backdrop. If you don’t have enough board time under your belt, the spectating is world-class because the surf breaks so close to shore.

Porto Pollo, Sardinia

Sardinia has been called Europe’s best-kept windsurfing secret and Porto Pollo, a huge bay on the north coast of the island, offers some the best conditions in the Mediterranean. The color of the shimmering waters are a breathtaking vision of the entire blue color spectrum and the beach is wide and sandy. Closer to shore, sheltered by lavender blanketed dunes, the waters are calm and so perfect for beginners and intermediate surfers, while the more experienced sailors head further out to sea where the winds and waves pick up.