Lake Sports | Sporting Around the Lake

Safety Tips for Tubing at the Lake

Everyone loves a good day at the lake; the sun, the water and the fun all add up to an awesome day. Add to the mix tubing and the day goes from good to great. Tubing can be fun and exciting, but it can also be very dangerous, especially for the inexperienced. Here are a few rules to follow to make for a safe day:

Rule 1:

Always be sure that everyone on the water is wearing a life vest; this is not disputable. Accidents happen even to the seasoned swimmer. Safety comes first.

Rule 2:

The driver of the boat needs to keep his speed low. For an experienced tuber 25 mph is good. For an inexperienced tuber 10 mph is good.

Rule3:

Always have a spotter in the boat to watch the tuber. If the tuber falls off the driver can then circle back to pick them up.

Rule 4:

Teach your tubers to use signals to inform the spotter that they are fine when falling off the tube.

Rule 5:

Stay away from other boats while towing a tuber. Accidents have happened where a tuber has been pulled into the propellers of another boat. It is often difficult to see someone in a wake if you do not know they are there.

Rule 6:

Make sure that everyone on the water applies suntan lotion. The reflection of the sun off the water can cause very bad burns.

Tubing can be fun for everyone. Take a few precautions and be safe while enjoying a great day tubing at the lake.

Filed Under: Lake Sports, Safety Tagged With: Boat, Personal flotation device, Water

The Basics of Starting to Catch Fish

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Fishing is one of the most ideal of pastimes. It’s simple, tranquil, requires a less than exorbitant amount of equipment, and is often free once the gear has been purchased. Fishing is sport that’s available to virtually anyone at anytime in their life. It doesn’t require extreme fitness or training, nor does one need to be incredibly experienced. Young and old alike are able to cast a rod and reel, and catch a fish. The only qualifier is that there need be a lake, pond, or river somewhere nearby! Fortunately, bodies of water are common on the majority of the planet’s surface.

To get started in fishing, simply visit a quality sporting goods store. Most have the basics that you’ll need to get started. Those are simply: a rod, reel, fishing hooks, and bait. Bait as the word implies, is what attracts the fish, and here’s where the art of fishing comes in. It’s hard to know precisely what fish are biting at what point in the day at what body of water. That’s why a lot of top fishermen will bring a selection of lures to attract fish. If one type isn’t working, after a while, a savvy fisherman will change out the lure in hopes of attracting the fish they’re interested in.

Aside from the bait, the rest is up to your personal preference. Do you like a stiff fishing rod, that will let you merely haul a caught fish into shore? Or do your like the struggle of the catch, such that a thin, almost flimsy appearing rod will provide the sport in your outing? These are largely personal preferences.

Filed Under: Fishing, Lake Sports Tagged With: Fish, Fish hook, Fishing rod

Lake Sports Becoming Popular With Families

Lake sports are becoming popular with youngsters and families as it provides adventure and fun for the entire family. Many people think of only swimming, boating, fishing and surfing as lake sports or water sports, there are many more adventurous sports available. Some of them are skurfing, parasailing, kayaking, bare foot water skiing, sailing and so on. Sailing, yachting and boating are some of most common group adventure people undertake. Kayaking was popular in developed countries; however, many other countries have this adventure sport.

There are also other under water lake sports such as scuba diving and underwater games. Scuba diving is famous where there is a rich aquatic life and colorful flora underneath the water. Scuba diving is gaining popularity and people are willing to explore under water life. With proper gear and trainer who will join the people under water it can be a fun filled adventure for the entire family. Underwater games are majorly for professionals as they need practice and can be dangerous for amateurs. Not all these lake sports are available across countries, however, they are famous tourists attraction is many countries.

Any lake sports or water games need supervision and proper gear. It can turn out to be dangerous, if some of these are taken up by amateurs without any guidance. Persons who do not know swimming can also participate in some of these games. However, since all are lake games, its better to be along with some one who can swim well. Or to join a group of people who can swim or go along with a trainer who are professional and would help to learn these adventure sports. Flotation device and proper attire should be worn for different lake sports. Lake sports can be a safe and fun filled adventure activity for families if proper precautions are taken.

Filed Under: Lake Sports, Sports Tagged With: Lake, Recreation, Scuba diving

Lakes And Potable Water

Lakes and ponds for generations have been one of the most important sources of water. However, the problem with lake water is that very often the water is unclean and hence unfit for drinking. Though lake water can be used for washing clothes, dishes, vehicles and even animals, drinking lake water as it is fraught with risk and could lead to diseases and water borne infections.

Though there is enough water in many of our lakes it is unfit for drinking unless it is filtered and made ready for drinking. Previously, filtering lake water used to very difficult, cumbersome and cost prohibitive. However, with the advancement of technology this problem has been solved to a great extent and today there are many small sized water filters which could go a long way in removing contaminants from water and make it fit for drinking and cooking. Buying the right kind of filter would go a long way in solving your drinking water problem. But before buying a filter, you should undertake a study of the water and find out its quality. You should be able to have a report in hand which details out the kind of contaminants that the lake water has. Once these details are available with you, you could go ahead and get the right kind of filter which can remove all these contaminated elements and substances.

Another way you can make lake water more potable is to reduce the level of contaminants by joining together as a group and preventing pollution and contamination. Most of the pollutant in the lakes are man-made including plastics, wastes and untreated effluent wastes. So if we as a group of responsible citizens are able to build a movement and stop the inflow of harmful chemicals and pollutants into the lakes, we could make better use of our lakes, eventually for our benefit.

Filed Under: Lake Sports, Safety Tagged With: fishing, Lake, Water

Boating Safely

If you are a sports enthusiast and one who likes to engage in adventure sports, you are most likely to be a big fan of boating. Boating is a great adventure sports and it could be lot of fun and excitement. It would give you a chance to discover new and exotic places. However, boating could also be dangerous and life-threatening, if you do not take the necessary steps required to take part in what could be called “Safe Boating”.

The first and foremost rule when you are boating is that you should not be doing so under the influence of alcohol. As driving and drinking do not go together, so do boating and drinking. Boating under the influence of alcohol could be the perfect recipe for disaster and should be avoided at all costs. Some people who go for boating try to act smart and flaunt around their heroism by not wearing the right kind of safety gears. This is not being smart but being plain and simple foolish to say the least. Remember, boating could be all smooth sailing but one big wave or a rough bout of weather could turn things topsy turvy. Hence wearing the right gear and carrying the necessary safety and rescue equipment could save your life in the mid-waters. Do not get into a boating expedition if you are not trained to boat safely and properly. It is always advisable to undergo a small bit of training before you actually get into expedition boating. Even if you are a reasonably good hand in boating, it would make better sense to boat in a safe zone, where escape could be easier in case of an emergency. Before getting into the river or sea, check that all your equipment and materials are in place and are in working order. See that the fuel and oil levels are at the optimum level and the engines are working properly. The next golden rule for safe boating is to ensure that you do not boat alone, even if you are a skilled boater.

Filed Under: Lake Sports, Safety Tagged With: Boat, Directories, Insurance, Safety

South America’s Crown Jewel- Lake Titicaca

While there are many famous lakes worldwide, the most well-known is Lake Titicaca. Located on the border of Peru and Bolivia, it is the largest lake in South America. Its width is more impressive than its depth, which is only 922 feet. Records show the lake stretches for 50 miles and the length is over twice that at 118 miles. Another fact that cements it as interesting is how high it is above sea level-a whopping 12, 507 feet.

Five major river systems empty in to the lake and twenty smaller streams end there. There are 41 islands on the lake, some of which are heavily populated. Three towns worth visiting are on opposite sides of the lake: Puno, found on the Peruvian side and Challapampa, situated on the Bolivian side. The Isla del Sol is the biggest island on the lake and holds over 180 ruins from the Incan period. This island is supposedly where the first Inca King Manco Capac was born from the sun God, Inti. Manco created the Kingdom of Cusco which began the Inca Empire. Titicaca also contains the island Copacabana, the name later used in the popular song created years ago.

Another set of islands to visit are the Uros isles, consisting entirely of reeds. Due to that fact, they float making it an amazing sight to see when visitors go to Lake Titicaca. On the opposite side of that is Taquile, the bigger island fashioned from the earth. All islands are rich in Incan history and architecture.

Titicaca flourishes due to rainfall and meltdown from the glaciers high in the Andes Mountains. The merging of the 27 smaller inlets in to Titicaca makes the water cold all year long. Tourists go more for the vastness of the lake and the simplistic beauty of the numerous islands scattered across the body of water.

Filed Under: Lake Sports, Sports Tagged With: LakeTiticaca

Lake Tahoe- a California Classic

There are over 400 lakes in California but one of the most popular is Lake Tahoe in Northern California. It stretches across the border to Nevada and, at a depth of 1,645 feet, it’s the second deepest freshwater lake in the USA. It was formed about 2 million years ago and got its shape during the ice ages. It’s a popular destination in both Nevada and California, bringing thousands all year round for the snow activities as much as the water ones.

Tahoe has a fascinating history that not many people may know of. It was originally settled by Native Americans almost 10,000 years ago but they soon died out when the silver and logging boom hit. The interesting part that stayed under the radar was the amount of mafia activity that existed there in the 1950s. There are supposedly hundreds of bodies at the bottom of the lake, rumor saying they are almost perfectly preserved because of the depth and freezing water. It wasn’t hard getting victims out there, weighing down their bodies and throwing it over. The water is warm at first but turns frigid at 600 feet. The drastic change in temperature alone causes hypothermia before their lungs take on enough water to drown. Ironically, Tahoe never freezes because the water is in constant motion.

One native of Tahoe said the lake could also be full of Chinese immigrants who were brought over with promises of gaining citizenship after their work building a railroad around the city. Once the work was over, the government officials took them to the middle of the lake, tied the people together and tossed them overboard. Many residents say there will not be concrete evidence because it would implicate the government in a horrific cover up.

Whether the rumors be true or not, the speculation will doubtless continue for years to come.

Filed Under: Fishing, Lake Sports, Sports Tagged With: California, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Tour of California

Ancient Hawaiin Surfing

For the Ancient Hawaiin people, surfing wasn’t a past time, or a fad taking place in Southern California complete with its own Beach Boy soundtrack, it was an art, a part of their very culture. They called it he’e nalu meaning “wave sliding.” Praying for strength to combat the god of the ocean, ancient Hawaiians beseeched this mystical being, fully appreciating the great power of the water. They even had their priests “kahuna” pray to their gods for great surfing conditions. Before entering the water, the Kahuna helped the upper class surfers of the day in constructing a surfboard, which at the time was considered a spiritual ceremony.

These boards could only be constructed of one of three trees: Koa, ‘ulu, or wiliwili. The ancient surfers would carefully select the right tree, dig it out of the ground and placing fresh fish in the hole to appease their gods. The tree was taken into town where craftsman actually shaped the boards, smoothed and stained them in preparation for sliding on the waves. There were three shapes and lengths that were adhered to when constructing a board: the “olo” a board that had a thick middle and tapered edges. The “kiko’o” was a board between 12 and 18 feet in length and could only be maneuvered by someone with tremendous amount of skill, and the final board the “alaia” which was only 9 feet in length, but required a master to ride.

The upper classes were the ones to master the boards, reserving the best waves and beaches for themselves. The best surfers were also the chiefs and warriors, and surfing only added to the respect they received from others. Lower classes couldn’t surf on the same beaches as those from higher classes, but should they develop great skill on a board they were regarded with great respect just the same.

Filed Under: Hunting, Lake Sports, Sports Tagged With: Shopping, Sports, surf, Travel, water sport

Five World Famous Lakes

If you love the water, especially time on the lake, then you may be dreaming about a lovely lake vacation right about now. If you are, then you simply must check out some of the best lakes in the world. Here, we show you some of our favorite lakes from around the globe. Which one is your favorite lake?

1. Lake Superior in the United States. Lake Superior is the largest lake of the five lakes in the Michigan/Wisconsin area. Lake Superior is actually one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world.

2. Loch Lomond. Head to the Scottish highlands to visit this world-famous lake. It is the largest lake in Scotland and is full of fresh water. Many people in Scotland, especially those in the busy city of Glasgow, head to Loch Lomond to relax.

3. Loch Ness. Stay in Scotland and experience Loch Ness. You have probably even heard of the famous Loch Ness monster that is said to live here. But you will also find more fresh water here than all of the lakes in England and Wales.

4. Great Slave Lake in Canada. You may have never heard of this lake, but Great Slave Lake is actually the second largest fresh lake in all of Canada. The lake is named after the famous Slavery North American Indian. You will find fabulous trout and whitefish living here.

5. Caspian Sea. This lake can actually be found in Russian and Iran. It is by far, at least as far as area is concerned, the world’s largest lake. It is also the world’s 3rd deepest lake.

The next time you are thinking about a water-front vacation, consider one of these great lakes. You will be able to indulge your love of fishing, and maybe even take the jet skis or the boat out for a spin.

Filed Under: Lake Sports Tagged With: Famous Lakes, Lake Sports

Top Lake Sports

If you love the water, then you probably also love lake sports. And what’s not to love? Spending time out on the water in beautiful weather, doing something you enjoy, is a great way to spend a weekend or a vacation. Check out our favorite water sports and see if any of these top your list as well.

1. Fishing. Heading to a lake or even out on the deep sea, fishermen can enjoy a great time. Fishing is a relaxing way to spend the afternoon. You can also see if you can catch the biggest fish of the day.

2. Water skiing. If you have a boat, hook some skis up behind it and enjoy the thrill of sailing on top of the water. Water skiing is a lot of fun for those who are really athletic and enjoy an exhilarating sport. Even if you don’t have a boat, you can rent one for the day to try your hand at water skiing.

3. Surfing. If you want to catch the big wave, then surfing is your thing. Plus, surfing takes you to some of the most beautiful bodies of water in the world. You can head to California or even Hawaii for some fabulous water and a great time.

4. Boating. If you love the feel of the wind in your hair, then boating may be the sport for you. Cruising along the lake is a great feeling, especially when the sun is shining. Sit up top and work on your tan while you’re at it.

5. Kite boarding. Kite boarding is a fairly new sport, but one that is quickly garnering attention. Kite boarding is a mix of sailing and wakeboarding. Combine your love of water sport with your need for speed with kite boarding.

Water sports are some of the greatest ways to spend time when you want to be outside relaxing. Try your hand at some of our favorite sports and see for yourself.

Filed Under: Lake Sports Tagged With: Top Lake Sports