If you live in Singapore or will be visiting, consider heading to Punggol Marina to take an exhilarating dip in the water. You can always enjoy sunbathing and swimming, but there are some more exciting adventures to be found in this area of Singapore. Namely, there are four different water sports that are making a big splash with locals and visitors alike.
Water Skiing
Wakeboard Binding
Despite the experience you may have skiing down the snowy slopes of a mountain, you will be challenged to get vertical and stay vertical on skis trailing behind a boat. As a beginner, you will start out with a lot of wipeouts and gaining your balance may be difficult. If you keep at it, you will eventually find your feet and balance will become easier.
Visitors may just spend a couple hours in the water laughing at one another, but locals have really mastered the art of water skiing. They can be seen trailing behind boats in a variety of poses and while jumping from the surface of the water. This is what can be achieved with a lot of practice on skis.
Wakeboarding
This is similar to water skiing, but it is performed on a board rather than skis. Think of it as snowboarding, but on water rather than the side of a mountain. Some find this a bit easier than water skiing, so it is something to try out if you have trouble getting upright and staying there on skis. Just like water skiing, you are attached to a motorboat and pulled over the waves for this sport.
While many consider this a newer water sport, it has actually been around for quite awhile. It is something that can be enjoyed by locals as well as visitors, since motorboats can be chartered for a couple hours at a time.
Wake Surfing
This is very similar to wakeboarding, but you are not attached to the motorboat while surfing. You are on a board much like a snowboard and try to get upright in the wake created by the boat racing ahead. This is more challenging, because you have to get up and catch the wave on your own just as you would while surfing. If you have some surfing experience, then this may be the most exciting option for you. It is a bit different, but the wake from the boat is very similar to the waves you would catch out in the ocean.
Wake Skating
This is yet another variation of the other water sports listed above. Get out behind the boat and try to skate along the wake created by the boat. The board has no bindings, so it feels kind of like skateboarding, except you are not on flat ground.
One other option is kneel boarding, which is like wakeboarding but down on your knees. This is an alternative for those who are very nervous about trying to ski, skate or board behind a boat in upright position. Some children and teenagers prefer to do kneel boarding as well. This is a great way to break the nerves and build up some confidence, so you can try to go vertical later in the day.
If you live in Singapore, head out to Punggol Marina and check out the action in the water today. If you will be visiting Singapore, consider booking your time on the water ahead so the boards and skis are waiting for you.