Parasailing is an Adventure Sport
February 10, 2009 by Kimberly Edwards · Leave a Comment
Never before our honeymoon did I think I’d actually go parasailing…
However, once we got up there, the unbelievable beauty and exhilaration was fabulous!
For those of you who don’t know what Parasailing is, basically, you set out on a speed boat in a lake or similar reservoir.
You get set up in a harness-like contraption attached to a parachute.
You can go up singly or tandem with another person. It’s almost like being seatbelted onto a swing.
Then, as the speedboat starts to “speed”, the parachute elevates you into the air.
You usually have the choice of going 200 meters, 400 meters or 800 meters into the sky.
We went 800 meters and boy, oh boy, was that Read more
Boogie Boarding is a Blast!
January 30, 2009 by Kimberly Edwards · Leave a Comment
If you’ve never been boogie boarding, you really have to make the effort to go!
It’s such a blast, especially when you catch your first wave correctly…
* Tip: Wait until just before a wave crests where you are. Get in front of the crest and start kicking with your feet, swimming. You should be able to catch the wave then. Just stay on your board.
Also, the bigger or longer your board is, the easier it is to float and stay on the wave your riding.
I don’t know how many boards we’ve broken or bent because of tumultuous water and big waves…
Get a strong one to start out with…It’s worth it.
Plus, boogie Read more
Catamaraning At Sunset
August 24, 2007 by Kimberly Edwards · Leave a Comment
Water sports like sailing are great for your health, physically and mentally. Not only are you exerting yourself, and having fun, but you are de-stressing and getting closer to nature. Nature has a way of relaxing us all.
I hope you enjoy this article!
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Water Sports for Physical and Mental Health
By Dakota Caudilla
Sailing or boating may seem a little overwhelming, what with the high level of technical elements involved in the sport. For
example, there are things like “charts”, “mainsails” and “tillers” to learn about. Whether you choose a small boat or a catamaran, whether you choose lake or ocean sailing, there are a number of things you need to master before you can start enjoying the pure pleasure of being on the water.
Getting the sailing skills you need to start sailing your own boat is easy if you just sign up with a sailing school. You can learn to sail at any age. There are no restrictions. The best schools and instructors will teach you all you need to know about sailing in a friendly and non-threatening manner.
As with all sports, sailing will get you into contact with new friends. There’s a closeness that develops out at sea, however, that not many other sports have. You really get the feel of being one against the awesome power of the natural world and being with friends and family out there on the water serves to strengthen bonds.
Being on the water in any capacity demands a healthy outlook and way of life. Sailing and boating are two sports that demand all our senses to be at their peak. Sailing calls upon physical strength, intelligence and intuition. It is one sport that allows you to leave all your daily concerns and habits back on the land and to be off with only your bare self.
Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.water-sports-world.com on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dakota_Caudilla
http://EzineArticles.com/?Water-Sports-for-Physical-and-Mental-Health&id=71815
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By the time I was finished enjoying watching the cat-sailors skimming the shoreline of Lake Huron, I was so fascinated and absolutely hooked! What a sense of freedom it must be. Needless to say, we will be picking up this recreational sport in the near future. Now, I have to get back down to the beach today to see if I can get a ride on one!
Play Like A Champion,
Kimberly Edwards 
P.S. Kenney & I have been looking at catamarans online, for ourselves, and here’s the best deal we found:
Technorati Tags: catamaran, catamaraning, come sail away, sailboat, sailboats, sailboats for sale, sailing, solar sail, sunset sports, water sports, yacht, yachts
Extreme Snorkeling: Whale Shark-ing Wow-ness!
August 6, 2007 by Kenney · Leave a Comment
Hello, I’m Kimberly Edwards, Kenneth’s wife. And…Yes, that’s me! This photo is about 12 yrs old now, but whenever I think of my experience diving with whale sharks…I am just awestruck!
These gentle beasts are the size of a bus, and are majestic giants in the ocean. They are the biggest fish in the oceans, and the biggest shark! They are actually sharks, not whales, but they call them whale sharks because they look more like whales, and such a gigantic size that people mistook them for whales.
I lived in Australia in 1994-1995, and enjoyed every single minute of it…I almost didn’t come home…LOL
Before I traveled back to my native Canada, I had the amazing opportunity to backpack around that great country for 1 month. My family and friends put their input into what they thought I should go see, etc., but I already had my plan…
I lived in Perth, Western Australia, and instead of visiting the big tourist cities such as Sydney and Brisbane, I revealed my greatest desire…To go straight into the outback and see what Australia is all about. I traveled from Perth, WA to Alice Springs & Ayers Rock in Central Australia, then up to Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, and I followed the coast all the way back down to Perth, stopping in fabulous little nooks and cities along the way!
On this trip, I had a stop in Exmouth, Western Australia, near the end of my wondrous journey…And, yes, I decided to go all out and go diving (well, snorkeling really) with whale sharks for 1 day. I contacted a diving company/outfitter that takes experts and newbies alike (such as myself) out on tours between March & May to spot whale sharks and swim with them.
It is a huge operation really. We went out on a great boat into the ocean (pretty far off shore…I mean, I couldn’t see any land in sight), and they have planes and/or helicopters spotting whale sharks, and directing the boats. The boats go in that direction and are told where to let off the snorkelers. There were about 12 of us on-board. We were never guaranteed to actually see these rare creatures who grace us with their presence in very few parts of the globe. Much of their lives is not extensively researched and unknown.
Well, before we knew it, we had found ourself a whale shark. Wow, I thought! The guides tell us to jump off the left side of the boat (we have wet suits and fins, equipped with snorkels and masks). I was a little frightened as I had never snorkeled or dove before. I excitedly plunged in, and when the bubbles fizzled up and cleared, boom, there was an enormous whale shark, mouth open whilst feeding, about 2 meters in front of me, coming straight for me. I just happened to just right in front of it…
As I hurriedly and, I must admit, with a little bit of panic, I started kicking to back up and off to the side of the shark. It’s mouth was bigger than me in both directions, and it was a huge, gaping hole. Well, I happened to slightly kick the shark with my fin as I tried to swim out of the way. I by no means hurt the animal; on the contrary, I think it just was curious as to what I was. So, now, I have the whale shark turning to follow me to figure out what exactly I am. Now, I am a little scared; okay, quite a bit…
All of the other snorkelers were thinking this show was fantastic and were taking underwater video and photos of the whole thing. I’m thinking, ok, someone help me!!! Well, the estimated 15 ton whale shark caught up, and turned it’s eye, which is on the side of it’s head, and had a good look at me. It was satisfied with that, turned the other way, and allowed us to swim and follow it for a good 30 more minutes before it sped up and dove into the depths away from us. The whale sharks typically swim around 3 mph…a pretty good clip if you ask me, when you are a newbie “marathon” swimmer. Great exercise though!
Whale sharks don’t eat a people (don’t worry), although their name suggests something completely different. These sharks actually eat plankton, etc. When we were snorkeling with the whale sharks, it happened to be jellyfish mating season, and the water was decorated with pink confetti-like eggs (as you may see the pink flecks in my photos)…It really was a site to see! Wet suits were absolutely necessary, as a few of us even got stung on the tops of our feet that were exposed outside of the flippers…But, needless to say, the whale sharks love jellyfish season because there is literally tons to eat!
All in all, we had a great whale sharking day! We got to swim with 4 whale sharks, and this occupied us for most of the day.
While waiting in between whale shark sightings, we also got to swim with a school of huge tuna, and a group of rays…
We even had the chance to catch up with some dolphins, but they tried to evade us, and we just puttered around inside of the reef for a while, where I actually got stung in the face by a jellyfish. I didn’t even see it coming. I was coming up for air, and there it was right at the top of the water. And there I was with a huge, fat lip…Very attractive. Yes, it hurt, but I went on like a trooper to continue my snorkeling.
What an absolute blast! This was probably thee most amazing thing I have ever had the privilege to do. I would do it again in a heart beat. Who knows, maybe I’ll see the same whale shark I saw 12 yrs ago, since they live 100-150 yrs!
This is Extreme Snorkeling!
The whale sharks are a rare and wonderful beauty.
Whale Shark Classification:
| Kingdom Animalia (animals) Phylum Chordata SubPhylum Vertebrata (vertebrates) Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Subclass Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) Order Orectolobiformes Family Rhincodontidae Genus Rhincodon Species typus References: |
I hope you enjoyed my story and photos. Come back soon and explore!
Kimberly Edwards
Director
P.S.: I have since fallen in love with snorkeling, and will definitely have to get my diving endorsements! If you are interested in snorkeling, just do it! You’ll have so much fun, but be safe out there! Just click on the picture below to find out more information about this “all inclusive” set. Have fun!
Technorati Tags: whale shark | snorkel | Western Australia | diving | shark | Ningaloo Reef
