Snorkeling although not a sport but since this deals with water related activity I had to post this, for info, of course. The point in snorkeling is to observe underwater attractions for extended periods of time with relatively little effort for fun relaxation and entertainment.
Snorkeling - the practice of swimming at the surface of a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a snorkel which is the “J” – shaped tube used for breathing, and usually swimfins or what I would like to call flipper.
Snorkeling is a popular recreational activity, particularly at tropical resort destinations and at accessible scuba diving locations. Snorkeling is also employed by scuba divers when near the surface, and search and rescue teams may snorkel as part of a water-based search.
The primary attraction of snorkeling is the opportunity to observe underwater life in a natural setting. This may include coral reefs and their denizens, such as fish, cephalopods, starfish, sea urchins, and mollusks. Snorkeling in sandy areas may allow sighting of rays and various flatfish. Other organisms that can be seen while snorkeling include various forms of seaweed, jellyfish, shrimp, sea turtles, various types of sea cactus and occasionally anything else which may be found in the ocean.
via [Wikipedia]
Swimming is a healthy activity and enjoys a low risk of injury compared with many other sports. Nevertheless there are some health risks with swimming, including the following:
- Drowning, inhalation of water arising from
- Adverse effects of immersion
- Secondary drowning, where inhaled salt water creates a foam in the lungs that restricts breathing.
- Salt water aspiration syndrome.
- Thermal shock after jumping into water can cause the heart to stop.
- Exostosis which is an abnormal growth in the ear canal due to the frequent, long-term splashing of water into the ear canal. (Known as Surfers’ ear)
- Exposure to chemicals
- Disinfectant Chlorine will increase the pH of the water, if uncorrected the raised pH may cause eye or skin irritations [6].
- Chlorine inhalation; breathing small quantities of chlorine gas from the water surface whilst swimming for long periods of time may have an adverse effect on the lungs, particularly for asthmatics. This problem may be resolved by using a pool with better ventilation, with an outdoor pool having the best results.
- Chlorine also has a negative cosmetic effect after repeated long exposure, stripping brown hair of all color, turning it very light blonde. Chlorine damages the structure of hair, turning it “frizzy.” Chlorine can dissolve copper which turns blonde hair green. Proper pool maintenance can reduce the amount of copper in the water, while wetting the hair before entering a pool can help reduce the absorption of copper.
- Chlorine will often remain on skin in an anhydrous form, even after several washings. The chlorine becomes odorous once it is back in an aqueous solution (when salivated on, during a shower, etc.)
- Infection
- Water is an excellent environment for many bacteria, parasites, fungi and viruses affecting humans depending on water quality.
- Skin infections from both swimming and shower rooms can cause athlete’s foot (boat bug). The easiest way to avoid this is to dry the space between the toes. [7]
- Microscopic parasites such as Cryptosporidium can be resistant to chlorine and can cause diarrheal illness when swimmers swallow pool water.
- Ear infections, otitis media, (otitis externa).
- When chlorine levels are improperly balanced, severe health problems may result, such as chronic bronchitis and asthma.
- Swimmer’s own actions
- Overuse injury; competitive butterfly stroke swimmers for example may develop some back pain, including vertebral fractures in rare cases, and shoulder pain after long years of training, breaststroke swimmers may develop knee pain, and hip pain, and freestyle and backstroke swimmers may develop shoulder pain, commonly referred to as swimmer’s shoulder (a form of tendinitis).
- Hyperventilation in a bid to extend underwater breath-hold times lowers blood carbon dioxide resulting in suppression of the urge to breathe and consequent loss of consciousness towards the end of the dive, see shallow water blackout for the mechanism.
- Adverse water and weather conditions
- Currents, including tides and rivers can cause exhaustion, can pull swimmers away from safety, or pull swimmers under water.
- Wind enhances waves and can blow a swimmer off course.
- Hypothermia, due to cold water, can cause rapid exhaustion and unconsciousness.
- Sunburn severity can be increased by reflections in the water and the lack of clothing worn during swimming. Long-term exposure to the sun contributes to risk of skin cancer.
- Objects in the water.
- Propeller damage is a major cause of accidents, either by being run over by a boat or entanglement on climbing into a boat.
- Collision with another swimmer, the pool walls, rocks or boats.
- Diving into a submerged object, or the bottom, often in turbid water.
- Snagging on underwater objects, particularly submerged branches or wrecks.
- Stepping on sharp objects such as broken glass.
Organisations publish safety guidelines to help swimmers avoid these risks
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming#The_risks_of_swimming
Champion he may be at swimming, but eight-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps proved like he was like everybody else when he got caught holding a marijuana bong which was published by a British tabloids months ago. It wouldn’t have been such a sensation if Phelps weren’t that big of a sports celebrity. Because of the incident, Phelps lost two advertising deals, one with AT&T, and another with cereal maker Kellogg Co.
But Phelps is back on track now, despite doubts he entertained about his future before. He admitted to reporters in a small press conference in the Olympic Village that he had been skipping practice and thinking about quitting. But he said he woke up one day and saw that he was making a mess of things, and decided to clean up his act. Phelps is now training for the 2012 Olympic games.
The recent introduction by Speedo of the shark-skin mimicking swimsuit has been getting criticism due to the fact they are bending the laws of the swimming community. The world of competitive swimming has always been a lucrative one with swimmers going as far as shaving off all body hair and others in efforts to get the few milliseconds that may signify a win. The introduction of the suit has resulted in a few seconds of speed but many nations who could not afford such expensive swim wear are calling it foul.
Research into such types of clothing that reduces drag in the water has been considered to be the next step in the evolution of the swimming industry when the shark’s skin caught their attention. With barbs that point opposite the direction of the water, they act as mini-wings that dissipates drag and turbulence making swimming less tiresome and minimizing drag.
Water is denser than air thus harder to go through which makes each and every second count when it comes to competition swimming. Live in the pool would never be the same right after these high-tech suits were introduced, just hope everybody can afford them so all could swim a bit faster, for the record that is.
Rising temperatures around the world has renewed interest in the many types of water sports out there. Imagine combining a high-performance kite and a surfboard, get the picture? Surfboarding is categorized as an extreme sport for it combines the complexity of kite flying and surfing all bundled into one heck of a ride. One bright guy figured that surfing was more of the waiting than the surfing itself so they got hold of a kit and used it to propel them through the water. Don’t get it wrong, it is a very difficult sport for wind is kinda’ unpredictable and so is standing on water without proper skill.
The sport was brought about by the almost reinvention of the kit into a sail that was light, powerful yet controllable enough to hold while on the board. With cutting edge materials that are light and tough, they made it happen and the sport took off like a storm allowing acrobatics that seem impossible.
Image Source:latimesblogs.latimes.com
UCLA won the Women’s Water Polo NCAA title again. Its fourth consecutive title on Sunday evening. They defeating USC, 6-3, in the championship match. UCLA now has 10 national title in women’s water polo and 101st overall NCAA title. The Bruins scored 33-0 this season, it jumped out to a 3-0 lead in just the first quarter. The Trojans scored a mere 2 of 12 in the competition. First quarter advantage was led by the goals of Mathewson, Gandy and Domanic. The team played strong defense in the quarter. The Bruins continued to lead at 5-1 in the half. Playing hard defense more in the third quarter. No one between teams scored for quite sometime. gandy totaled five goals in the semi and the finals and eventually named the MVP.
Image source:www.flickr.com
The two main obstacles to every paddler’s advancement is the shortage of boating buddies as well as the lack of skill development. It certainly is more enjoyable to paddle with others but this is not the only impetus propelling one’s search for a paddling companion. Kayaking and canoeing in groups is a simple matter of safety as well as the best way to improve one’s skills. Every whitewater kayaker knows the disappointment of finding out that the local river is at optimal conditions only to remember there is no one to go with. Regardless of the level at which you canoe or kayak, this list of 5 suggestions will help you not only find new paddling friends it will also help you further hone your skills. Go to Canoe and Kayak Festivals & Expos. Join a Local Canoe and Kayak Club. Join the American Canoe Association and the American Whitewater Association. Try Out Other People’s Canoe and Kayak Gear. Take a Canoe or Kayak Paddling Lesson.