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News + Tips

What Kind of Seasonal Adventure Suits You?

Kelowna Boat News and Tips
Practice your skills with a water sport and get ready to have fun in the winter months.

Practice your skills with a water sport and get ready to have fun in the winter months.

It is inevitable, the lakes in the Okanagan will get colder and snow will start to fall. But before we have to pack away our marine toys, we should think about learning a new sport to keep the fun going throughout the winter! There are many water sports that crossover into the winter months. Water skiing, wake surfing, tubing, and jet skiing can easily be enjoyed when the champagne powder starts to stay on the ground. What sport will you pick up this winter?


Wake Surfing vs Snowboarding

With a board and constant momentum, these two sports can easily be swapped with the seasons. While snowboarding is done with bindings and boots, the principle of the sport is still the same. They both require a strong sense of balance in your core, back, and legs and use bent knees for balance. If you are going to try snowboarding this year at Big White Ski Resort, wake surfing would be a great way to get into shape. 

There are some key differences between waker surfing and snowboarding when it comes to your equipment. A wake surf board is shorter and wider and does not require bindings to hold your feet onto the board surface. When waxing your boards, be careful not to mix them up! The temperature for wake surf board wax is rated for a lower temperature and will melt very quickly when exposed to the friction of the snow.


Jet Ski vs Snowmobile

Other than physical appearance, these two outdoor activities are very comparable. These machines allow for two riders and are used in both stylized riding and racing. The driving technique will be the same whether operating a seadoo or snowmobile. You will need to lean into your turns to allow your machine to turn quickly. The throttle and handlebars will be operated the same while driving in the summer or winter.

Along with the terrain difference, the chassis and equipment you wear will flip with the seasons. The snowmobile uses skis to help steer and cut the powdery snow through the passes at local BC mountain resorts, while the jet ski is smooth on the bottom with fins (or feel free to jump on a sea-doo) to help slice through Okanagan waters.


Tubing Is Always An Option!

From behind a boat or climbing the side of a hill, the thrill of riding in a giant, inflatable tube can’t be beat! The attire and temperatures will be different but instead of getting an ice cream cone after a long day of water tubing - there will be hot chocolate at the bottom of the hill. Jump in at Silver Star Mountain Resort’s Tube Town and reminisce about water splashing on your cheeks instead of snowflakes.

It isn’t affordable to buy every piece of water sporting equipment to try it just once. The garage is already starting to fill up, so finding room for extra sporting goods might not be ideal. The economic choice would be to find a local boat rental company and try it out before you buy. There is no end to the equipment you can rent from Kelowna’s Downtown Marina. There is no excuse to learn a fun new sport that can be alternated between the seasons! Get out and ride.

Read more on water safety: Water Safety in the Okanagan

Whatever water sport you want to try this summer while on Okanagan Lake, we have the equipment you need! Check out our boat rental hourly rates and types of equipment we have available - today.