Alright, so year-round water sports activities are kinda my thing, even tho I’m far from good at most of them and usually end up soaked or freezing or both. I mean right now it’s early March here in the States and I’m already itching to get back out—last weekend I dragged the paddleboard to this local lake and yeah the water was still pretty damn cold but the sun was out and it felt good, you know? Like, I don’t wait for perfect weather anymore because there is no perfect weather half the time.
Why year-round water sports activities actually work for me (most days)
I used to be super seasonal about it—summer only, pack everything away when leaves start falling. But after a couple rough years where I just sat inside too much feeling blah, I decided screw it, water’s water. Even if it’s 40 degrees out. I’ve got a decent wetsuit now (spent way too much on it at REI, worth every penny tho), and honestly the change of scenery per season makes it fun. Fall colors on the water? Magic. Winter quiet when everything’s frozen? Kinda peaceful till my fingers go numb. Spring mud and rain? Messy chaos I secretly love. Summer? Obvious win.
Fall paddleboarding and the sneaky winter transition
Fall is prob my fave for year-round water sports activities. Leaves everywhere, water still kinda warm from summer leftover heat. I remember one October I went out solo on this spot near me—think Midwest-ish lakes or maybe Northeast vibes—and paddled till sunset. Super calm, music blasting, no one else dumb enough to be out there. Then boom, winter creeps in. I did a late fall paddle that turned into light snow flurries halfway through. Board got slippery, I slipped off twice, laughed like an idiot. For winter I layer like crazy—drysuit, booties, gloves, the works. Did a New Year’s paddle once and my board legit stuck to the icy dock when I hauled it out. Fell hard, phone skidded into snowbank. Phone survived, ego not so much.
Join the Festive Santa Paddle at Tempe Town Lake on Dec 20th at 3pm
If you’re gearing up for cold stuff, REI’s got a solid stand-up paddleboarding in cold weather guide—helped me not lose fingertips.
Kayaking spring thru summer (and the dumb mistakes I keep making)
Spring kayaking is wild—rivers high, water brown and fast. I flipped last April in a little rapid because I thought “eh I got this” without tightening my skirt right. Spent like forever upside down before rolling (barely). Came up sputtering, boat full of water, but grinning like moron. Summer tho? Pure gold. Early mornings on flat lakes, thermos of coffee clipped to the deck, just drifting watching birds or whatever. I once paddled way farther than planned chasing a bald eagle—ended up 4 miles out with no snacks left. Rookie error. Always pack extra now, swear.
American Canoe Association has good regional kayaking tips if you’re scouting spots.
Surfing, swimming, and the random indoor backups
Summer surfing—hit the beach whenever, even if I’m terrible. Caught like three waves once and felt like pro for 5 minutes. Winter? Ocean’s brutal so I stick to pools for laps or brave a wetsuit dip if air’s above freezing. Tried “ice swimming” one January—jumped in a cut hole at a lake—screamed immediately, got out in like 30 seconds. Never doing full plunge again but hey, story. Open water swims in summer are the best tho, just floating looking at sky.
For cold water inspo (or warnings), Outside Online’s winter swimming article is pretty real.
Look, year-round water sports activities aren’t glamorous. I look ridiculous half the time—wetsuit wedgies, red face from wind, wipeouts in front of nobody (thank god). But it keeps me moving, gets me outside, forces me to deal with whatever season throws. Mistakes and all.
