Come On In, The Water's Fine! Water Sports Continue to Swell in Orlando
With an average daily temperature of 72.4 degrees Fahrenheit, more than 300 named lakes, rivers and springs, and some world-class watersports facilities, Orlando is emerging as one of the nation's foremost water-ski and water sports destinations.
Whether you're into boating, water-skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, tubing, riding personal watercraft, wakeskating or all of the above, you'll find that Orlando offers plenty of picturesque places to immerse yourself in your hobby.
Buena Vista Watersports
The words "fun in the sun" truly describe the tropical, resort-like atmosphere at Buena Vista Watersports, located on picturesque Lake Bryan in southeast Orlando. Here, you can charter a boat for skiing or wakeboarding, rent a personal watercraft or go on an innertube or "bumper" ride on a private, 450-acre spring-fed, freshwater lake.
For $130 per hour/$70 per half-hour, you can charter a Ski Nautique speedboat with your own personal driver/instructor as well as all watersports equipment such as skis, wakeboards, kneeboards, innertubes and lifejackets. Ski or wakeboard lessons are included with the cost of a boat charter.
Those who prefer to ride a personal watercraft can rent a Sea-Doo GTI Jet Ski for $90 per half hour/$50 per half-hour. Additional passengers are $5 each. You must be 18 years old and have a valid driver's license to rent a jet ski.
Meanwhile, spectators can swim, relax or play beach volleyball on Lake Bryan's sandy beach, surrounded by stately cypress trees.
Orlando Watersports Complex
Orlando Watersports Complex (OWC) is one of Orlando's premier spots for water enthusiasts. Nicknamed "the Cable" by its patrons, OWC utilizes aerial cables to pull its skiers and boarders, providing a smoother, more consistent pull speed than a boat, aiding both novice and professional riders.
OWC offers two cable sites to accommodate all skill levels and riding techniques. The beginner/intermediate cable park is designed for regular water-skiing, slalom skiing, kneeboarding, wakeboarding, trick skiing and jumping. It contains a full-size, competition-standard six-buoy slalom and a jump ramp. The cable is normally run at 18 mph - an ideal speed for beginners - but it can run as slow as 5 mph or as fast as 36 mph.
To challenge its more advanced wakeboarders and wakeskaters, OWC offers a second cable site, its advanced slider park, which it calls the "first real slider park in the nation." This cable site boasts six sliders, or floating stunt ramps, configured to facilitate different aerial tricks, as well as an "Indian Rope," a shorter line that enables riders to catch up to 35 feet of air. To help its riders get the best experience they can, OWC recently introduced a "wakebreak" system that absorbs wake and displaced water from other riders to ensure a consistently smooth, glassy riding surface. The slider park is lighted until 9 p.m. in the summer to enable nighttime riding.
Prices range from $22 for one hour at either cable site (without instruction) to a weekly pass for $185.50. Wakeboards and life jackets are provided for a nominal fee. If skiers or wakeboarders prefer to be pulled behind a boat, they can charter a Ski Nautique or Super Air Nautique speedboat and receive instruction for $95 per hour/$50 per half hour.
Water-skiing, wakeboarding and kneeboarding lessons are available with a cable or boat pull, and are taught one-on-one with an experienced instructor. Lessons start at $65 for a 45-minute cable lesson.
OWC plays host to several water sports competitions annually, including the AWA Collegiate Wakeboard National Championships and the WWA Wakeboard World Championships, and is one of the stops on the Cable Wakeboard Tour.
Orlando Watersports Complex is located off State Road 528 - The Beach Line, just minutes from the Orlando International Airport.
O'Town Watersports
O'Town Watersports provides water-skiing and wakeboarding lessons for all levels, from nervous beginners to advanced riders seeking to learn new skills. Located east of downtown Orlando on private Lake Barton, O'Town caters to the visitor population with daily "drop in" lessons as well as weekly camps. Weekly sessions include bunkroom housing and start at $1,450 per week. Daily lessons range from $65 per hour to $250 for a one-day lesson including a videotaped review of your progress and training on a trampoline.
Walt Disney World Watersports
Walt Disney World's scenic Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon at the Contemporary Resort Marina provide the ideal setting for a variety of water sports operated by Sammy Duvall's Watersports Centre, named for five-time world water-ski champion, Sammy Duvall.
For $155 per hour/$80 per half-hour for up to five people, you'll ride through the water in style in a Mastercraft speedboat, complete with your own personal driver/instructor. Bring your own equipment or borrow complimentary equipment to water-ski, wakeboard, kneeboard or go tubing. Lifejackets are also included with the boat charter.
Daredevils can test their mettle on a personal watercraft at Sammy Duvall's challenge course or ride freestyle within a buoyed area the size of three football fields. Those who prefer a slower pace can take a guided, one-hour, personal watercraft tour of the lake and lagoon. A personal watercraft rental or tour costs $125 per hour/$75 per half-hour and each vehicle can accommodate up to three people.
Want to enjoy the water without getting wet? Take a parasail ride to heights of 450 feet as you enjoy a breathtaking aerial view of Walt Disney World resort. Rates start at $95 per single ride/$160 per tandem ride, which lasts 8-10 minutes. Deluxe flitghts lating 10-12 minutes are available for $120 per single ride/$185 per tandem ride.
Disney's resorts offer a variety of motorized and non-motorized watercraft rentals, including SeaRaycer by Sea Ray boats, SunTRACKER pontoon boats, canopy boats, pedal boats, canoes, kayaks and rowboats.
Wet 'n Wild Orlando
Watersport enthusiasts can enjoy the best of both worlds at Wet 'n Wild Orlando. In addition to riding its signature thrilling waterslides and water rides like the Bubba Tub, The Black Hole, The Bomb Bay and The Surge, wakeboarders and kneeboarders can practice their skills on the park's one-half mile cable course called the WakeZone. Riders can bring their own equipment or borrow it at no additional charge. Helmets and life vests are provided. The WakeZone is open May through September. Unlimited cable rides are included in park admission, which is $36.95 for adults, $30.95 for children ages 3-9.
City and County Parks and Lakes
If you have your own boat and equipment, you can water-ski or enjoy other boat-towed sports at many of Central Florida's public lakes with boat ramps, including Barnett Park and Moss Park in Orlando, Magnolia Park in Apopka, R.D. Keene Park & Boat Ramp in Windermere and Trimble Park in Mt. Dora. For more information about Orange County (Orlando and surrounding area) parks, visit the Orange County Web site or call 407-836-6200.
Water-Ski Related Activities
If you love all things related to water-skiing and water sports, don't leave Central Florida without visiting the place where show skiing originated in the late 1930s, Florida's first theme park and the self-proclaimed "water-ski capital of the world," Cypress Gardens Adventure Park in Winter Haven. The all-new, gravity-defying "Ski Show Spectacular" can be seen daily at the park's Mango Bay.
The Water Ski Hall of Fame and Museum in Polk City showcases the sport from its origins in the 1920s through today, with more than 12,000 pieces of water-ski artifacts including photos, skis, wetsuits, trophies, books and more.
No matter your skill level, if you love being on the water, you'll love the many water sports options Orlando provides.