Don't Like The Water? Here Are 10 Reasons You Should Still Try Wakeboarding

We dread to think how many people have come to Costa Rica, visited Lake Arenal, heard about us, but decided not to book a wakeboarding session because they don’t like the water.

We understand that “not liking the water” can be interpreted in several different ways. Some people have genuine fears of swimming. Other people just prefer not to get wet – and some people are a bit of both.

However, unless you can’t swim – or being in the water is a genuine fear – we think that “not liking the water” should never get in the way of a good wakeboarding session.

Yes, wakeboarding, wakesurfing, and waterskiing take place on the water, but the water’s just a tool to provide the thrill. It’s one part of the experience, with the other parts being the excitement, the adrenaline, and the rush that is hard to replicate in any other sport. You owe it to yourself to try it at least once. And then you owe it to yourself to fall in love and keep trying it far into the future!

We know you’re probably still umming and ahhing, so we’re going to give you a little extra incentive. Because we care so much, we’ve listed out ten reasons why you should get into wakeboarding and, specifically, why you should try our boat rentals for wakeboarding if you’re coming here for a Costa Rican holiday.

So let's start with the universal benefits.

Wakeboarding Can Give You A Full-Body Workout

Everyone wants to be fit and healthy. That’s a fact. But not everyone has the patience and willpower to go to the gym every day. For one thing, there’s hardly enough time. You have work, you have friends, you have family, and you have your hobbies – where is the gym meant to fit into all if you don’t enjoy it?

And that’s exactly why wakeboarding is such a great hobby. Not only is it fun, but it provides you with a full-body workout. The stance that you take when balancing on the water requires a lot of core strength, and being pulled by the rope ignites your biceps and triceps, as well as your legs and back muscles.

If you get into it and start to learn wakeboarding tricks, you'll be working out even more of your body, to the point where the gym will look like an amateur's play centre! Being pulled by a boat and gliding across the water is a thrill, but it’s also an activity that can pull you into full fitness and health.

Wakeboarding Is One Of The Best Cardiovascular Exercises

Cardiovascular – or aerobic – exercises are some of the most important exercises for your health, and for good reason. Keeping to a strong cardiovascular routine can reduce the risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and certain types of cancer.

As a watersport, wakeboarding is said to be one of the best for improving cardiovascular health, driving your heart and blood vessels to become far more efficient in pumping the blood and providing better oxygenation throughout the body.

Wakeboarding Improves Flexibility

We’re going to ask you to do something: bend over and touch your toes, keeping your legs straight. Hard, right? Well, wakeboarding regularly would make it a whole lot easier! Because wakeboarding requires a number of different movements, including flexing, balancing, resisting, and stretching for a long period of time, you will be building the muscles that lend to strong flexibility and limb strength.

Once again, if you start to learn tricks, your flexibility will only improve further, and this can help prevent physical injury, sore joints, and a lack of motion later in life. Even without the tricks, however, because wakeboarding is such a good workout, it naturally builds the muscles that are important to flexibility, meaning you’ll be able to touch your toes in no time!

Wakeboarding Enhances Your Reaction Time

If you’ve ever been lazing on a beach and watching wakeboarders do their thing, you'll notice that their reaction time is so quick.

Whether it’s an unexpected wave, a change in weather, a quick turn, or reconfiguring their balance after a trick, they do so in milliseconds, to the point where it looks like they’re preempting everything.This is because, while you’re out on the water as a wakeboarder, your senses are heightened and your mind is working at full capacity.

This will prove to be true if you’re not a fan of water activities because you won't want to fall fast into the cold waves! Your mind will force your body to make decisions quickly, which similarly improves reaction times that are so useful in everyday life.

Wakeboarding Boosts A Positive Mindset

As well as this, wakeboarding is a great activity for those who are prone to depression, anxiety and stress. Around the world, countless studies demonstrate how physical activities can increase serotonin levels in the brain, helping to improve cognitive function and symptoms of poor mental health – according to research, physical activity can improve mental health by more than 50%.

When it comes to wakeboarding, these studies couldn’t be more true. Not only does it provide a lot of physical exercise, but the excitement and rush inherent in wakeboarding can increase the rush of endorphins and adrenaline in the bloodstream, helping to alleviate a low mood and subsequently heighten your self-esteem.

It’s also a group sport. It isn’t just you on the back of a self-driving boat – although, with self-driving cars all the rage right now, who knows what can happen in the future? – it’s you and a group of people going outdoors to have some fun. It cannot be underestimated how important something like that can be for your mental health.

Wakeboarding Helps You Relax (Really!)

If you’re taking a vacation in Costa Rica, then you need to be prepared to step out of your comfort zone. Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and Arenal National Park is a prime example of that.

There are volcanoes, jungles, quaint little towns, gorgeous blue lakes, and, most importantly, several activities that are impossible to resist. One of these activities is wakeboarding on Lake Arenal. It might seem scary at first, but this is an ethereal experience that is unlike any other. It would be a shame to miss out simply because you don’t want to break out of your comfort zone!

It Can Push You Out Of Your Comfort Zon

If you’re taking a vacation in Costa Rica, then you need to be prepared to step out of your comfort zone. Costa Rica is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and Arenal National Park is a prime example of that.

There are volcanoes, jungles, quaint little towns, gorgeous blue lakes, and, most importantly, several activities that are impossible to resist. One of these activities is wakeboarding on Lake Arenal. It might seem scary at first, but this is an ethereal experience that is unlike any other. It would be a shame to miss out simply because you don’t want to break out of your comfort zone!

It’s Fun!

Did we mention it’s also fun? Yeah, amongst all the talk about physical and health benefits, and breaking out of a comfort zone, it’s easy to forget about the real reason every wakeboarder does it: fun! At Lake Arenal, you’ll be surfing the wake at speed, with the wild rainforest soaring past you and Volcano Arenal looming up ahead.

We’ve had a lot of people use our services, and we haven't seen a single one of them leave without a huge smile on their face. Wakeboarding is a buzz – and that buzz can very quickly become a lifestyle.

Lake Arenal Is One Of The Most Beautiful Spots In The World

Wakeboarding in Lake Arenal is also a good excuse to come to Lake Arenal in the first place – not that you need an excuse! There are a lot of beautiful places in Costa Rica, but Lake Arenal has to be right up there at the top of the list.

With a surface that covers around 33 square miles, this lake is the beating heart of Arenal National Park, with an electricity that makes it almost addictive. Nearby the lake, there are also plenty of other fun activities to try out, including the Mistico Hanging Bridges, the hot springs of Baldi, and the mysterious Venado caves.

For those who love wildlife, we also have countless species of animals surrounding Lake Arenal, including the quetzal, the spider monkey, and 850 different species of birds – which is over 10% of the world’s bird population!

It’s A Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience

To finish off, we're just going to say that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Life is short, and time goes by way faster than we want it to. It’s important to remember how incredibly lucky we all are to be here, to be given the chance of life, and it’s our duty to experience it to the fullest extent.

If you don’t like the water, ask yourself why? And ask yourself whether that means you should turn down the chance of trying out this sport given all the benefits that we’ve already talked about. It’s your decision at the end of the day, we can only say that this experience is one you will never forget. The moment you’re out there gliding across the waves, with the wind in your face and the board under your control, you’ll find it impossible not to smile. And that’s what makes it worth it.