When looking for a great spot to go kitesurfing , you can find a location almost anywhere in the country. While a local park is great for beginners, the beach is really the best place to hone your skills. Plus, who doesn’t love going to the beach? Unfortunately for Middle America, the best locations to use your kitesurfing kite are on the coast, although the Great Lakes offer a number of good spots.

Really anywhere that has barrier islands, rivers, inlets, or lakes will do. The Atlantic Ocean offers more flat water and smaller waves, which makes for a great playground for kitesurfers of any skill or experience level. On the east coast, spring time offers the ideal conditions. During this time of year you’ll find steady warm and southerly winds between 15 and 30 miles per hours. During the winter and fall you’ll experience similar wind speeds but these often come from gusty north east fronts. Any low tide sandbars will create flat water with swell breaks that are ...

Photo by Jenna McGrath

Wilmington's Ashley Chapman with the dive computer that recorded her 58-meter freedive. It set a U.S. record during an international competition in the Cayman Islands.

By Jenna McGrath Sports@StarNewsOnline.com

Published: Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 11:43 p.m. Last Modified: Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 11:43 p.m.

Ashley Chapman set new United States and Continental records for no-fins free­diving last month, diving 190 feet beneath the Caribbean Sea on a single breath of air.

More Information:

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110605/ARTICLES/110609825/1177?Title=Wilmington-freediver-sets-U-S-record-with-190-foot-dive

...

1. Siesta Beach, Sarasota, Florida.

With some of the finest, whitest sand in the world, this beach attracts sand collectors from all over. Siesta Beach has clear, warm waters that serve for ideal swimming. The beach is hundreds of yards wide in the shape of a crescent, due to anchoring of onshore rocks to the north and a unique underwater formation of coral rock and caves, providing for great snorkeling and scuba diving. This beach is great for volleyball and other types of recreational fitness.



2. Coronado Beach, San Diego, California.

Coronado Beach is the toast of Southern California; it is a veritable oasis by the sea, measuring hundreds of yards wide. With its lush subtropical vegetation, unique Mediterranean climate, and fine sparkling sand, beach-goers flock to this beach for great ship watching and the summer’s mild surf. The local landmark, Hotel del Coronado, was built...

Nothing brings out waterpark enthusiasts like a hot summer day.  Selecting a waterpark adventure can be a dizzying experience with so many choices throughout the world.   The list below comprises 10 of the best waterparks in the United States (listed alphabetically).  Each is highly rated and uniquely designed, featuring a wide variety of family-friendly attractions, conveniences, amenities and overall fun for adults and children of all ages. These fantastic waterparks offer an exciting and refreshing escape for everyone, and are guaranteed to create wonderful memories for years to come.

Dollywood’s Splash Country



Dollywood Spash Country Lazy River

Dollywood’s Splash Country in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee features...

Photo: via whdf Frederic Weill diving off a cliff at the Algarve, Portugal

Tombstoning or cliff jumping has been in the news recently, unfortunately for all the wrong reasons. Every summer, many youngsters die or severely injure themselves because they dive off rocks and cliffs – often inebriated – into waters of unknown depths. Tombstoning, however, has a long tradition that goes back to ancient tribes – inhabitants of Easter Island or Hawaii, for example – that used cliff jumping as an initiation rite. Instead of condemning the activity, we say do it but do it with someone who knows and has carefully checked out the lake, pond or ocean they’re jumping into. Or simply watch...

NEW ORLEANS — One day before the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the federal government says fishing can resume in the last Gulf of Mexico waters closed because of the massive BP PLC oil spill.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday that with the opening of about 1,040 square miles of water nearest the sunken rig, all federal waters in the Gulf are open to fishing.

NOAA administrator Jane Lubchenco says lab tests of fish taken in November, March and April found oil- and dispersant-related chemicals vastly lower than the smallest levels of concern. She says there was no detectable odor or flavor of oil or dispersant.

The Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on April 20, 2010 and sank two days later. Millions of gallons of oil spilled in the following months.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

BELLS BEACH, Victoria / Australia (Monday, April 11, 2011) - FUEL TV, Australian television’s home of live surfing, returns to the famed Bells Beach this month to deliver all the action from the 2011 Rip Curl Pro presented by FORD. FUEL TV will once again deliver LIVE and EXCLUSIVE coverage of the Rip Curl Pro presented by FORD from Bells Beach Victoria this month, as the second ASP World Tour event celebrates its 50th anniversary.

After Kelly Slater continued his dominance in the opening event on the Gold Coast last month, all signs are pointing towards the Southern Ocean swell near Torquay where Slater and his rivals will battle it out for the right the ring the infamous bell. FUEL TV will mark the occasion with an all-encompassing coverage of the event, which will begin each morning with ‘The Rip Curl Pro Morning Show’ live from the event site.



...

This year marks the 10-year ANNIVERSARY of the Miami Kiteboarding School! For the occasion we invited several PRO RIDERS from France to attend -- one is Charlotte Consorti - the face of Miami Kiteboarding and the current women's world speed record holder with an incredible 50.83 knots!

The MASTERS 2011 will feature a long distance race from Crandon to Fowey Rock (15miles), so you can all participate with directional or bi-directional boards. We also teamed up with Athletes-4-Cancer organization to raise money for the Cancer foundation.All the money raised from riders and sponsors registration will benefit the foundation. Join the cause with us! More info at 305.345.9974 or on our website MiamiKiteboarding.com. The F-ONE Pro Team riders will be hosting an Exclusive JUMP CAMP at Crandon Park on APRIL 11-12-13 2011. Etienne Lhote and Charlotte Consorti will be teaching all kinds of jumps, tricks, and moves you've always dreamed of! Open to all Crandon members & non-members. Only 8 spaces available. Call 305-345-9974...

Now that the weather has begun to show us some mercy we are on the water a lot to take advantage of our summer trips. The sharks are here and we are catching big six foot spinners and blacktips on every trip. These are four hour trips and can be the most exciting fishing you will ever do. During the day we have been finding the dolphinfish, wahoo, kingfish, and the very tasty hard fighting cobia just off the beaches. This is the time of year we do our best fishing but you have to hurry as the days are booking up fast. My favorite trip is a full day fishing for dolphinfish in the morning and then coming in to within a half mile of the...

'I'm going to get a mount of it,' fisherman says after 'unbelievable' outing

FREEPORT, Texas — It's the catch of a lifetime, but it's not clear whether a Texas fisherman landed an 8-foot shark or it landed him.

Jason Kresse, 29, of Freeport, and two crew members had been fishing for red snapper about 50 miles into the Gulf of Mexico and were dumping fish guts into the water about 3:45 a.m. Monday when they heard two big splashes in the distance.

"All of a sudden something hit the side of the boat," Kresse told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "He ends up landing on the back of the boat."

The mako shark had...