Water Sports
Archive
Finding gear in my size is impossible. What are the best products for bigger guys?
Hyper-Specialized SUPs are taking over the market. Are they a new trend or simply a fad?
Splash around this summer. With this gear, you’ll be ready for serious summer fun whether you’re in it for fitness or just to get wet and cool down.
A souped-up recreational boat that can handle short multi-day trips.
Surf and Turf It’s rare that a shoe that looks this casual (we wore it year-round) performs so well. But with tight mesh at the bottom to keep out sand, a rock plate in the sole, and quick-drying meshy uppers, the Kia’i Trainers were our favorite water shoes this year.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the Summer 2013 Buyer’s Guide, including the Bic Sport Wing Ace-Tec
Armored toe protection and ample arch support in a slim shoe.
A great choice for beginners who want to get their money's worth and use it for touring, surfing and longer expeditions.
Kor’s slick Nava filter can process about 40 gallons, or 220 refills before requiring replacement
After spending the winter dreaming about fly-fishing, I'm itching to get back out on the river. What are the best waders for early-season fish-stalking?
This summer, ocean-based explorer and scientist Sonya Baumstein became the first person to stand-up paddleboard across the Bering Strait. Find out more about what's up next for Sonya: rowing across the North Pacific. #TheDriven…
My New Year's Resolution for 2013 was to learn to kiteboard, but I don't know where to start. Help!
The company, founded in 1888, is bringing back, for a limited time only, the protective eyewear design that started it all
The beefy, 500 denier material and reinforcements throughout the packs are made to stand up to the tough life of a commercial outfitter guiding in the Boundary Waters Canoe area
Nike claims to solve hygiene and slippage problems with its new Studio Wrap, but the slipper-like shoe could compromise your connection with the mat
The pool bores me. But I swim a few days a week during the winter to stay fit. Is there any waterproof gear that can make it more interesting?
Lots of surfers take pride in spending as little as possible on a wetsuit. What do you get if you spend more? In the best cases, exactly what you pay for.
“Working at the Cheat Suite.” Photo: Janis LeMieux Roughly a month ago, on the evening of October 25, master woodworker and paddlemaker Keith Backlund took his last breath in the Stalker, Pennsylvania, home where he grew up. Since then, a stream of remembrances and…
I’ve never tried fly fishing, and it's hard to find a buddy who's willing to show me the ropes. What’s the best way to get started?
The gear you need—and the perfect Scotch—for fall fly-fishing season.
In an effort to assert their authenticity and iconic status, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and O’Neill are teaming up on a full line of clothing and accessories made by O’Neill and plastered with PBR logos. Board shorts, tees, coolers,…
Field testing gear in real-world conditions is the only way to know which pieces are exceptional and which are run of the mill. So, immediately after the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt lake City wrapped, I hopped on a plane bound for Anchorage, Alaska, with Helly Hansen,…
We’ve already published a couple of reviews from Andrew Forsthoefel, our gear tester who is walking all the way from his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, to the West Coast. Andrew has now made it past Santa Fe—a full 2,400 miles from his starting point. He’s walked the equivalent of…
In 2002, Philip Curry, the designer behind Patagonia's now-discontinued Lotus line of lifejackets, decided to get back into the PFD business. He founded Astral Buoyancy to create the highest-quality product possible with cutting-edge design…
Whether you’re catching a wave, splashing in the nearest stream, or chilling at the beach, if you’re a Patagonia fan, you’ll soon have eight new styles of board shorts in 45 different color combinations to wear for the occasion. Athlete-approved from the barrels of Hawaii to the…
The latest trend in surfboard design is stout, full figures. All four of the boards we selected, from the short and fat Third World Exotic Surfboards Ghostbuster to the 5'11" Lost Bottom Feeder, are under seven feet long, maneuverable, and built with plenty of width and thickness to make catching waves easy.
A whitewater-specific design that can take multiple hits and should accommodate just about every head size and shape. (It comes with an assortment of pads for fine-tuning the fit.)
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2012 Summer Buyer's Guide, including the Roxy 10'6" SUP.
Whether you’re talking sea kayaks or canoes or whitewater crafts—boat technology has reached a plateau where small advances, design tweaks, and material innovations make a big difference to enthusiasts. This year we see evolution in all categories, with the lightest, most progressive sea kayak in some time.
Though there are many larger, better-known SUP manufacturers, Pau Hana is quickly carving out a name for itself with fast, well-priced boards like the fitness and adventure-ready Crossfit.
Whether you're running rivers or just running back and forth between the house and the lake, you need the right footwear. We review six new water shoes, including the Sperry Top-Sider Son-R Feedback Bungee, the Adidas Boat Lace DLX, and the Keen Turia with its tester-friendly debris-blocking mesh upper and grip.
ϳԹ reviews the best SUP gear of June 2012, including the Naish Mana Wood SUP.
The fiberglass mashup is stable, fast, and light, and thanks to the unique seating system, you can pilot it kayak style (double bladed) or with a canoe paddle.
Aquapac’s waterproof case barely interferes with your beloved touchscreen’s functionality and has a jack for your headphones.
The first in a series of videos created by O'Neill to chronicle the history of a company that started with Jack O'Neill's invention of the wetsuit back in 1952.
You can extend or collapse the Kialoa Pupu according to your height and whether you’re surfing or touring, so if you need one paddle to do double-duty, this is it.
A low price tag and a quality build make this among the best wetsuits for newbies.
I'm planning a late spring or early summer canoe trip in southern Ontario and I need a new personal flotation device. The trip involves several portages per day, and the trip will take a week, so my new PFD needs to be light and comfortable. What should I get?
A newbie-friendly board, a watch that knows the tides, and other essential gear for the paddler on your list.
The best gear for fly-fishing fanatics, from quick-drying water shoes to a handmade paddle.
I'm moving to Great Lakes region and I'm looking for a kayak that's easy to maneuver and cheap.
Tonight, Patagonia and eBay announced a new partnership, the Common Threads Initiative. Together, they asked owners of fleece and Gore-Tex everywhere to pledge to reduce consumption, reuse old gear, recycle, repair what's broken, and reimagine a world where people don't stress the earth with…
There are bazillion iPad cases out there. Some are great, some are crappy, and many are in the middle: they look cool but offer little in the way of actual protection. That's where these three cases come in. If you're looking to take your iPad along on your next serious…
Whether you're cooling off during a weekly swim in the local outdoor pool or training daily for a triathlon in a state-of-the-art aquatics center, you'll want to outfit yourself with gear made for the pool. Presenting the 10 best summer swimming products for 2011, from suits to shampoo. Right before…
Cut through the water with a swim fin that can power you at 10 mph.
Classic board shorts perfect for that ultimate winter getaway. $108…
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Quiksilver Women's Sandblaster Pants.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Horny Toad Bivalent Dress.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Teva Gnarkosi water shoes.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Necky Vector 13 kayak.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Columbia Sportswear Drainmaker water shoes.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Wave Sport Project X kayak.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Stewart LSW surfboard.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Freedom Hawk 12 UL kayak.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Rusty Dwart surfboard.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Firewire Dominator CBD surfboard.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Orvis Access rod.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the L.L. Bean Wicker Creel fishing basket.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Orvis Premium Brodin Guide Net.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Patagonia Rio Gallegos fishing waders.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the NRS Big Earl kayak.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Patagonia Rock Grip Wading Boots.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Walden GSI Epoxy SUP.
ϳԹ reviews the best gear in the 2011 Summer Buyers Guide, including the Waterworks Force SL fishing reel.