Sports

Enjoy an Athletic Vacation in the Bahamas

Although the image of a relaxing island vacation in the Bahamas, with days spent lying about on the sand and nights spent dancing beneath a crystal clear moon with the sound of the waves lapping the beach setting the tune may be some people's ideal vacation, if you are the sort of person who unwinds via a more physical outlet you may be thinking that spending your free time hiking through the Rockies would be more suitable. Don't sell the Bahamas short! Part of the true beauty of the islands lies in the fact that the Bahamas are for everyone, not just those dedicated beach bunnies out there.

With ocean as far as the eye can see it is little wonder that the majority of the sports enjoyed on the islands have to do with exploring the deep. Tourists, both experienced and novice, can try their hand at scuba diving and snorkeling with an experienced professional overseeing their progress until they are comfortable with the process. Companies such as Bahamas Divers Limited or Stuart's Cove Dive South Ocean can offer tourists equipment rentals at a reasonable price, and if you want to give your vacation a thrill you can try your hand at the shark dives held off the coasts and get up close and personal with some of nature's greatest predators.

If under the sea is not a place that you prefer to be you can turn your hand to sports above water as well. Sailing across the waters of the Atlantic is a marvelous way to spend a beautiful afternoon, and the younger members of your family can turn their hand at banana boating (riding in a rubber boat pulled behind a motorboat), thereby ensuring that no one is left out of the island experience. If you find boating to be a bit too tame for your taste (and don't underestimate the challenge that taking on Mother Nature with nothing but the wind and your wit can provide) you can spend your days skimming across the surface of the water on a pair of water skis; the waters are rich with places that skiers can enjoy an uninterrupted water skiing experience, and with companies like Emmel's Curios and Sea Sports in business there is no reason for anyone to board their flight home without having given it a try at least once.

Of course, if your athletic abilities encompass a little more green and a little less blue, the myriad of golf courses scattered throughout the various cities on the islands will put your driving and putting skills to the test. The Radisson Cable Beach golf course, a par 72 course located on Cable Beach, was formerly a private escape for British expatriates that has turned into one of the biggest tourist attractions on the island-and there are enough small ponds and water traps that you will not find yourself abandoning aquatic aesthetics entirely. If you want to try your hand at working in a bit of sand you can direct your efforts towards the course on Paradise Island-eighteen holes, par 72 and endorsed by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, you can rest assured that the sand traps and water hazards will ensure that every player is tried to the utmost of their expertise.

Still think that the Bahamas are a waste of your time? Hop a boat or a plane and go give them a try; it is guaranteed to be one of the few times in your life that you were happy to be wrong, and you'll come home with a wealth of memories to share with your posterity for years to come.