California is among top 10 spots for water sports in US, study says. See where it ranked

Sarah Linn
·2 min read

Love the water? California is one of the best states in the nation for water sports, according to Lake.com.

The Golden State was No. 4 on the vacation rental website’s list of top 10 destinations for swimming, sailing, diving and other aquatic fun.

Florida was first on the list of the best water sports spots, Lake.com said, scoring 68.22 out of a possible 100.

“The Sunshine State has the best access to public beaches, with 909 miles of public beachfront in the state, as well as the most water parks (18), online boat rentals (2,879), marine stores (5,283) and boat yards (8,132),” the site said.

Texas was the second-best destination for water sports, according to Lake.com, while Michigan took third place.

“The United States is blessed with an abundance of stunning bodies of water,” David Ciccarelli, CEO of Lake.com, said in a May 31 news release. “This research provides a useful guide to the best states in the country to visit for water sports this spring and summer.”

Families enjoy the water on a mid-90s summer day on the American River in Sacramento’s Tiscornia Park on Monday, July 31, 2023.
Families enjoy the water on a mid-90s summer day on the American River in Sacramento’s Tiscornia Park on Monday, July 31, 2023.

Why is California one of the best destinations for water sports fans?

In addition to sharing a long coastline with the Pacific Ocean, California is home to about 200 major rivers and streams and more than 3,000 lakes and reservoirs, including Lake Tahoe, Shasta Lake and Lake Nacimiento.

California came in fourth place on Lake.com’s list of the best sports for a water sports vacation, scoring 55.20 out of 100.

The Golden State had the second-best access of all U.S. states to public beaches, waterparks, online boat rentals, boat yards and marine stores.

California also has the second lowest water-related accident and death rate, according to Lake.com.

Margie and Larry Linder of Cayucos arrive in Morro Bay Harbor on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, after spending more than eight years circumnavigating the globe on their 32-foot-long sailboat, Aletha.
Margie and Larry Linder of Cayucos arrive in Morro Bay Harbor on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023, after spending more than eight years circumnavigating the globe on their 32-foot-long sailboat, Aletha.

What are the top 10 states for water sports in the US?

These are the top 10 states in the United States for water sports, according to Lake.com:

  1. Florida

  2. Texas

  3. Michigan

  4. California

  5. New York

  6. Illinois

  7. Wisconsin

  8. Minnesota

  9. Washington

  10. Massachusetts

Families flocked to the Ravine Water Park in Paso Robles as temperatures hit triple digits in North San Luis Obispo County on Saturday, June 23, 2018. Temperatures are expected to cool early this week before warming up again for the weekend.
Families flocked to the Ravine Water Park in Paso Robles as temperatures hit triple digits in North San Luis Obispo County on Saturday, June 23, 2018. Temperatures are expected to cool early this week before warming up again for the weekend.

How did Lake.com come up with rankings?

To come up with its rankings, Lake.com analyzed 22 different factors related to watersports.

Those included each state’s total coastal area, average weather conditions and the number of public beaches, lakes, boat yards and waterparks.

Based on these factors, the site gave each state a score out of 100.

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.

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