Water Sports to Try in Puerto Rico

 This might be my new favorite way to have fun in the water. The feel of the wind carrying you on the waves is incomparable, and the sport is much easier to learn than you'd think. And with 15 Knots, you're in very capable hands. Located on Isla Verde Beach, the company is one of the pioneers of the sport on the island. 

My first surfing lesson was in Puerto Rico, with the good people at WOW! Surfing in Isla Verde. But that's just one of many schools around Puerto Rico. The west coast of the island is the surfing mecca of Puerto Rico, with outfits like Rincón Surf School available to teach newbies and experienced surfers alike. Culebra and   

Many divers call Puerto Rico one of the best-kept secrets of the Caribbean. With the thousand-foot drop of The Wall at La Parguera, the sparkling clear waters of the Caribbean in Culebra (where I had my first lesson with my friends at Culebra Divers) and Vieques, and excellent diving in the southwest, there's no shortage of dive sites to explore. 

 If you're not ready to go diving just yet, but still want to enjoy the incredible beauty of Puerto Rico's underwater kingdom, you have to give snorkeling a try. There are many companies around Puerto Rico that offer snorkeling trips, either via boat, kayak or from the shore. A few that I've tried include:

• Abe's Snorkeling Tours on Vieques Island
• Sailing and snorkeling from Fajardo with Erin Go Bragh
• Boating and snorkeling with Aqua Adventure at Guánica
• Snorkeling off the shore of West Beach on Culebrita Island

And those are just a few options. The healthy coral reefs and abundance of marine life including turtles and tropical fish make these waters an underwater playground worth exploring. 

 Kayaking is big in Puerto Rico. You can navigate oceans, seas, lakes, and mangrove swamps with these lithe, eco-friendly vessels. My favorite kayak trips on the island take you out to the glowing green bioluminescent bay on Vieques Island, but I've also enjoyed kayaking through the mangrove forests at Piñones and around the cayos, or islets, of Vieques Island.  

 Snuba? What's a Snuba? That was my question when I first heard about this underwater activity. Then I found that Snuba is a kind of diving-meets-snorkeling experience in which a regulator that floats on the surface helps you breathe with ease while you're below the waves getting up close and personal with all the fantastic marine life the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean have to offer. 

You can Snuba from San Juan's Caribe Hilton Hotel or in Guánica from the Copamarina Beach Resort with Aqua Adventure. For those who are a bit reluctant to go diving Snuba is a terrific intermediate step that offers ​a complete experience than snorkeling.

Now, full disclosure here: I haven't tried paddle boarding, but it's on my to-do list. Paddleboarding, which involves standing or kneeling on a surfboard and propelling yourself forward with a modified oar, is becoming more and more popular all over the world. Puerto Rico is no exception, and you can try this sport in San Juan with PR Paddle Board Tours or Velauno.