Water Sports on Sproat Lake
With over 300km of beautifully forested shoreline, Sproat Lake offers plenty of space for everyone to enjoy their favourite water activities like fishing, swimming, and other water sports on Sproat Lake. While the entire lake is available for whatever water activities you enjoy, most water sports take place on the south western section of the lake known as Sterling Arm.
From paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, and swimming to more challenging water sports like water skiing and wakeboarding, there is something for everyone. Sproat Lake often holds competitions for water skiing and wakeboarding, bringing in athletes from all over the world.
Water Sports on Sproat Lake
If you’re looking for a riskier, more challenging way to enjoy the water, water skiing and wakeboarding are perfect for you. Water skiing has three different modalities, all with varying difficulty levels.
Slalom water skiing takes place on one ski while holding onto a rope attached to a boat, travelling through a 55m course, passing around the outside of 6 buoys. In a competition setting, the athlete repeats the course with a shorter rope each time, until they are unsuccessful in completing the course.
Trick water skiing is difficult and fast paced; athletes are required to complete two 20 second runs along a 175m long course, completing as many tricks as possible. Tricks can range between taking one foot off the ski, one hand off the rope, to more challenging tricks like slalom tumble turns. The slalom tumble turn looks like the athlete has fallen into the water, until they roll over standing back up on their board, looking almost like they’re rolling on the water. 
Jumps come in as one of the most challenging water sports, performed on two specific skis with a helmet and wetsuit, athletes soar through the air up to 300ft high and at speeds between 48-57kph. They are judged based on the distance travelled through the air after the jump.
Wakeboarding takes place on a wakeboard, similar to a snowboard but smaller, attached to the back of a motorboat. Wakeboarders are known for catching the wake and doing aerial tricks like flips and jumps, while speeding along behind a boat.
Calmer Water Sports
Now, if you’re not into water skiing or wakeboarding, Sproat Lake offers plenty of calm waters for paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing. Paddling by the Petroglyphs at Sproat Lake Provincial Park is a fantastic way to view the hundred (possibly thousand) year old stone carvings of the Lake. There is nothing more relaxing than spending the day leisurely paddling around the lake, taking in the surrounding mountains and west coast forest from the calm waters.
Whatever you enjoy, Sproat Lake is there to offer the perfect location for your water sports. It is the perfect hidden gem for all ages and skill levels.
Written by Megan Warrender, at the Valley Vibe. Port Alberni’s fast growing community and online magazine. The passion here at the Valley Vibe is to showcase the beautiful of our valley for all who live here, and travel through. Working together with many talented writers, we at the Valley Vibe love to explore, discover and uncover secret jewels about Port Alberni and Sproat Lake.
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