Water sports
Water ski
Water ski was “born” around
1900 from a group of young people
who were having fun playing with the
waters of a lake in the USA. The
fashion spread quickly, and the
stronger the boat engines became,
the more the speed, the difficulty
and the popularity of the sport
grew.
In Greece, the Vouliagmeni Nautical
Club (in the region of Attica) was
the first club to found a water ski
division in 1957; in 1963 the
Hellenic Water Ski Federation was
founded with the aim of spreading
the sport all over the country.
Water ski is now one of the most
popular modern water sports and no
special training is needed when done
by amateurs for fun. All over Greece
there are private schools, which
operate at organised beaches or at
the facilities of big hotels.
For more information regarding water
ski in Greece, you can contact:
Hellenic Water Ski Federation
50 Thrakis Str, 163 42 Ilioupoli –
Athens
tel: 210 9944334, 9944014 - fax. 210
9940521
Sailing
Sailing is a sport
irrevocably connected with the Greek
people throughout the country’s long
history and centuries of nautical
tradition. Today, it is one of the
most popular sports and thousands of
Greeks practise it systematically
(in competitions or as a simple
sport) using all types of sailing
boats.
Information about the sport in
Greece, the sailing associations per
geographical region, the
requirements and procedures to
participate in special training
programmes, is provided by the:
Hellenic Sailing Federation (EIO)
51 Posidonos Avenue, 183 44 Moschato
- Athens
tel: 210 9404825 (8 lines) – fax:
210 9404829
Windsurfing
Windsurfing is an exciting
sport for everybody, irrespective
of age and sex. No special body
strength is needed, at least in the
beginning, the most important part
being played by correct technique.
Apart from being fun and an Olympic
sport, windsurfing is a professional
sport since 1985, as well as a
demonstration and competition sport
in indoor areas, where the necessary
conditions are artificially
created.
As the weather conditions in Greece
are ideal (mild climate, appropriate
strength of the winds etc), the
popularity of the sport has
increased spectacularly and more and
more Greek people practise it
systematically. Indeed, in recent
years European and World
competitions (tournaments), some of
which rank among the most important
international events, are held in
various parts of the country during
the summer. At most of the
country’s organised beaches you have
the opportunity to windsurf or
attend lessons given by specialised
instructors. Indicatively, some of
the places where one can do
organised windsurfing are listed
below:
-Attica: Anávyssos, Várkiza, Lavrio,
Loutsa, Rafina, Schiniás (Marathonas)
and Galazia Aktí (Marathonas)
beaches
-the Cyclades: Paros island (Chrysí
Aktí, Nea Chrysí Aktí, Tsoukalia,
Santa Maria and Pounda beaches),
Mykonos island (Fteliá and Kalafatis
beaches), Naxos island (Aghios
Georgios and Mikrí Vigla beaches),
Ios island (Mylópotas beach),
Santorini island, et al.
-the Dodecanese: Rhodes island (Trianda,
Fanés, Prasonissi and Theologos
beaches), Kárpathos island (the
Devil’s bay), Kos island, et al.
-Patras (the Peloponnese): Drépano
and Zacháro beaches
-the Ionian Islands: Lefkada island
(Vassilikí beach), Zákynthos island
-Crete
-the Sporades islands: Skiathos
-Macedonia: Thessalonica prefecture
(Aghia Triada and Nea Michaniona
beaches and on Volvi lake),
Chalkidikí (Sunny Beach).
For more information, contact
The Greek Windsurfing Federation
7 Philelinon Str. Athens,
tel: 210 3230068
Diving Tourism
The particularly clean
Greek seas and the huge wealth of
the deep are a pole of attraction
for those wishing to enjoy the magic
of underwater exploration. Diving
using only a mask is allowed
everywhere, but scuba diving using
compressed air tanks is forbidden in
areas with underwater antiquities.
Scores of diving schools operate in
Greece under special license of the
Greek Ministry of Mercantile
Marine. All scuba divers are
obliged to comply with and adhere to
the regulations and restrictions of
L. 5351/32 on antiquities.
Underwater activities with diving
equipment are allowed from sunrise
to sunset.
More specifically, interested
parties should be aware that the
following are prohibited:
-fishing with scuba diving equipment
(spear fishing with the use of
bottles);
-photographing, removing or
transporting antiquities. In case
you spot any antiquities, you must
immediately report this to the
nearest
archaeological department of the
Ministry of Culture (or the Ephorate
of Underwater Antiquities), or
port or police authorities; and
-use or possession (on board of a
ship) of special equipment for
spotting antiquities. |
