Do people in Britain visit any of their local lakes with their own "motor boats" or "speed boats"?

Question

how about Jet Skis? is this a popular thing to do in Britain? (like it is in America)

why for that and how this is so popular in America? since when for Britain and since when for America this has been a popular past time?

why dont more people do this? as it cant be that expensive to buy a little motor boat and at least go fishing or water skiing?

which ages do most people do these sorts of things and how many lakes and rivers are there where you are? which region? (if care to share) when started this as being a popular thing and how about now?

thanks for your answers!

Answer 1

Boating of al sorts is popular all over the UK. Tens of thosands of British folks get out on the water whatever the weather....even when the sky is black with storm clouds.

http://blogs.sacbee.com/photos/2010/08/cowes-week-regatta-2010.html#more . ..

In Britain we like boats and we like just messing about on the river or racing across a lake or the sea by sail or motor.



Britain is a maritime nation. Our senior military service is the Royal Navy.

Thousands of people sail dingies and yachts, speed around in motor boats, motor cruisers, water skis, jet skis and power boats, go kite surfing and wind surfing, and take part in races and regattas, and in spite of our sometimes miserable British weather, water sports are increasing in popularity yearly.

I live on an island in the British Isles. Our main town has less than 30 000 people.

Here is the marina

http://www.gov.im/lib/images/isleofman/douglasmarina.jpg . . .

Another one, two miles from home

http://www.historic-uk.com/DestinationsUK/IsleofMan-Castletown.jpg . . .

West coast...Peel

http://isle-news.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/electric-pick-up-at-peel-harbour.jpg . . .

South coast...Port St. Mary

http://www2.iomtoday.co.uk/hosted/iomimages/SOUTH/South%20images/South%2035%20.jpg . . . .

T'hat's on one small island....30 miles by 12.

Mainland UK..Brighton on the south coast of England

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/05/27/052713_47b945d0.jpg . . .

Lake District, north west England

http://www.marinasonline.net/uploads/lrg_View_from_Appt_4.JPG . . . . .

Canal boats, seen all over UK on the canals....we call then narrowboats or longboats

http://www.tambourine.org.uk/bill%20fen.jpg . . . .

Getting through a lock....how the water levels are changed to keep the canals level.

http://img1.photographersdirect.com/img/22102/wm/pd2230535.jpg . . .

Scotland....Loch Lomond, west of Glasgow

http://www.holylochmarina.co.uk/images/masthead.jpg . . . ..



Anywhere in UK, in Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England, you can find boats...on canals and rivers, lakes and around the coast, there are more than 2 million private boats registered in UK.

You can pick up a bargain for £300 or spend ten thousand on a new superfast hull for off-shore powerboating.

Around £2000 ($3000) you can get a 16 foot fibreglass motor boat with comfortable seating and a 40-50HP engine in good condition if you shop around.

There are boat auctions every week in UK and adverts in shop windows, newspapers and boating magazines.

The annual Boat Show is one of the best attended national annual exhibitions in UK and there are dozens of regional shows every year.

The Cowes Regatta on the Isle of Wight is a world class event attended by thousands.

Some parts of Britain are boat mad....nice one.

We have boat races for young children in Mirror class sailing dingies and a scheme through the national organisation for getting sailing qualifications...A-Helm, B-Helm, C-Helm and then to offshore qualifications and specialist courses in navigation and radio, meteorology, etc.

The Scouts have a Sea Scouts branch which is very popular.

Surfing championships are held at Newquay every year and there are water ski and sailing clubs on many of our lakes and reservoirs, with boats for hire.

Boating has always been a part of Britain. Where this was drawn is Henley-on-Thames, where a regatta still takes place on the same stretch of water every year but with even more people attending and participating.

http://www.londonancestor.com/newspaper/1882/0708/henley-regatta.jpg . . . .

The straw hat is standard wear for Henley, and for punting on the river Cam at Cambridge, and is called a Luton Boater after the town of Luton where I come from.

All on the top part of the question below with pics of Cambridge University with hatless students ( undressed in a punt without a straw hat...whatever is England coming to....and by the University as well, oh dear oh dear.?) slowly punting on the river and of Henley......slow boat country both apart from racing days....quiet peace reigns on the river.

https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20091129162024AAd97kV . . . . . .

Not here though....rafting in Wales

http://www.opendooradventure.co.uk/xxx/white%20water1-wales.JPG . . . . .

Answer 2

I'm british Welsh and most people here who own a boat go to the sea but there are fresh water speed boat racing clubs.There are lot's of lakes but mostly for fishing only few allow boats and most the time you rent them.There's lot's of fast rivers because of mountains and rain people do a lot of white water rafting.You can pick a boat up for use in the sea for about £3000.Lot's of people go to canals Norfolk broads is full of boats.

Answer 3

from experience (i got family in the uk and have visited a couple of times) loads of people have their own speedboats and go out on the lakes water-skiing. i don't think as many people do it compared to the US for a few reasons:



1. english weather is generally pretty miserable and it's cold most the year round

2. not as many people in the UK as in the US obviously

3. we could fit all the lakes in the UK into one of ours!! their lakes are like ponds!!



decent speed-boat would set you back about £30,000. thats like $60,000



i've never been to scotland