Arizonans make the most of water activities to keep cool.

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Swimming

Scottsdale Aquatic Club

SAC does not want swimmers to drop out of the team because of their family is unable to meet all of their team fees. Scholarship assistance is available and cases are considered individually by the Head Coach. Communication is key!

Eldorado Aquatic & Fitness Center

2301 N. Miller Road, Scottsdale,AZ 85257

Chaparral Aquatic Center

5401 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85250

Cactus Aquatic Center

7202 E. Cactus Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85260-5402

Swimming & Diving in the Valley

City of Chandler Aquatics and Facilities

BIG SURF (480-947-2477) 1500 N. McClintock Dr., Tempe, AZ 85281 Waterpark, one of the largest! Race down the Hurricane Falls Speed Slides, relax and soak up the sun on the cool, grassy beaches or take the little ones to climb on an assortment of animals at Captain Cook's Landing.

SUNSPLASH (480-834-8319) 155 W. Hampton Ave, Mesa, AZ 85210 Family entertainment: Fastcar Raceway, Video Arcade, 3 18-hole miniature golf courses,Thunder Bay Wave Pool, Lazy River, Master Blaster Water Coaster.

Superstition Shadows Aquatic Center (480)-474-5210 1091 W. Southern Ave., Apache Junction. Pool with gadgets that dump, spray and shoot water. "The Red," one of two water slides, dishes out plenty of terror for daredevils.

WATERWORLD SAFARI (623-581-8446) 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85310: Safari to Waterworld, where everyone will have fun on more than 25 acres. Surf and swim in the Serengeti Surf wave pool, blast down the Cobra or Black Mamba slides, or simply relax with the kids in Jungle Jim's wading pool. For a thrill ride, climb the Kilimanjaro six stories tall, and then zoom down one of two speed slides 6 ½ stories high.

Salt RiverTubing through September

When the temperatures in Arizona hit 100 degrees, most people head indoors. But there's a wild bunch who head to the Salt River to spend their time tubing. Want to join them?

15 miles north of U.S. 60 on Power Road. From central Phoenix, take Loop 202 East to Higley Road. Exit north and drive a couple of hundred yards to Thomas Road, then turn east and proceed two miles to Power Road. Turn north and drive seven miles to the intersection with Usery Pass Road (As Power Road curves east, it becomes Bush Highway.) Turn north and look for the large parking lot to the west. 480-984-3305

You can bring your own tube, but make sure it is commercial grade, for safety's sake. A good tube is m ade of heavy gauge vinyl. No glass containers and no disposable plastic-foam coolers.

Even watching the floating parties is a good sport. The cliffs are beautiful. And it feels cool even on a hot day.

Rafting The Gila

Whitewater it's not, for that you need to go to the Upper Salt River between Globe and Show Low. Blue Sky Whitewater (800) 425-5253. This trip through the Salt River Canyon is also a beautiful trip with some exciting Class 3 rapids. Cost of the float trip is about $55. Desert Voyagers in Tempe (480) 998-7238

Water Skiing

Who would have thought Phoenix would be designated as one of the 10 best places in the country to water ski? Well, it is, according to the April 1996 issue of Water-Ski magazine. The article, "Live and Ski in America," points out to readers the many waterways that exist within minutes of the city's borders. By the way, Arizona does have more boats per capita than any other U.S. state. The article highlights Saguaro Lake, Lake Pleasant and the Salt River, as well as "breathtaking" Lake Powell, Lake Havasu and Roosevelt, Canyon and Apache lakes. Criteria for the distinction "were pretty simple," according to the article. They looked for the best ski lakes. "They had to be awesome." Also important was the community's enthusiasm for the sport; lifestyle and culture; and optimum skiing weather.

WakeBoarding

OK. The boat is ready, your feet are strapped in and you've just spit out a hearty "GO" to the driver. But instead of zipping over the water, you quickly find yourself spitting it out. Getting out of the water is tough. That's why wakeboards have taken off. Wakeboards are wide platforms ridden more like a surf board. They are much more buoyant, making it easier to "pop"out of the water and stay up, especially in rough waters. Despite Arizona's dry climate, there are plenty of places to waterboard. From downtown Mesa, Saguaro Lake is just a 45-minute drive. Lake Pleasant is about an hour away. Canyon Lake about 75 minutes and Roosevelt about two hours.

Renting makes most sense for most, with skis, vests, or boards.

Wakeboard Association of Arizona

Houseboating in Arizona

Leisure at its best.

GORP Arizona Resource Listings
Just a wonderful collection of sites to explore and enjoy the nature of Arizona.