The Water Sports List - From Most to Least Popular
1. Swimming
Type of Sport: Individual and Team;
Disciplines: swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, open water swimming, and high diving;
Governing Body: Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA);
2. Kayaking
Type of Sport: Individual and Team;
Disciplines: surf kayaking, white water kayaking, marathon kayaking, freestyle kayaking, polo kayaking, slalom/race kayaking, extreme slalom kayaking, marathon kayaking, ocean race kayaking, and sprint kayaking;
Governing Body: International Canoe Federation (ICF);
3. Snorkeling
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: plain snorkeling, full-face mask snorkeling, bog snorkeling;
Governing Body: Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS);
4. Surfing
Type of Sport: Individual and Team;
Disciplines: tandem surfing, shortboard surfing, longboard surfing, tow-in surfing, big wave surfing, wave skiing, and horse surfing;
Governing Body: International Surfing Association (ISA);
5. Sailing
Type of Sport: Individual and Team;
Disciplines: fleet racing, match racing, team racing, offshore/oceanic racing, and speed sailing;
Governing Body: World Sailing (WS);
6. Water Polo
Type of Sport: Team;
Disciplines: water polo;
Governing Body: Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA);
7. Canoeing
Type of Sport: Individual and Team;
Disciplines: slalom canoeing, flatwater canoeing, and sprint canoeing;
Governing Body: International Canoe Federation (ICF);
8. Wakeboarding
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: wakeboarding, cable wakeboarding, wakesurfing, and wakeskating;
Governing Body: International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF);
9. Rowing
Type of Sport: Individual and Team;
Disciplines: sweep rowing and sculling;
Governing Body: World Rowing Federation (FISA);
10. Windsurfing
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: freestyle windsurfing, slalom windsurfing, wave windsurfing, speed windsurfing, foil windsurfing, super x windsurfing, and indoor windsurfing;
Governing Body: International Windsurfing Association (IWA);
11. Diving
Type of Sport: Individual and Team;
Disciplines: diving, synchronized diving, and cliff/high diving;
Governing Body: International Swimming Federation (FINA);
12. Rafting
Type of Sport: Individual and Team;
Disciplines: sprint rafting, head-to-head rafting, slalom rafting, and downriver rafting;
Governing Body: International Rafting Federation (IRF);
13. Spearfishing
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: speargun spearfishing and sling/polespear spearfishing;
Governing Body: International Underwater Spearfishing Association (IUSA);
14. Kiteboarding
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: wave kitesurfing, strapless kitesurfing, freestyle kiteboarding, speed kiteboarding, big air kiteboarding, slalom/boardercross kiteboarding, course race kiteboarding, foil kiteboarding, snow kiteboarding, kite buggying, and land kiteboarding;
Governing Body: International Kiteboarding Association (IKA);
15. Freediving
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: constant weight, constant weight without fins, free immersion, variable weight, no limits, dynamic with fins, dynamic without fins, static apnea, speed endurance apnea, jump blue, and skandalopetra;
Governing Body: Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS) and Association Internationale pour le Développement de l'Apnée (AIDA);
16. Water Skiing
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: speed water skiing, trick water skiing, show water skiing, slalom water skiing, jump water skiing, barefoot water skiing, and wake skiing;
Governing Body: International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation (IWWF);
17. Paddleboarding
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: paddleboard racing technical and paddleboard racing distance;
Governing Body: International Surfing Association (ISA);
18. Skimboarding
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: wave skimboarding and flatland skimboarding;
Governing Body: None;
19. Underwater Hockey
Type of Sport: Team;
Disciplines: octopush/underwater hockey;
Governing Body: Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques (CMAS);
20. Canyoning
Type of Sport: Individual;
Disciplines: canyoning;
Governing Body: Fédération Internationale de Canyonisme (FIC);