Breakdown and Listing of Adventure Tourism Activities

Adventure tourism is an important, growing tourism segment. Most of the beaches and Islands of Karnataka state is blessed with many unique characteristics such as backwaters, rivers, estuaries, forest or mountains on the either side. Adventure travelers always seek unique or new travel destinations and activities. Recent market studies shows that they are willing to accept limited tourism infrastructure with the promise of an exceptional, authentic experience. This allows for the unexplored destinations of coastal Karnataka to market themselves as truly unique, appealing to those travelers looking for rare, incomparable experiences. A suitability analysis for various adventurous activities which can be introduced in the beaches to attract more adventure tourists. This study is based on the primary observations in the field and a further detailed technical suitability has to be carried out. Parameters used for analysis are primarily divided into three categories in which ‘Safety’ aspects is the most important, followed by Operational feasibility and Experience enhancement parameters.

Hang Gliding

Hang Gliding can be also called an air sport in which the pilot or the participant takes a ride on a light and non-automatic foot-launch aircraft which is called a ‘hang glider’. Most of these hang gliding aircrafts are made out of aluminum alloy or composite frame which is covered by a synthetic cloth totally. The pilot or the participant is strapped with this air frame at the bottom and he or she has to control the movement of the air craft by moving his or her body in the opposition to control the frame while in the air. Safety is an important aspect with regard to this activity, presence of mountains/cliffs near the beaches make it suitable for Hang gliding.

Horse Riding/Equestrian

There are many health benefits of riding on a sandy beach for horse and rider. Long sandy stretches are good for building up fitness levels and often the sand can encourage muscle tone and strength. It can provide outstanding views of the sea and is a refreshing way to explore the areas of beauty throughout the coasts of Karnataka. Sand will vary in texture and depth. It may be harder closer to the water and softer further away, but that is not always the case. Sandbanks can go from hard to soft in less than a stride, especially on estuaries. On many beaches, sand can change, so even if you have ridden a beach before, do not rely on soft and hard areas remaining the same. Beaches with a minimum foreshore width of 10m and minimum stretch of 1km shoreline are suitable for horse riding.

Motorized Sports

An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a quad, quad bike, three-wheeler, four-wheeler, or quadricycleis a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control (As per American National Standards Institute definition). As the name implies, it is designed to handle a wider variety of terrain than most other vehicles. Quad bike riding is the most common motorized sports in the beaches and it is very popular across the world. Beaches with a minimum foreshore width of 10m and minimum stretch of 1km shoreline are necessary requirement for this activity in order to provide dedicated tracks. Quad bike riding can be dangerous so one should not race or ride at speeds considered dangerous to myself or others, and should not vary, deter or change course.

PARAGLIDING

Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure activity which requires expert training. It involves flying paragliders which is lightweight, free-flying and foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing comprising a large number of interconnected baffled cells. Presence of mountains/cliffs near the beaches make it suitable for Paragliding. Wing shape is maintained by the suspension lines, the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing, and the aerodynamic forces of the air flowing over the outside.

Birdwatching

Birdwatching or birding is a form of wildlife observation in which the observation of birds as a recreational activity. It can be done with the naked eye, through a visual enhancement device like binoculars and telescopes, or by listening for bird sounds. Photography has always been a part of birding, but in the past the cost of cameras with super-telephoto lenses made this a minority, often semi-professional, interest. The advent of affordable digital cameras, which can be used in conjunction with a spotting scope or binoculars have made this a much more widespread aspect of the hobby. Beaches with adjoining estuaries or backwaters with the presence of migratory birds have the potential for birding.

Hot Air Ballooning

Hot air ballooning is the activity of flying in hot air balloons. Attractive aspects of ballooning include the exceptional quiet (except when the propane burners are firing), the lack of a feeling of movement, and the bird's-eye view. Since the balloon moves with the direction of the winds, the passengers feel absolutely no wind, except for brief periods during the flight when the balloon climbs or descends into air currents of different direction or speed. The dangers of the sport include excessive (vertical or horizontal) speed during landing, mid-air collisions that may collapse the balloon, and colliding with high voltage power lines. Land availability near the beaches for providing necessary infrastructure facilities for ballooning is very important parameter which decides its suitability.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is an activity in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Due to the length and extended endurance required and because accidents are more likely to happen on descent than ascent. Scrambling, another activity involving the scaling of hills and similar formations, is similar to rock climbing. However, rock climbing is generally differentiated by its sustained use of hands to support the climber's weight as well as to provide balance. Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding activity, one that often tests a climber's strength, endurance, agility and balance along with mental control. It can be a dangerous activity and knowledge of proper climbing techniques and usage of specialized climbing equipment is crucial for the safe completion of routes.

Zorbing

Zorbing (globe-riding, sphering, orbing) is the recreation or sport of rolling downhill inside an orb, generally made of transparent plastic. Zorbing is generally performed on a gentle slope, but can also be done on a level surface, permitting more rider control. In the absence of hills some operators have constructed inflatable, wooden, or metal ramps. Due to the buoyant nature of the orbs, Zorbing can also be carried out on water, provided the orb is inflated properly and sealed once the rider is inside. 'Water walking' using such orbs has become popular in theme parks across the world. Although the cushioning design of the orbs prevent many serious injuries, light injuries such as bruises and grazes can often be sustained by colliding with objects or tripping whilst the orb is rolling down an incline.

Blokarting

Blokarting is an emerging, exciting and fast land based beach activity which can be defined as sailing on land. It is ideally suited in the beaches with a minimum foreshore width of 10m and minimum stretch of 1km shoreline. A Blokart is a type of compact land yacht manufactured by New Zealand-based Company - Blokart International Ltd. Due to their small size and maneuverability, Blokarts can be sailed in small urban areas. They can be quickly disassembled and packed into a carry-bag giving them a high degree of portability. The basic blokart including wheels, mast and sail weighs only 29 kg and can be dismantled in a few minutes without tools, and all parts packed into a carry-case. The high degree of portability allows the blokart to be transported by car, or carried as luggage on a plane. Unlike many other landyachts the blokart is steered using the hands through a centrally mounted bar directly coupled to the front wheel.

Orienteering

Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points. Originally a training exercise in land navigation for military officers, orienteering has developed many variations. Among these, the oldest and the most popular is foot orienteering. This activity can be promoted in the identified Islands and other beaches which are surrounded by forests.

Kite Landboarding

Kite landboarding involves the use of a mountain board or landboard, which is essentially an oversized skateboard with large pneumatic wheels and foot-straps. Due to the power that the kites can generate, riders can hit high speeds and propel themselves several feet in the air. As this is a land-based sport, there have been several concerns about the possibility of injury to the rider or to others. As a result, several safety equipment items are used by riders in this activity. Helmets are essential, especially for the more advanced moves, where a rider may find himself rotating and flipping. Possible water related adventure activities that can be promoted are as follows:-

Bodyboarding

Bodyboarding is a water sport in which the surfer rides a bodyboard on the crest, face, and curl of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore. Bodyboarding is also referred to as Boogieboarding due to the invention of the 'Boogie Board' by Tom Morey. The average bodyboarding consists of a short, rectangular piece of hydrodynamic foam. Bodyboarders typically use swim fins for additional propulsion and control while riding a breaking wave. Bodyboarding is easy to learn to get a feel for the wonder of an ocean wave. It is just one of our many adventure sports here at the Surf Ashram. Sometimes called boogie boarding, the beginner can learn bodyboarding with our bodyboards and immediately take part in our daily watersports activities.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually fins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn. Use of this equipment allows the snorkeler to observe underwater attractions for extended periods with relatively little effort and to breathe while face-down at the surface. Snorkeling is a popular recreational activity, particularly at tropical resort locations. The primary appeal is the opportunity to observeunderwater life in a natural setting without the complicated equipment and training required for scuba diving. It appeals to all ages because of how little effort there is, and without the exhaled bubbles of scuba-diving equipment. It is the basis of the two surface disciplines of the underwater sport of fin swimming.

Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snowboarding, and surfing techniques. The rider is usually towed behind a motorboat, typically at speeds of 30–40 km/h (18-25 mph), depending on the board size, rider's weight, type of tricks, and rider's comfort. This speed could also depend on the year, make, and model of the boat because some boats, which are not designed for wakeboarding, create a different size wake which the rider may not feel comfortable with. But a wakeboarder can also be towed by other means, including closed-course cable systems, winches, and personal water craft.

Rock Hopping

Rock Hopping is an activity involving jumping off rocks. Some variations of this activity may involve jumping off a cliff into a body of water such as a river or lake (also known as ''quarry jumping'', since abandoned, water-filled quarry holes are popular for this activity, featuring steep, tall cliff faces and deep water). Rock hopping can be used as a means of getting from one place to another in combination with scrambling over rocks for the purpose of outdoor activity such as rock climbing. It has also become an extreme sport whereby participants jump over large gaps, sometimes without any form of safety device such as a securing rope to ensure they do not fall and injure themselves or worse. [1] It can also refer to traveling up a boulder-filled stream or brook by jumping from rock to rock, while avoiding falling in.

Coasteering

Coasteering is a physical activity that encompasses movement along the intertidal zone of a rocky coastline on foot or by swimming, without the aid of boats, surf boards or other craft. It is difficult to define the precise boundaries between, for example, rock pooling and ocean swimming. Coasteering may include all or some of the following: Swimming or Adventure Swimming, Climbing, scrambling, canyoning, jumping and diving. A defining factor of coasteering is the opportunity provided by the marine geology for moving in the “impact zone” where water, waves, rocks, gullies, caves etc. , and come together to provide a very high energy environment JET SKIING Jet Ski is the brand name of a personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki. [1] It was the 'first commercially successful' personal watercraft in America, having been released in 1972 (after reaching a license agreement with the inventor of the Jet Ski, Clayton Jacobson II when his license agreement with Bombardier expired). [1] The term is sometimes used generically to refer to any type of personal watercraft.

Parasailing

Parasailing, also known as parascending or parakiting, is a recreational kiting activity where a person is towed behind a vehicle (usually a boat) while attached to a specially designed canopy wing that reminds one of a parachute, known as a parasailwing. The manned kite's moving anchor may be a car, truck, or boat. The harness attaches the pilot to the parasail, which is connected to the boat, or land vehicle, by the tow rope. The vehicle then drives off, carrying the parascender (or wing) and person into the air. If the boat is powerful enough, two or three people can parasail behind it at the same time. The parascender has little or no control over the parachute. The activity is primarily a fun ride, not to be confused with the sport of paragliding.

Scuba Diving

Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving in which a scuba diver uses a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) to breathe underwater. [1] Unlike other modes of diving, which rely either on breath-hold or on breathing gas pumped from the surface, scuba divers carry their own source of breathing gas, usually compressed air, [2] allowing them greater freedom of movement than with anair line or diver's umbilical and longer underwater endurance than breath-hold. Scuba equipment may be open circuit, in which exhaled gas is expelled to the surroundings, or a closed or semi-closed circuit rebreather, in which the breathing gas isscrubbed to remove carbon dioxide, and the oxygen used is replenished from a supply of feed gas before being re-breathed.

Surfing

Surfing is a surface water sport in which the wave rider, referred to as a surfer, rides on the forward or deep face of a moving wave, which is usually carrying the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found in the ocean, but can also be found in lakes or in rivers in the form of a standing wave or tidal bore. However, surfers can also utilize artificial waves such as those from boat wakes and the waves created in artificial wave pools. Shivas is a popular Hindu holy place situated on a small peninsula jetting out into the Arabian Sea at Murdeshwara. As with all of South India the place is intensely tropical with thousands of coconut, mango and banana trees growing along the beach. On the peninsula is a huge statue of Shiva. Everything that happens at Murdeshwara happens under the watchful eye of Shiva, the master of meditation. On either side of the peninsula there are large sheltered bays that make for ideal surfing conditions even during onshore NW or SW winds. This place breaks from one foot to 10 feet depending on the time of year. Murdeshwaraha's great hotels and several vegetarian restaurants, one of which is built on pilings raising out of the ocean. This also makes for a great place from which to do some surf photography on big days. Kapu Beach Lighthouse is a great spot that breaks best at low tide with a four feet and bigger swell. The stretch of beach runs for about one kilometer and there are several places where nice shaped peaks with lefts and rights swell up. “At the north end of the beach is the Kapu lighthouse perched on a huge granite boulder. On the south side of the rocks is a right-hander that is a short but fast ride. Watch out for the rocks under water! Ten Thousand Peaks has got to be one of the most unique surf spots on the west coast of South India at Maravanthe. We call this place 'Ten Thousand Peaks' -once you have seen it you will know why. The beach stretches for about six kilometers creating all sorts of wave possibilities. There is one section of the beach where a two lane highway runs parallel to the ocean within 15 meters of the water's edge and on the opposite side of the highway is a big fresh water lake. In the lake are several islands with villages on them and there is an ancient 2, 000 year old temple of the Sri Narasimha avatara, the incarnation who destroys evil and protects children. Surf until your arms are ready to drop off and you can't stand up anymore, then wash off in a fresh water lake and visit an ancient temple - all in one stop. What a fantastic place! Cliffs is a couple hours’ drive north from our homebreak to Bhatkal. Wow, this place is paradise! Four consecutive coves, white sand beached, isolated area, cliffs, no sharks, no people, and lots of opportunities — rights, lefts, inside, outside and it’s all yours. All you have to do is get there! No maps to guide you so call us first.