The UW has a wide variety of water sports and related activities that students can become involved in as spring quarter progresses. With not only an abundance of water but also the availability of equipment rentals and boating teams to join, it's easy for students to take a break from class and enjoy the natural aquatic beauty of the area.

The Waterfront Activities Center (WAC) is the heart of water sports at the UW and is also the home of the Union Bay Rowing Club (UBRC), the UW Yacht Club and the UW Kayak club.

"UBRC, in conjunction with the IMA, conducts a novice rowing class twice a year [in] early summer and fall," said Sharon Elsayed, the novice chair at the UBRC. Elsayed coordinates with the IMA and schedules the float test and viewing of the safety video.

After prospective rowers complete the float test and watch the safety video, they go out in the boats with a volunteer from the club who serves as the coxswain, the person who directs the rest of the crew. The class lasts for two weeks, after which the participants can choose to join the club and continue to improve their rowing skills.

Rowing requires some level of physical fitness — upper-body strength and leg strength are key — but Elsayed pointed out that many rowers build these over time. Crew places a large emphasis on teamwork with a stress on "perfection of form and matching among rowers in a boat," Elsayed said.

"There is ... little that can compare to an early morning row on Lake Washington, with flat water, the sun rising and Mt. Rainier in the distance," Elsayed said.

There is no need to be a part of a team to enjoy the offerings at the WAC. The canoe rental season begins in late April and extends through the summer.

"The WAC is typically used by people who want to rent canoes and venture out into Union Bay or the Arboretum," UW recreation coordinator Chris Delaune said. "We are ... open to people affiliated with [the] UW as well as the general public."

WAC-goers will find the most traffic at the end of the week.

"Our weekends are especially busy as the weather starts to improve," Delaune said.

Keep in mind there are three people limited to a canoe and four to a rowboat.

Canoe and rowboat rentals cost $4 an hour for UW students with ID. The WAC is located on Union Bay and the Montlake Cut behind Husky Stadium.

"It's nice to be out on the lake," sophomore and frequent canoe user Tony Andrus said. "On a hot day, the water and breeze — it's relaxing."

Reach reporter Sarah Greenleaf at news@thedaily.washington.edu.