Okanagan Lake is one big, beautiful, breathtaking playground

Okanagan Lake, how do I love thee?

Let me count the ways!

Beaches.

Swimming.

Boating.

Waterskiing.

Wakeboarding.

Wakesurfing.

Stand-up paddle boarding.

Flyboarding.

Parasailing.

Fishing.

Strolling your shores.

And simply gazing at your 135 kilometres of loveliness from a waterfront patio or mountaintop hike.

"Really, it is a miracle to live beside a body of water that is so deep and pure," said Anna Warwick Sears, the executive director of the Okanagan Basin Water Board.

"It is a natural wonder carved by the glaciers of three ice ages. It is amazing, amazing and quite rare."

The water board has the all-encompassing mandate of providing leadership on water issues in the entire Valley.

As such, the board recognizes Okanagan Lake is a giant playground key to the region's tourism allure.

"But, it's also our primary source of drinking water," pointed out Sears.

"It's the heart of our Valley that is so much more than a recreational asset. Definitely, enjoy it, but respect it as the source of our drinking water and habitat for an incredible array of fish, birds and wildlife."

Therefore, Okanagan Lake is an ecosystem as well as an economic driver.

At this time of year, when the sun shines and temperatures soar, it's Okanagan Lake's plethora of inviting recreational activities that lure us in whether we're a tourist or a local.

Stay old-school and simply lounge on the beach and take a dip.

Or go extreme with parasailing, wakesurfing or flyboarding.

"Actually, flyboarding looks extreme, but isn't," said Mike Prince, the owner of Hydrofly Kelowna.

"It's definitely something eye-catching, different and exciting, but we can get the whole family up on the first session flying 10 feet over the water."

Flyboarding redirects the water pressure of a jet ski into a hose attached to a small platform with boots that propels you skyward over the water.

The cost is $149 for a half-hour session.

We've all seen that bright yellow parachute with the smiley face on it aloft over the water in downtown Kelowna.

That's the set up behind Ogopogo Parasail's boat as people do a tethered glide at the end of a 600-foot rope.

"We're such a great visual in the heart of downtown Kelowna that people see us and want to parasail," said owner Luke Weller.

Parasailing costs $99.

If sightseeing and partying is more your scene, then Kelowna Cruises, which has two customized houseboats called Lake Lounge and The Boardroom, does afternoon tours, sunset dinner cruises, weddings and corporate events.

"Really, our biggest draw is that we get people out on the lake in a comfortable setting," said owner Mike Reddecoiff.

"Most people want to sit upstairs, outside at the bar or a high table."

One-and-a-half hour afternoon tours are $49, dinner cruises $75, plus the cost of food.