Water sports beat jogging, Tai Chi and other forms of exercise on land to become the first choice for many in China during the increasingly hot summer.

Cities like Shanghai are already seeing an increase in the number of water sports enthusiasts. In addition to taking a swim, people are now turning to other water surface activities like sailing.

"The city is now promoting sailing in a big way, and the government is helping us with operating costs. We hold training sessions on Dishui Lake, usually for around 30 customers a day, and several of them come from other cities," said Wu Zizhu, head sailing coach of Guangming Sports Club.

Luo Li, water sports partnership and events leader at Decathlon China, said sales of high-end niche water sports gear are quite popular this year. Paddles, rowboats and surfboards all sold well. Paddle sales have risen by 145 percent this year, according to Luo. The latest rowboat models were sold out during the June 18 shopping festival.

In addition, there are plenty of indoor wave generation facilities that can help surfing enthusiasts get their daily dose of water sports in Shanghai.

"Surfing has been growing in China for the last three years, but it's limited by our location. Many surfing enthusiasts come here to practice as they are unable to surf abroad," said Alan Fan, founder of a local indoor exercise center that offers surfing experiences. "Many children on vacation and people who see other customers' online recommendations also come for fun. We're getting around 100 customers a day during the weekend."