Whale watching helps acquaint humans with the only other species known to have watched Waterworld in its entirety. Bond through Kevin Costner love with today's Groupon: for $59, you get a whale-watching tandem kayak tour with beverages for two from Hike Bike Kayak Sports in La Jolla (a $120 value). The tours meet at Hike Bike’s La Jolla Shores shop. Whale-watching season is from December 15 to March 31.
Hike Bike Kayak Sports’ dedicated team of coastal explorers helps patrons maintain healthy adrenaline levels by leading three-hour tandem kayak expeditions in search of the majestic gray whale. Before embarking, guests receive wetsuits, life jackets, paddles, and basic pretrip instructions on how to stay afloat and keep from pulling the plug on Mother Nature's bathtub. After traveling to the beach, guides will help launch seaworthy vessels to ensure a solid start. Oceanic paddlers will get the chance to spy sharks, sea lions, seals, and dolphins as their seasoned guide keeps a close watch. Due to their complex migration patterns and distaste for giving autographs, gray whales may not cross paths with kayakers during the excursion, though the tour is the best way to catch a glimpse of the shore-hugging mammals and listen in on their scathing critiques of Elizabethan literature. After the tour, patrons head back to the shop to trade Ahab-esque tales in front of a wood-burning fireplace while sipping on provided hot chocolate, cider, and tea.
Menehune Surf School
What started as a camp founded and staffed by schoolteachers has turned into a year-round surf school for one reason: people love to surf. Today, the school offers everything from lessons for first-timers to professional surf clinics for advanced surfers. Their teaching model focuses on private and small group lessons, which they believe is the quickest and easiest way to learn to ride the waves. And for their graduates, they’ve even created a surf team that is cheered on by countless adoring seagulls.