Things to Do in Bloomingdale

The licensed skydive veterans of Skydive Tampa Bay, Inc., have accompanied customers soaring from the bellies of airplanes since 1978. These plummetologists have earned national and international championship titles and multiple world records, and now start beginners on a path to their own air-bound accolades with introductory tandem jumps. Lessons begin with on-ground instruction before instructors securely attach students to their torsos like thrill-seeking mother kangaroos and freefall for two miles. After students learn the basics through tandem dives, instructors put them through the Accelerated Freefall Program, which includes classroom time, ground training, solo jumps, and post-dive critiques of freefall techniques and maneuvers.

Overseeing an air-conditioned, eight-lane range, the marksmen behind Plant City Gun Range enforce house rules, maintaining a secured environment while sportsmen shoot targets up to 15 yards away. NRA-compliant instructors from VIP Security Training organize the facility's classes, from beginner safety courses to advanced tactical shooting. Beyond the range, the facility extends into a pro shop, where two gunsmiths with decades of experience repair, restore, and customize firearms with services such as mounting scopes or by engraving lyrics from Les Misérables into the stock.

David Morejon has completed three Ironmans and more than 90 triathlons, but arguably his most impressive feat has been bungee jumping from 150 feet—in a bull costume. David's passion for fitness, adventure, and animal outfits shines through in The Hog Wild Mud Run, which he co-owns with Adam Morejon. Participants are encouraged to wear creative costumes during the events, which pair tests of strength and endurance with slogs through waist-deep mud. Each mud run closes with a party where a DJ spins while athletes celebrate with beers, rather than by drinking leftover mud with festively colored straws.