Coconut Creek, FL Outdoor Activities

At Sunrise Paddleboards, experienced guides take paddlers of all ages across the Atlantic coast and inland waterways during standup paddleboard tours. Guides give helpful tips on maintaining balance so that sightseers can confidently admire coral reefs and challenge dolphins’ alleged intelligence with the most difficult Trivial Pursuit questions. Experienced boarders can rent a board and chart their own course through the waters with all the necessary gear provided by the center, including a fin, deck pad, handle, leash plug, carbon-fiber paddle, and personal flotation device. In addition to thrilling days on the high seas, paddlers get a core workout as they glide through the water. Along with tours, Sunrise Paddleboards maintains a large selection of boards for sale, including the popular SUP ATX paddleboards.

A frigid oasis amid Pompano Beach's tropical heat, Glacier Ice and Snow Arena hosts everything from public ice-skating to snowball competitions within its 40,000-square foot facility. Throughout the week, skaters of all ages share the arena with programs such as the Sharpshooters Hockey Club, birthday parties, and weekly lessons. A fully stocked pro shop proffers equipment for various styles and sizes, and a snack bar keeps visitors energized with soda, pizza, and popcorn, at least until the ice fishermen manage to reel anything in from their hole in the center of the rink.

Former wakeboarding champion Dean Lavelle and USA Waterski–certified instructor and boat driver Bobby Pine co-own LTS and coach students on slicing through wakes and having fun with water-based sports. The scenic shores and ebbing freshwater terrain of Crystal Lake provide an ideal arena for lessons in Dean and Bobby’s specialties that include beginner and slalom waterskiing, wakeboarding, barefoot skiing, kneeboarding, and extreme tubing. Dean and Bobby conduct each class with progressive teaching styles custom-suited to each student's learning method and based on the lake's current population of inflatable sharks. In the summer, their kid's camp gets children ages 5 and up conquering watery obstacles in groups of up to six with kid-friendly instruction.

In a one-level, 9-lane shooting range, 75-foot galleries with backstops capable of waylaying up to 50-caliber rifle ammo stare back at marksmen as they take aim. National Armory's well-thought-out facility creates a practicing environment that helps ammo find its way to the center of its targets while keeping visitors' well-being in mind. Year round, the facility's air conditioning keeps shooters comfortable, and an environmentally friendly air-filtration system quickly extracts gun smoke and discharged lead particles.

In addition to overseeing the shooting range, the staff leads classes that cover topics such as obtaining concealed-weapon permits and meeting the requirements to become an armed security guard. Marksmen looking for new firearms or for to upgrade often find their match in National Armory's store, where in-house weapon experts advise buyers on new and used guns and dispense ammunition and police supplies.

As the official practice grounds for the Florida Panthers, Saveology.com Iceplex's professional-grade rinks welcome skaters of all stripes to enjoy its pristine skating surface. Visitors circle the rink during open-skating sessions, decked out in a pair of the center's maintained skates or butcher knives glued to old hiking boots.

Kids and adults alike can exercise puck-punishing impulses with hockey leagues and open hockey sessions, as well as mastering the subtle movements of competitive figure skating. Classes in hockey, figure skating, and curling introduce students to the skills of puck control, elegant footwork, and furious floor sweeping. An onsite pro shop dispenses equipment, repairs, and skate fittings, and Breakaway Bar & Grill refuels guests between zamboni joyrides.

Atlantic Boat Rentals’s owner Lance Irvine has turned his passion for fishing, diving, and boating into his profession. Along with his wife, Becky, he equips novice and experienced sailors with yachts, boats, jet skis, and kayaks to explore the scenic Fort Lauderdale waterways that ignited his own love of the sea. Atlantic’s fleet of charter boats ranges from a 17-foot long craft to a 44-foot luxury wave rider, Paradise One, and a 45-foot party boat accommodates up to 45 people with a full bar and stereo system perfect for playing sea shanties at top volume. Self-propelled single or tandem kayaks let their riders explore the world without breathing in noxious fumes, similar to surfing the Internet in a sterile room.