Dana Point, CA Outdoor Activities

In 1948, The Fun Zone Boat Company’s predecessors began to whisk passengers on speedboat rides and lend out boats and paddleboards to visitors and locals in Newport Beach. Today, the business’s fleet of red, white, and blue vessels chugs up and down California’s coastline on guided tours and charter trips. Plush benches and open-air decks afford unobstructed views of sea lions lounging on Bell Buoy and Catalina Island in the distance. The boats’ captains also serve as guides, and pepper tours with anecdotes about celebrities’ mansions and diamond-studded sand castles. Charter trips double as an entertaining setting for catered corporate functions and birthday parties for 49–149 guests.

Pirates Life Boat Rental’s staff gives passengers a map and the keys to an 18-foot Duffy electric boat so they can explore the waters of Newport Harbor while relaxing under a sun-shielding canopy. As guests rest on padded seats, their selected captain steers the boat using basic boat-operating skills provided by the Pirates Life Boat Rental staff prior to take-off. While guests are welcome to bring along their own food and alcohol, they can also indulge in company-catered cuisine or dine at one of the area's many waterfront restaurants. Although small lap dogs are welcome aboard, extra fees may apply for pups that heavily shed or refuse to wear floaties and a snorkel.

How does a yoga studio with no electrical outlets to plug a sound system still resonate with the tranquil ambiance of waves, wind, and wildlife? By hosting its classes on the ocean. The instructors of Shore Yoga beckon students to the calm waters of Laguna Beach, Dana Point, and Mission Bay to practice invigorating yoga atop paddleboards. While balancing on their boards, exercisers progress through a series of traditional yoga maneuvers that call for them to stand for poses, sit for meditative exercises, and do cannonballs for attention. If the ocean’s soothing whispers aren’t enough, a live guitarist strums alongside students during Acoustic Flow sessions.

Although its yoga classes have received a lot of press, Shore Yoga isn’t exclusively a yoga studio. It also dedicates its time to fostering aquatic exploration with paddleboard rentals, tours, and lessons.

A boat zips along through the water, trailing behind it an open parachute elevated to almost a quarter-mile in the air. This isn't a scene from a spy movie, but rather a scenic parasailing tour from California Parasail, whose lines can lift patrons up to 1,200 feet above the crystal blue waters of the Pacific Ocean. As parasailers relax into their harnesses and take in breathtaking panoramic views, they can also take comfort in knowing they're in safe hands––all captains hold a US Coast Guard license and all crew members adhere to the practices of the Water Sports Industry Association. They operate runs throughout Avalon and Catalina Island, as well as Balboa Island, Newport Beach, and Long Beach, allowing patrons to glimpse views of different coastal areas and befriend cumulus clouds with varying regional dialects.

The pristine sheet of ice at Ice Palace’s outpost in Lake Forest serves as well-kept tundras ideal for diversions such as hockey, figure-skating, and public-skating sessions. Future NHL stars and misinformed basketball players can both sharpen their stick-handling skills in the facility's Learn to Play Hockey programs, whereas Learn to Figure Skate sessions teach beginners everything from forward and backward moves to entry-level jumps and spins. Held throughout the week, open-skating sessions allow the general public to let loose as couples slip on their skates, hold hands, and fearlessly tie each other's laces.

Golf Equation Swing Academy founder and PGA Teaching Professional Robb Nunn helps his students fix their swings, reduce their scores, and hit balls more accurately during private lessons. His teaching approach is to focus on the fundamentals in order to help people improve their games.