Dana Point, CA Outdoor Activities

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 Paddle Board Bliss 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, Paddle Board Bliss isn’t exclusively a yoga studio. It also dedicates its time to fostering aquatic exploration with paddleboard rentals, tours, and lessons.

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.

Beneath the surface of the serene Pacific Ocean, a reef wall bustles with a vibrant mix of coral, fish, and crustaceans. Though known for its beauty, the underwater landscape also shelters the shoreline from choppy waves. In these tranquil waters, the instructors at Laguna Beach Paddle Boarding share their standup paddleboarding expertise with students of all skill levels. The ideal water conditions are augmented by wide, stable Padillac paddleboards. The staff hands these out during lessons and tours of Laguna Beach's Treasure Island Coves, named as such to distract visitors from where the treasure is actually hidden: Dennis Rodman's basement.

Laguna Beach Paddle Boarding also hosts an annual Paddle Party and frequent Paddle Girl Parties to raise awareness for the nonprofit organization Hailey's House, which helps guide teenage girls to make positive life choices.

Dedicated to spreading nautical know-how, Aventura Sailing Association has been supplying aspiring seafarers with sailing instruction, boat rentals, and knowledgeable skippers since 1976. Captain Mark Howe helms the association's sailing school, which instills students with safety guidelines and sailing theory in a classroom setting before taking to the waves for hands-on experience with navigation and popular pirate songs. Instead of suffering the expenses of boat ownership, Aventura Sailing Association members are free to rent vessels from the association's stable of well-maintained 28- to 47-foot sailboats, paying only for the time spent atop the waves. Membership ($55 for each additional month) also grants discounted pricing on sailing school, access to various sailing events, and the opportunity to shadow more experienced sailors and glean subtle tricks of the trade.

On St. Patrick’s Day weekend, runners in the fun, festive Leprechaun Leap wind their way through the District at Tustin Legacy, treading a brisk 5-kilometer course. The laid-back atmosphere welcomes veteran runners, walkers, babies in strollers, and dogs either attached to leashes or piloting miniature blimps from above. At the finish line, each participant receives a finisher’s T-shirt and wristband, as the closing ceremonies honor the racers with the fastest time and bestow awards to the best costume for both humans and canines. After the event, an expo sprawls across the District’s promenade, where racers and spectators groove to live music and entertainment.