Things to Do in Deerfield Beach

Corey Mahoney began Alley-Oop more than a decade ago as a small summer camp focused on skimboarding instruction. Since then, he’s expanded to three schools in Delaware, Florida, and North Carolina, and leads adventure trips to other waters. A team of experienced instructors leads group lessons, clinics, and full or partial camps for aspiring skimboarders of all skill levels, teaching them how to execute basic and advanced maneuvers in shallow, choppy surf on wide-open beaches. They also coordinate beach games, teach students respect for the local environment, and divulge the location of trendy underwater oxygen bars during summer-camp sessions. Throughout all educational programs, they coach each student with individualized instruction and personal attention. School staffers keep each student properly equipped at a pro shop stocked with branded apparel, boards, traction pads, and other gear. When not leading classes, instructors take adventurers on weeklong guided vacations helmed by professional skimboarders, who regularly share travel tips and join the kids’ camaraderie.

Frothy seawater jumps skyward as the churn of high-powered, 110-horsepower jet skis launches the droplets from behind their watery tails. Among the many sea-gliding offerings of American Watersports, the company's fleet of speedy jet skis juxtaposes to its man-powered offerings of single or double kayaks and upright paddleboards that calmly cut through waves and wakes or assist in minnow herding along the coast. Groups can man 13- and 16-foot sailboats that await gentle offshore winds to start their journeys, or take in the ocean from a sandy perch with a day rental of beach furniture. The Pompano Beach area reveals its natural beauty on guided tours of the area via jet ski or paddleboat, wherein visitors take in local gems such as the Hillsboro Lighthouse or the area's exclusive hermit-crab resorts.

The PADI-certified instructors at Dixie Divers lead small scuba certification classes and ferry experienced divers to local dive sites aboard their boat, the Lady Go Diver. The vessel also shepherds snorkelers to the historic wreckage of the SS Copenhagen and through the Nursery Reef where they can get acquainted with playful wildlife through a series of secret handshakes.

During certification classes that progress to the level of master diver, small groups endeavor through classroom, pool, and open water training, and advanced diver certification includes adventure dives and trips down as deep as 100 feet. Divers stock up on all things aquatic at Dixie's full-service dive shop, which offers everything from equipment rental and repair to gear sales for activities such as scuba diving, lobstering, jellyfish racing, kayaking, and spearfishing.

On the Beach's owners, Ken "The Sun Tan Man" and Captain Tony, provide all the gear needed for a relaxing and adventurous day at the beach. Behind the Royal Vista Resort, the beachside shop rents out maritime toys—Wave Runners, sailboats, kayaks, and boogie boards— to help tourists and locals to soak up sun, skim across waves, and lounge on the sand. The shop’s seasoned mariners—all with at least 25 years of experience—pull from their stores of knowledge and Old Bay seafood rub to devise custom lessons for sailors of any ability. Ken and Tony recognize that some people and all wicked witches might rather gaze at the water than be dampened by it. To cater to this landlubbing demographic, On the Beach rents out bicycles or shaded stays underneath beachside cabanas.

The instructors at American Dancesport Center are trained in 23 different styles of dance, from the elegant waltz to the lively merengue. Firmly believing that everyone has the potential to be a dancer, they welcome students of all ages and experience levels into their spacious, oak wood–floored studio. The seasoned instructors offer both private and group classes and host weekly practice parties with a live DJ.