Greater Northdale, FL Outdoor Activities

Standing atop a board, a paddler rhythmically dips an oar into Old Tampa Bay's sparkling waters, smoothly skimming the surface while soaking in views of the sun sinking beyond the horizon. Tampa Bay SUP's team welcomes the uninitiated and veterans alike to experience this for themselves via paddleboard lessons and rentals. Their lessons last 20 minutes before students are free to enjoy leisurely paddling, which affords lofty vantage points from which to gaze upon marine wildlife and boosts core strength so that students may wrestle the animals into submission. Once they are ready to go out on their own, paddlers can request that staffers bring boards to various launch sites around the Tampa/Clearwater region, or pick them up at Tampa Bay SUP's beachside shops. Tampa Bay SUP also rents kayaks with all the necessary equipment included, sells paddleboards, and gives tours.

Dunedin WaterSports sets visitors sailing past fluffy clouds and gentle wakes on the Gulf of Mexico on jet skis, kayaks, paddleboards, and jet boats. With rental sessions lasting from 30 minutes to a full day, staff members equip renters with the means to paddle out to the likes of Caladesi Island State Park and its mangroves or zip along the tranquil coastline. Jet-boat rentals speed groups to fishing locations, and when the water is right, visitors may try paddleboarding with Poseidon's trident. The team can also provide fishing gear for angling trips or sets of snorkeling gear to get visitors close enough to swim alongside fish.

The newest addition to the fleet is the jet-pack-like flyboard, which uses hydraulic water pressure to create forceful streams that help to propel participants from the water’s surface and through the air. Not keeping solely to the Dunedin beachfront, the team also delivers speedboats and watercraft to customers’ launch sites.

Lazee Lizard opens up the Gulf, Tampa Bay, and Florida's myriad waterways to adventurers with its standup paddleboard and kayak rentals. In such vessels, explorers paddle blue waters to take in the sights, get in a workout, or spot manatees and dolphins trying to wipe the grins from their faces. To keep the maritime fun accessible, Lazee Lizard's team can also bring equipment directly to each customer's watery launch site.

The course at Plantation Palms Golf Club slithers among numerous water hazards and over an incessant barrage of elevation changes, keeping golfers on their toes. David Harman orchestrated the links-style layout to tangle with the natural lay of the land and added his own flourishes in the form of large, white sand bunkers and gently billowing greens.

Players make swift acquaintance with local difficulties on a par 5 first hole that stretches 561 yards from the back tees. Elsewhere on the front nine, two par 3s measure 198 yards and 221 yards, calling on golfers to exhibit distance and accuracy or the ability to hypnotize opponents into believing they just saw a hole in one. Plantation Palms' on-site restaurant, the Oasis Bar & Grill, is open to the public and has a menu that features items such as a grilled mango fish sandwich and the Plantation Palms club sandwich.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course

• Total length of 6,824 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 73.4 from the back tees

• Course slope of 139 from the back tees

• Four sets of tees per hole

• Scorecard