Lakewood, CA Outdoor Activities

Patrons of Pelican Joe's Bay Boat Rentals don the captain’s hat and man the wood-paneled dash of 18-foot and 21-foot Duffy boats. Professional mariners show renters how to steer and remind them not to pick up hitchhiking penguins before vessels set sail on the waters of Alamitos Bay or waltz along the canals of Naples. Waterproof speakers blast music from iPods plugged into docking stations, and insulated coolers keep beverages cold as passengers fold back awnings to bask in the sun or relax in the shade of the 18-foot boat's canvas surrey top. Pelican Joe's Bay Boat Rentals outfits its floating lounges with complimentary ice and picnic linens and can also provide platters of gourmet snacks for guests to nibble while gathering the courage to toss diamond-heavy necklaces into the waves.

Captain Gary Jackson originally cut his aquatic teeth as a PADI scuba-diving training coordinator and instructor. Eventually logging hundreds of dive hours in the sea, Gary traveled the world exploring reefs and learning the ins and outs of sailing. From there, it didn't take him long to found a charter company around his dive boat, the Psalty V, and today he leads harbor tours and dive trips from its deck. His vessel and crew also takes visitors on whale-watching trips and party cruises, and his dive instruction teaches the basics of deep, nitrox, and wreck diving to ensure that his clients feel comfortable graduating from diving in the bathtub to the outdoor kiddie pool and beyond.

The team from a joint camp venture prep protégés aged six and older for unabashed tide conquering during two-hour surfing lessons. Because the program is designed to feature small groups at each session, students are able to squeeze the most from their time spent on the water, learning everything from surfing etiquette and ocean safety to basic techniques and proper form.

Adam Burt has seen some famous faces since beginning his tennis operation in 1995. A Professional 1–rated teacher with the USPTA, he has taught such greats as the Williams sisters and former world top-100 Zack Fleishman. Though Adam specializes in nurturing junior players, all participants can learn from his expertise during classes for adults and juniors. CardioTennis classes combine vigorous exercise with fundamental tennis drills, all scored to upbeat music strummed on electric racquets.

Gliding down Redondo Beach Esplanade toward the spectacular homes on the Palos Verdes hillside, segways purr almost silently along the Redondo Beach strand, which is within steps of the Pacific Ocean. Reaching speeds of up to 12.5 miles per hour on the open strand below the bluffs, tour-goers effortlessly navigate scenic routes along the waterfront, the pier, and into King Harbor atop a segway PT. Guides ensure guests are comfortable with the machinery’s mechanisms for accelerating and braking before heading out on one of the daily excursions.

Instructors at Pacific Sailing's ASA-certified sailing school teach a variety of students the basics of navigating coastal waters and instruct students in specialized types of sailing or in the students' greatest areas of interest. Captains lead group and private lessons that cover basic keelboat sailing, basic coastal cruising, bareboat chartering, and coastal navigation—providing the skills necessary to unfurl and tie a sail or navigate using electronics, the light of the stars, and directions from a well-traveled seagull. The instructors conduct their lessons and lead skippered day sails, sunset sails, and overnight trips at the helm of Colgate, Hunter, Catalina, Irwin, and Beneteau sailboats.