Things to Do in Maitland

The seven fields at Paintball World Sports Complex cater to playing styles ranging from quick assaults to studied campaigning. After outfitting combatants with equipment, the staff turns into referees and oversees play on fields such as Big Fort, a collection of plywood shelters connected by a wooden bridge and sheltered by overhanging trees. Elsewhere, field terrain includes inflatable cover, upturned tractor tires, and pieces of giant corrugated tubing. An FAQ page anticipates visitors' questions, such as "What should I bring?" and "How much to rent an invisibility cloak?"

Growing up, Butch Finnigan frequented the Atlantic Ocean with his father and grandfather, reveling in the rush of netting a big catch. Matt Riley found similar solace atop the ocean's seemingly endless bounty, where he and his family enjoyed each other's company as they fished. More than two decades later, the veteran anglers have become captains and co-founders of Xtreme Saltwater Angler. They assemble all necessary components for fishing excursions into the big blue, including signature lures and apparel, portable lighthouses, and the expertise needed to guide fishing charters and eco-tours.

The captains and their staff switch up their charters from brief inshore jaunts into the famed Mosquito Lagoon, Canaveral National Seashore, and Indian River Lagoon system to lengthier saltwater fishing trips into the Atlantic. Close to shore, anglers snap up species such as red and black drum, sea trout, and famished free divers, while deeper waters teem with cobia, kingfish, grouper, and yellowfin tuna. The sailors also nurture relationships with nature on eco-tours that explore more than 2,100 plant species and 2,200 animal species, including some of the U.S.'s most diverse flocks of birds.

The crack of firearms reverberates at Trained 2 Conceal, where no one shoots without a firm grasp of firearm safety and responsibility. This philosophy pervades the business's firearm courses, where seasoned instructors cater to marksmen of all skill levels with professional, hands-on training. Lessons in handling weapons front-end courses and are followed by proper shooting techniques and an inspirational talk with Annie Oakley's ghost.

After training for weeks, runners take their positions at the starting line, wait for the signal, and adjust the regulation sombreros attached to the tops of their helmets. Upon hearing the starting gun, they all bolt forward—only to tumble into a pit that puts them neck deep in oozy, disgusting, glorious mud.

Participants in the American Mud Race replicate this scene as they take on a 3- to 4-mile mud-filled obstacle course, all in the effort to benefit wounded veterans through the Home at Last Project by West Orange Habitat for Humanity. Afterward, racers bring home their mud-caked clothing and costumes to take revenge against their bathtubs, or they can replace them at the race site with a free T-shirt. Food and drink wristbands entitle their wearers to barbecue lunches and unlimited beer at the after party, where live music and DJs provide a soundtrack for dancing.

Most of the CPR-certified instructors at Central Florida Paddleboarding grew up exploring central Florida's myriad bodies of water. They use their firsthand, intimate knowledge of the region to lead group standup-paddleboard excursions through waterways such as Wekiva River and Lake Fairview. As they paddle past banks flush with mangroves or beaches lined with palm trees, the crew points out manatees, turtles, and other various forms of alleged wildlife. Trained in water safety, they also teach paddleboarding with one-on-one personal instruction, rent and sell paddleboards, organize summer camps, and maintain balance during on-the-water birthday parties.