Menlo Park, CA Outdoor Activities

IFly's wind tunnel simulates skydiving without plummeting toward the earth at 9.8 meters per second by suspending patrons only a few feet off the ground, sans parachute. Unlike an amusement-park ride, simulator, or a jump off a one-story house, the vertical wind tunnel re-creates the experience of actual flying, with professional instructors controlling the airflow the entire time and communicating with fliers via hand signals. IFly’s cache of knee pads, elbow pads, earplugs, flight suits, helmets, and goggles keep divers protected during flight. IFly plans flights for groups of all sizes and occasions including birthdays, corporate events, and summer camps.

Half Moon Bay Kayak Company’s fleet of colorful plastic shells slices through the glimmering waters of Pillar Point Harbor, carrying crews of paddlers past playful harbor seals and chattering pelicans. Co-owners Doug Connor—who has conquered rushing rapids as a member of the United States Wildwater team—and Chris Manchester—who has kayaked along thousands of miles of coastline, including the world’s second-largest barrier reef—channel their passion for paddling into a range of kayak and standup-paddleboard rentals, lessons, and tours. With expeditions to locales as far-flung as Honduras and Mexico, Half Moon provides sea explorers with exotic open-water explorations as well as local excursions to Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, San Gregorio State Beach, and next-door neighbors’ unattended kiddie pools.

Archers Joesph and Beth Snell opened Pacifica Archery as an all-purpose shop for shooters of any age. Now, the pairs stays busy supervising 15 lanes, scheduling lessons for various skill levels, and hosting league events. The Snells rent out equipment for visitors to use on the 20- and 10-yard lanes, whether they are students attending a seminar or competitors honing their form. The Snells cater to young enthusiasts with Junior Olympic archery-development programs, which instruct 8- to 18-year-olds on the finer points of arrow-launching. The onsite pro shop furnishes patrons with long, recurve, and compound bows as well as shooting accessories. Channeling their own hunting expertise, the Snells stock camouflage gear and decoys in the shape of common game, including elk, turkey, and dartboards that have escaped from dive bars.

An International Kiteboarding Organization affiliate center, KGB Kiteboarding hosts a staff of enthusiastic, experienced instructors that teaches small-group and private lessons in kiteboarding, snowkiting, and powerkiting. At training sites ranging from beaches around the bay to the Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain areas, instructors show students how to safely harness the wind for an adrenaline-pumping thrill. To facilitate smooth transitions into training, the staff maintains an online compendium of FAQ and safety tips.

KGB also encompasses a shop stocked with gear from brands such as Litewave, plus the company’s own line of eco-friendly products that protects equipment from sun, sand, and saltwater. In-house technicians are on hand in the repair center to mend worn gear.

Over the course of 50 years, the family that runs Helm of Sun Valley has amassed an inventory of top-shelf gear for wintry recreation and summertime watersports. Before stocking their shelves, the shop's athletic staffers take skis from Alpina, kiteboards from Cabrinha, and water skis from Connelly for test spins to appraise their performance. Standout sports gear snags a spot inside the store, along with apparel and accessories. Employees also rent out and tune up equipment. They specialize in fitting snowboard boots to feet, sometimes fashioning custom ZipFit liners by molding foam around arches. New kiteboard owners can master the sport by attending lessons, during which instructors teach basics on land before waving pupils onward into frothy crests.