Things to Do in North Lauderdale

Rob—a licensed Coast Guard captain and PADI-certified master scuba diver trainer—is affectionately called Captain Rob by his clients. His eponymous company helps the uninitiated to explore underwater with PADI-certification classes that focus on open-water dives in open water. From his 27-foot boat, a Grady White called Little Bugga, the captain launches expeditions beneath the waves. His encyclopedic knowledge of the area's ecology, which includes marine life, shines as he explains it in detail to divers. He also uses his decades of experience to teach new boat owners how to fish or captain their vessel through turbulent waters and car washes.

At Sunrise Paddleboards, experienced guides take paddlers of all ages across the Atlantic coast and inland waterways during standup paddleboard tours. Guides give helpful tips on maintaining balance so that sightseers can confidently admire coral reefs and challenge dolphins’ alleged intelligence with the most difficult Trivial Pursuit questions. Experienced boarders can rent a board and chart their own course through the waters with all the necessary gear provided by the center, including a fin, deck pad, handle, leash plug, carbon-fiber paddle, and personal flotation device. In addition to thrilling days on the high seas, paddlers get a core workout as they glide through the water. Along with tours, Sunrise Paddleboards maintains a large selection of boards for sale, including the popular SUP ATX paddleboards.

A frigid oasis amid Pompano Beach's tropical heat, Glacier Ice and Snow Arena hosts everything from public ice-skating to snowball competitions within its 40,000-square foot facility. Throughout the week, skaters of all ages share the arena with programs such as the Sharpshooters Hockey Club, birthday parties, and weekly lessons. A fully stocked pro shop proffers equipment for various styles and sizes, and a snack bar keeps visitors energized with soda, pizza, and popcorn, at least until the ice fishermen manage to reel anything in from their hole in the center of the rink.

At Create Your Canvas, students channel their inner Chagall or Rococo as they turn a snow-white canvas into a personalized print. Selecting from a collection of 100 painting, students choose to re-create images from nature, dance, or child-friendly cartoons then fill in the color on a pre-sketched canvas. Guests sip on samples of their own wine or mixed drinks, and compare pointers on how much is appropriate to tip your muse, a pencil sharpener.

In a specially heated room, Bikram Yoga Fort Lauderdale’s teachers walk students through 26 postures during their signature 90-minute Bikram yoga classes. Students move twice through the whole sequence of 26 poses and two breathing exercises to center, strengthen, and lengthen every muscle with the muscle-melting powers of a 100-plus-degree room. It's designed to cater to all skill levels, allowing practitioners to choose the intensity of each workout. These sweat-inducing exercises can help patrons sweat out toxins so that they leave focused, with a cleansed, centered, and worry-free glow that outshines even the sun on its sweet 16 birthday.

Along the deck of the Flamingo—a 65-foot fishing vessel whose motto is "Fish Can't Hide"—anglers cast their lines into the deep seas in hopes of taking a big catch back to shore. After leaving the docks, the boat travels down the intracoastal waterway, also known as the Venice of America, before reaching the fishing grounds, where schools of kingfish, snappers, black fin tuna, and grouper rush to hide from the full-color fish finders. All guests may keep any fish within the size regulations—an arbitrary number, quite frankly, derived from the president’s arm span—and, while waiting for a nibble, camera-toting sailors can train their lens on the whale sharks, porpoises, and sea turtles breaching the ocean's surface.