Things To Do In Oceanside

Each arena at The Paintball Park brings in fresh equipment every season to keep paintballers on their toes. Barricades, bunkers, trenches, and tall trees provide ample cover for firing off shots at opponents, ducking from overhead fire, or meeting to discuss how to get the pizza-delivery man into the fortress unharmed. Games of elimination battles give players a chance to take out the other team while sprinting between the wreckage of tanks and helicopters.

Each of the Paintball Park's paintball fields has a distinct feel. Running beneath dinosaur sculptures lends to a carefree sensation, and trying to find an entrance in endless, gray castle walls evokes the sense that one is an ancient warrior who left his keys somewhere.

SoCal Pro Wrestling's muscled warriors will soon invade the Boys & Girls Club in Oceanside to battle it out in the ring. The evening's bouts feature a gravity-defying tables and ladders match that pits the Tag Team Champions Anchors Away team to take on Big Duke, Tommy Wilson and Ricky Mandel. Before the dust settles, The New Age Punisher B-Boy will challenge Sebastian Cruz and SoCal Crazy takes on Andre Machievski. Six total matches will take place as well as a raffle.

Oceanside Boat Rentals outfits customers with the equipment they need to explore the coastline of quaint Oceanside Harbor, also known as the "Hidden Jewel of the Pacific." Day-trippers can climb into kayaks and slice the water with oars or power pedal boats with the same muscles used to jettison exercise bikes off their mounts. Electric Duffy boats with dining tables carry groups across the water on floating picnic trips, all while protecting them from the elements with a Surrey top or full enclosure. And waverunners quickly propel riders over the waves in the lagoon or out on the ocean.

Arcadian Ascents helps students to master the art of open-air rock climbing with guided excursions and onsite lessons for all experience levels. The maximum student-to-instructor ratio for each class is 4:1, and all guides and instructors have earned certifications as single pitch instructors from the American Mountain Guides Association and as wilderness first responders from the Wilderness Medicine Institute. Private and group courses cover material from basic rock movement to custom-designed courses on speed climbing, self-rescue, and advanced rope technique. Arcadian Ascents provides all equipment for most courses, including climbing shoes, helmets, ropes, and mountain-goat bribes.

Rock-ascending buffs can also expand their experience and strive for new personal achievements on guided trips to Mexico or Spain. Veteran climber and guide Josh Wieberg leads his charges with experience climbing from Canada to Italy and wields his BA in history and philosophy to teach in public schools when not scaling their brick walls.

In the middle of The Wave Waterpark, people lie upon colorful rafts that float gently down the lazy river. It’s a serene way to soak up some rays and keep cool. But in the center of the lazy river, separated by raised concrete and a foot bridge, an adventure awaits: the Flow Rider. This simulated surfable ocean wave dares visitors to try and hang ten without falling off their boards into the safe, if rollicking waters.

These two attractions represent the broad spectrum of activity at The Wave, a family-friendly destination equally suited to mild-mannered relaxation, adventurous fun, or something in between. Other rides include a tangle of waterslides, such as the Slam Dunk, an enclosed-tunnel body slide with plenty of twists, and Rippity’s Rainforest, a kid-friendly playground gushing with fountains and waterfalls.

From April to September, lifeguards teach swim lessons in the park’s competition pool for kids as young as 6 months, as well as adults. The Wave is also an ideal spot for birthday parties, with rental cabanas that can fit as many as 30 people or one enormous birthday clown, and a Surf Spot Grill that refuels revelers with burgers, burritos, and pizza.