Things to Do in Pembroke Pines

The personable watersports specialists at Adventure World share a zeal for helping visitors explore the ocean from every angle, from the bird's-eye view of a standup paddleboard to the fish-eye view enabled by snorkels. The aquatic enthusiasts perch their collection of gear on the edge of the Atlantic, ready to assist guests with assorted watery recreation. Jet skis and tandem sailboats excite oceanic daredevils, and rafts and inner tubes allow ocean currents and bossy dolphins to dictate direction along the shoreline.

When the lights go down on Revo Soccer's stretch of realistic indoor turf, glow soccer transports the game into an otherworldly dimension decorated in swooshes of invisible paint that pop under blacklights and a twilit cityscape that appears on one wall. In the darkened arena, players decked out with glowing T-shirts, glow sticks, and face paint imitate their favorite bioluminescent athletes as they send an eerie orb careening around the field. During daylight hours, instructors help sharpen students' skills through weeklong camps, private lessons, and soccer academies. Twice a week, players can drop in to make friends or finally acquire an arch-nemesis during pickup games, or strengthen team bonds during league play.

An online wine community, Bottlenotes connects vino enthusiasts in the pursuit of discussing wines, getting recommendations, and connecting with experts. Staff members organize public interactive tastings in 10 major cities, gathering people of varying experience to sample vintages and blends from around the world or from a particular region. Each interactive event expands into creative spaces, such as art galleries and museums, emulating the ancient practice of how artists celebrate their paintings' birthdays. Bottlenotes' online wine collection—supplied through retailer Sherry-Lehmann—gives enophiles a communal browsing space for popular tipples. To help guide purchases, the website's interactive forum lets commenters share their tasting notes and wine ratings for each bottle. A daily e-newsletter also fills subscribers' inboxes with articles discussing interesting winemakers, wine-related products, and winemaking regions, keeping them up-to-date on current wine trends and the migration patterns of grapes.

As rum collector and enthusiast Robert Burr sensed what he termed the "awakening of rum" in 2005, he decided to direct his passion toward educating the community. Drawing from an earlier career in magazine publishing, he compiled a list of 100 of his favorite rums each year into a free guide, which he gave to local liquor stores. As he developed connections with other enthusiasts and tasting judges, he formed the International Rum Expert Panel, an organization of 36 cane-spirit lovers from around the world. He gathers the majority of these experts in Miami Beach each year for the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival, a celebration of the libation's international varieties. Through the festival's schedule of events, Robert aims to honor iconic spirits while also featuring lesser-known rum makers that guests might not otherwise find without finding and deciphering Blackbeard's long-lost treasure-map pajamas.

Held at the opulent DoubleTree by Hilton, the annual event has grown to include hundreds of rums hailing from countries such as Jamaica, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, and Puerto Rico. As they mingle in spacious convention halls, visitors navigate a labyrinth of bartenders and brand ambassadors proffering island apparel, art, and books. Industry experts expound on the history, origins, and childhood fears of the libation during weekend seminars and bartender competitions. Attendees also revel at a two-day tasting exhibition, late-night parties, and VIP events at various Miami venues.

Getchasome Charters' Captain Jimmy Wickett, a US Coast Guard–licensed captain, spent more than 18 years honing his sea legs and snagging snook, tarpon, and sharks amid the glistening coastal regions of Florida. Whether children or adults, beginner or tournament fishers, Wickett's guests all benefit equally from his seasoned expertise as he helms his charters and guides them through the scenic waters of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and the Florida Keys. During sunny daytrips, Wickett extols upon the wonders of the ocean while helping seasoned passengers make boast-worthy catches and fledgling fishermen learn how to bait a fish with promises of a starring role in an animated-movie franchise.

Having watched his grandfather and father work in the boating industry his whole life, Brad Reeves found it natural to follow in their wake. In 2011, he expanded the family business, acquiring a fleet of new Bennington pontoon boats to open Reeves Coastal Cruises, a boat-rental company. Each boat is equipped with a Yamaha motor, GPS, and a CD player, and he sends groups of up to 10 sailing the shimmering waters of south Florida with cruise packages featuring four- and eight-hour rentals, as well as two-hour sunset rentals. His wife and business partner, Jennifer, hosts the Florida Insider Fishing Report on Sun Sports and is an NBC 6 Miami meteorologist. She applies this unique expertise of the region to their business and ensuring a memorable experience for their customers. Today, with their twin daughters helping out dockside, they continue a family tradition of getting others together for a fun and safe day on the water, outfitting each vessel with safety equipment, a full tank of gas, and spray-on seagull repellant.