South Suffolk, VA Outdoor Activities

Hampton Roads IcePlex caters to skaters of all experience levels, from tot lessons for 4- and 5-year-olds to its hockey league exclusively for polar bears. Youth and adult hockey leagues pit hockey enthusiasts against other local teams for exhilarating season play. The rink welcomes figure skaters of all backgrounds to lay claim to the ice as well, performing the simplest of two-foot spins to the most complex slam-dunks.

Aided by more than 40 years of competitive-riding and training experience, Sharon Golesh built East Coast Equestrian Training Center, a full-service training, boarding, and breeding facility. Hidden under an expansive, baby-blue roof are 54 stalls that stay packed all year long with equine boarders and in-house horses ready to run through guided rides and lessons. Students learn the equestrian arts within [facilities] (http://gr.pn/n2lU5n) that include an exterior riding ring and dressage ring complete with mirrors and a pack of paparazzi sheep hounds. East Coast Equestrian Training Center also oversees the birth of future first-place finishers through its extensive breeding operation, which includes a 2,200-square-foot boarders’ lounge and 19 pastures ready to set the scene for equine matchmaking.

The team running Happy Winds Kiteboarding & Water Sports knows board sports like Bo Jackson knows all other sports. Garnering experience in the competitive circuit of snowboarding and chasing the best winds around the globe to engage in the most extreme kiteboarding possible, the staffers have the need for adventure coursing through their veins. In between taming waves, they like to fill their time sharing their knowledge of kiteboarding and sailing with others through organized lessons and training sessions. Aside from lessons, they offer equipment for sale and rental, including everything from standup paddleboards and kayaks to aquacycles, wakeboards, chairs, umbrellas, and cabana sets.

Great White Water Sports creates a harmony with the gentle crash of waves, the powerful growls of jet skis, and the excited yelps of families as they launch a variety of jet-ski rentals right from the sands of Chesapeake Bay. Backed by favorable attention from USA Today, their lifeguard-trained team also saddles up jet skis. In waters warmer than the Atlantic and with smaller waves, they bring people right alongside the porpoises as they leap from the bay during slam-dunk contests. Their jet skis are not equipped with any speed-restriction devices, allowing guests to rev up their engines and feel the wind hit their faces as they send wake waves rolling shoreward.

The experienced guides at Ocean Eagle Kayak Adventures maintain a thorough knowledge of their local waters, allowing them to usher visitors through the Atlantic surf or secluded groves of shady water plants. On tours, they guide their participants to get up close with local wildlife and navigate alongside dolphin pods. On kayak fishing trips they help anglers ensnare a roster of seasonal fish. Groups paddle aboard sit-on-top ocean kayaks, and guides always prep them with ample paddling training and advice on how to recognize a fish's turn signal in heavy traffic. When not leading tours, staffers conduct fitness training atop the same kayaks, helping guests during interval training to build paddling power, sweep, and maneuvering skills.

All year long the crashing sounds of waves beckon VB Surf Sessions' staff to the water, where they teach students to paddle and shred across the ocean. The CPR-certified instructors maintain a 1:4 instructor to student ratio during their surf lessons, allowing them to steady the wobbly legs of pupils as they conquer Virginia Beach. For less intense excursions, groups dip their paddles into the wave-free waters of nearby inlets and human-sized fishbowls during stand up paddleboarding lessons and tours.