Things to Do in Stanton

The idea for Newport Pontoons started in the same place it ended: the water. As the business’s founders spent their leisure time in Newport Harbor, they noticed that countless others shared their love for relaxing aboard watercraft. But typical rental boats were often too confining, restricting each person to his or her seat. Hoping to remedy this situation, the entrepreneurs tested numerous boat designs and one dolphin with a couch strapped to its back until they assembled a fleet of vessels that stood apart from those of competitors.

Each of Newport Pontoons’ easy-to-drive pontoon boats enables a floating party along the harbor waters. The decks allow ample room to socialize, grill out, or gaze at waterfront properties through 360-degree windows. Newport Pontoons also caters boat outings with sandwiches and cheese platters, saving customers the work of fishing for lost shoes.

Newport Pontoons' rates fluctuate throughout the week and depend on the type of boat.

Ships in the harbor rock in the breeze, their masts gesturing into the sunny sky as patrons slip across the water from Wayward Captain Paddleboards, located at the Balboa Fun Zone in Newport Beach. The wave-top transports, which originated on tropical islands, measure up to 12-feet long and sport a special hull that boosts stability and speed. From 10 a.m. until dusk, riders mount the floatables and learn basics in lessons or rent paddleboards to cruise out onto the harbor to see the piles of water that form during low tide. As the sky’s palette fades into pinks and oranges on sunset tours, paddles splash gently against the water’s surface and races launch fleets of riders out onto the waves.

Pacific Coast Hydrobikes equips seafarers to traverse the open water in upright, foot-powered vessels. Hydrobikes sit atop the water and move like their terrestrial counterparts, with riders pedaling them forward across the waves. The user-friendly craft’s seats are designed for comfort and its storage containers allow riders to cart along a picnic lunch or binoculars. Located right by Newport Bay, Pacific Coast Hydrobikes facilitates daytime jaunts that let patrons pedal past pelicans and sea lions or cast a fishing line in the hopes of hooking an exotic license plate.

Atop Pirate Coast Paddle Co.’s fleet of standup paddleboards, guests glide over the placid inlets of Newport Beach Back Bay in scenic excursions. The paddleboards—which look like slightly larger, heavier surfboards—offer a sturdy enough base for guests to stand upright and propel themselves with a single oar, an action that exercises core muscles better than doing sit-ups with a porpoise on your chest.

Led by a staff of nautical guides, paddleboarding tours send clients into the orange horizon during sunset paddle outings and enjoy an ocean view of the stars during full-moon SUP parties. Pirate Coast also offers private, semi-private, and group lessons. During all excursions, Pirate Coast provides boards and necessary equipment rentals, letting clients worry about how to stave off scurvy while on the ocean.