Things to Do in Tamarac

At Bloom Nursery, owner Diego Scort and his staff of green thumbs nurture the tender blossoms and lush foliage of their palms, shrubs, and budding vines. They strive to help customers gussy up their gardens with organically and locally grown plants, as well as those that have been adapted to thrive South Florida's climate. In addition to sending visitors off with flourishing florae, the staffers also equip gardeners with materials, supplies, and tips necessary to keep plants from sprouting rampant weeds or eloping with tumbleweeds just passing through town.

Operated by a family of lifelong riders from Colombia, LFE Riding Institute shares with its students the ins and outs of horsemanship. The stable's instructors customize adult and kids' lessons to each individual’s learning style and goals, which might range from competition riding to Dudley Do-Right impersonation. During lessons and children’s summer-camp sessions, youngsters have a chance to gain self-confidence on top of riding skills.

The instructors at ZainoJet strap their clientele to the JetLev aqua jetpack, sending them soaring above the inter-coastal waters. With strict safety rules intact, pilots slowly learn to fly the packs over the course of 30-minute lessons. The pack draws its fuel from the body of water beneath, shooting gusts of water downward while sending people skyward to check out the horizon or to taunt Poseidon from just outside the reach of his powers.

The result of years of painstaking discovery by inventor Raymond Li, the JetLev jetpack gives people the power to escape the trappings of solid ground. More than 10 years of testing and hundreds of test flights have helped to ensure the device is safe for use, and available for private ownership.

Atlantic Boat Rentals’s owner Lance Irvine has turned his passion for fishing, diving, and boating into his profession. Along with his wife, Becky, he equips novice and experienced sailors with yachts, boats, jet skis, and kayaks to explore the scenic Fort Lauderdale waterways that ignited his own love of the sea. Atlantic’s fleet of charter boats ranges from a 17-foot long craft to a 44-foot luxury wave rider, Paradise One, and a 45-foot party boat accommodates up to 45 people with a full bar and stereo system perfect for playing sea shanties at top volume. Self-propelled single or tandem kayaks let their riders explore the world without breathing in noxious fumes, similar to surfing the Internet in a sterile room.

Fully certified by the United States Coast Guard, Corsair Sport Fishing's seasoned captain charters his speedy, 46-foot, twin-diesel Hatteras through South Florida's picturesque waterways in search of mahi mahi, reef fish, and kingfish. As deep blue waves lap against the Corsair’s hull, the captain navigates toward well-populated waters to ensure a bountiful catch for his guests. A plethora of modern fishing equipment and bait helps fishermen hook bottom feeders instead of deep-sea truck tires.

With state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, the professional instructors at A-Swing Golf Academy develop lesson plans that make swing improvement fun and, most importantly, functional. Their approach to instruction aims to instill fundamentals in all skill areas, including full strokes, chips, slapshots, and putts. During lessons and swing-analysis sessions, the golf gurus employ the technological intricacies of a high-speed video camera to capture a player's unique swing motion and identify unfavorable tendencies.

Golf pros also follow students onto the course for playing lessons, in which they coach the intangibles of course management, risk assessment, and subtle intimidation tactics such as grunting during an opponent's backswing or teeing up with a rusty nail and glass eyeball.