The Villages, FL Outdoor Activities

On father-son fishing trips, Bart Swab’s dad taught him not only how to cast his line but also how to treat the aquatic ecosystem surrounding him with respect. Now a licensed and insured guide, Swab helps other fisherman appreciate the open water’s beauty, helming kayak trips through Florida’s pristine saltwater marshes. After arming prospective kayakers with safety tips and familiarizing them with their fishing equipment, Swab guides lead paddlers into the water. They maintain a 3-inch draft that allows students in kayaks to sneak up on fish without having to glue sequins to their skin to look like scales. Kayakers can also gaze through binoculars at the diverse fauna roaming the area’s shores. Trips range from a half day to a full day, and for a more structured route, participants can opt for destination trips to seasonal hot spots, where they can search out fish such as black drum, sheepshead, and tarpon.

As a 100% NRA membership club, Ancient City Shooting Range brings together instructors and sportsmen who respect the responsibility required to safely operate a firearm. To help each member become a more seasoned marksman, Ancient City’s staff supervises a 40-acre outdoor range, where shooters can step onto 18 bays with targets positioned between 7 and 185 yards for pistol and rifle shooting. For an added challenge, some bays are outfitted with computerized pneumatic targets. The range also hosts weekend shooting competitions, encouraging camaraderie under expert supervision. In addition to overseeing such events, instructors also teach defense classes tailored for everyone from everyday citizens to security professionals. Additionally, Ancient City Shooting Range’s team supports the Wounded Warrior Project, a program which helps wounded soldiers return to civilian life.

Manatee Tour and Dive curates expeditions to see west indian manatees within the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, which is dotted with natural springs and underground saunas that keep the water at a temperature of around 72 degrees. Guided manatee tours offer the opportunity to snorkel or scuba dive with the gentle giants, whereas kayak rentals encourage self-exploration of the crystal-clear waters and inner spirit manatees. Licensed captains lead groups on scalloping expeditions, during which groups travel to scallop-abundant areas to splash in the water and gather live bay scallops to take home.

Under the tutelage of certified scuba instructors, pupils at the family-owned Scuba Monkey Dive Center explore underwater worlds during PADI, open-water, nitrox, and advanced courses. The center's regular dive trips gather together trained divers on jaunts to Venice Beach and Troy Springs, where they get up close with aquatic inhabitants and discarded pet rocks. At the shop, divers can stock up on brand-name equipment for sale and rent, refill tanks with nitrox and air, or hand over broken equipment to ace technicians, who swiftly identify and correct any problems.

Paradise Power Sports sailing-savvy team deploys patrons onto New Smyrna Beach's waterways atop boat and jet-ski rentals. Aquatic adventurers can board 18-foot bay scouts, 14-foot flat boats, and 16-foot speed boats, or Yamaha and Sea-Doo jet skis, and skim through the causeways past green wetlands and out onto the Atlantic. Vessels such as the 25-foot Sea Fox—equipped with fish-finder technology and GPS—are ideal for fishing excursions, while the 18-foot Sweetwater Pontoon and 24-foot Fisher Pontoon provide slower-paced aquatic recreation. Patrons can embark on trips solo or under the guidance of experienced captains, many of who are fluent in tuna.