Before man conquered his fear of water, he amused himself with dust sports such as pushing boulders off cliffs, wrestling tumbleweeds, and falling in the dust. Appreciate the bravery of our ancestors with today's Groupon: for $49, you get a stand-up paddle-boarding lesson at Boardsports School & Shop in San Mateo or Alameda (a $99 value).

Boardsports suits up and instructs water-sports enthusiasts with its full-service training and retail center. In the 90-minute stand-up paddle-boarding lesson—which includes board, paddle, and wetsuit rental—water grasshoppers will spend the morning atop a paddle board learning the basic skills of this fast-growing sport that mimics manatees mimicking humans. Experienced instructors impart knowledge and secrets about different board styles, paddle techniques, ways to turn, and falling safely. After the lesson, students can rent boards from the shop to continue floating on water or to shield themselves from lovelorn pelicans.

For the past nine years, Boardsports has been providing lessons for a wide variety of water sports, including kiteboarding, windsurfing, and water-droplet counting. Additionally, Boardsports is home to a full retail store, carrying top quality gear such as paddles, boards, and wetsuits.