1. Do Yoga on a Board
Think your everyday yoga session is tough? Try a little downward dog while balancing on a standup paddleboard. “SUP” yoga requires extra balance to stay upright, which goes a long way in strengthening your core.
Ocean City’s Walk on Water offers drop-by classes as well as Paddle Fit courses that combine fitness and strength training. Single class is $20. 410-289-8787.
2. Battle Invading Marauders
Discover your inner Blackbeard with a pirate adventure in Ocean City on the Duckaneer as you and the kids don eye patches, sport pirate “tattoos,” and fire water cannons at scurvy knaves. Two things for sure: You’ll get wet and say “Arrrr” way too many times. Adults $20, under age four $10. 410-289-3500.
3. Visit the Assateague Ponies
One of the best ways to see the ponies of Assateague Island is from the water.
Assateague Adventure offers pontoon trips that start with a dose of Ocean City history before landing on a sandy section of Assateague, where kids can hunt for hermit crabs and spot the famous horses. Adults $16, ages 5 through 12 $8. 410-289-3500.
4. Catch a Wave
Live out your Gidget fantasies with surfing lessons from experts at the Boarding School. Classes start on the beach before hitting the waves at locations in Bethany, Rehoboth, or Ocean City. The surf along the Delaware/Maryland coast is perfect for beginners—not too big, not too small. Group lessons are $70 a person and include the use of a wetsuit and board. 302-745-5804.
5. See Bald-Cypress Trees
Coastal Kayak has been giving eco-tours on the bays and marshes around Fenwick Island for nearly 20 years, so the company knows its stuff.
The kayak tours hit destinations from the salt marshes of Burton Island to the back bays of Assateague to the critter-filled landscape of Assawoman Wildlife Area. For a primordial paddle, book a tour through Trap Pond State Park, the northernmost stand of bald-cypress trees in America. $55 per paddler. 302-539-7999.
6. Ride a Rocket
It’s loud and wet and you might need a Dramamine, but Ocean City’s Sea Rocket is a heck of a lot of fun. The 50-minute speedboat outing starts off innocently enough in OC’s inlet before morphing into an all-out roller-coaster ride in the ocean. Look out for dolphins playing in the boat’s wake—and hold onto your hat. Adults $18, ages 12 and under free. 410-289-4386.
7. Charter a Yacht
To get out on the water in style, book a private cruise with Kindred Spirit Sailing Charters. Captain Jon Plowman hosts one to six passengers aboard his 34-foot Seaward yacht for half-day, full-day, or sunset sails on Rehoboth Bay. He even offers private sailing lessons. $90 a person per hour for lessons; cruises start at $295. 267-377-7724.
8. SUP at Night
Paddleboarding is cool. Paddleboarding at night on an LED-illuminated board is even cooler.
On DelMarVa Board Sport Adventures’ nighttime SUP tours, paddlers cruise the waters by Bethany Beach or Fenwick Island on glowing boards. It looks as wild as it sounds. Previous paddling experience required. $50 a person. 302-260-9008.
9. Learn to Sail
Whether you’re an old salt or don’t know a bow from a boom, 48th Street Watersports in Ocean City can teach you a few things about sailing. The company offers lessons for beginner to advanced skippers on its fleet of Sunfish and catamarans.
If you already know the ropes, you can rent a boat and cruise Isle of Wight and Assawoman bays. Rentals start at $35 an hour; basic lessons $25. 410-524-9150.
