How To Have Fun In The Sun This Summer - St Augustine Style!

  KAYAKING AND PADDLEBOARDING

Kayaks and paddleboards offer a quiet, peaceful way to peruse the water without getting wet — well, that’s the idea, anyway.Relatively smooth waters such as the Intracoastal Waterway, St. Johns River and creeks are the best bets.

Both vessels are propelled by the rider using a paddle. The rider sits inside a kayak but can sit, crouch on knees or stand up on a paddleboard.

Kayaks and paddleboards are ideal for spotting wildlife such as fish, manatees and dolphins. The motorless vessels are quiet and minimally disruptive, and they keep riders low and close to the water’s surface.

WHERE TO GO

Kayak St. Augustine | 442 Ocean Vista Ave, St. Augustine

Kayak St. Augustine teaches about kayaking and offers stand-up paddleboard lesson tours. Tours start at 9 a.m. at St. Augustine Lighthouse Park and take guests through Salt Run.

Info: 315-8442 or kayakingstaugustine.com

St. Johns County Parks & Recreation

The county offers group and individual kayak tours, special events and programs in addition to renting kayaks.

Info: 209-0348 or sjcfl.us/CountyNaturalist

SURFING AND SKIMBOARDING:

Among the most popular watersports — in St. Augustine and beyond — are surfing and skimboarding. The latter is especially popular in Vilano Beach.

Surfers ride waves from the ocean on a long board or short board with fins, while skimboarders have a smaller, finless board they skim along the shallows from the beach into an incoming wave, then ride it back into shore.

Surf lessons also make for a fun group activity with family and friends — and a way to meet new ones.

WHERE TO GO

Surf Station |1020 Anastasia Blvd., St Augustine

Offering two lessons for every level of surfer, whether a beginner or those looking to sharpen their wave-catching skill.

Info: 471-9463 or surf-station.com

St. Augustine Surf School | 2 Ocean Trace Road, St. Augustine

Surf instructors cover safety precautions, technique and movements, as well as ocean awareness to keep a lookout for the optimal surf times.

Info: 206-7873

Stoked to Surf |350 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach

Offers lessons and a week-long camp for kids ages 7 and older. Lessons include safety, entering the water, standing up and waxing a surfboard.

Info: 501-4446 or stokedtosurfcamp.com

PIT Surf Shop |18 A Street, St. Augustine Beach

They offer private lessons every day of the week with two hours’ notice, a week-long surf camp and stand up paddle lessons.

Info: 471-4700 or thepitsurfshop.com

KITEBOARDING

This fast-paced sport blends the beach setting of surfing, speed and board style of wakeboarding and the sensation of flying.

A kiteboarder wears a harness attached to a kite, which he or she controls with a bar. Powered by the wind, the kite launches the rider through the waves on a wakeboard-style board.

The sport can be enjoyed virtually anywhere along the beach — as long as there is sufficient wind.

WHERE TO GO

Ocean Extreme Sports | 1093 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine

Ocean Extreme Sports offers first-timers a ground school where they can learn the basics, as well as the in-depth Private Pilot Training course. They also provide hourly lessons.

Info: 461-9415 or oceanextremesports.com

SAILING

St. Johns County has abundant sailing opportunities, from the St. Johns River to the Intracoastal Waterway to the open ocean.

Sailboats range in size from a lightweight dinghy up to large superyachts. Sailors can use them for many purposes — some for fun, some more practical. Recreationally, St. Augustine hosts sailboat races, and others leisurely cruise along.

WHERE TO GO

St. Augustine Sailing | 3076 Harbor Drive, St. Augustine

Operating out of Camachee Cove Marina & Yacht Harbor, the outfit offers a variety of sailing opportunities, from training courses to rentals and charters.

Info: sta-sail.com

St. Augustine Yacht Club | 442 Ocean Vista Ave.

The yacht club facilitates sailboat racing that is open to nonmembers and first-timers.

Info: 824-9725 or https://bit.ly/2OfWnEy ;

WILLIE GALIMORE COMMUNITY POOL

The pool at Lincolnville’s Willie Galimore Community Center is one of the community’s most popular summer gathering places.

Upgraded and renovated in 2013, the pool is operated by the St. Augustine Family YMCA. The YMCA offers several options for family fun, from swimming lessons and camps to recreational family swims.

WHERE TO GO

Willie Galimore Community Pool | 399 Riberia St., St. Augustine

The pool schedule includes hours for family and lap swimming every day of the week, organized around YMCA programming.

Info: https://bit.ly/2r53vIN

SPLASH PARK AT THE PIER

Children can run around in the middle of the hot, summer day and still be cool at the county pier’s splash park.

One of several attractions at the pier, the splash park provides children with the simple fun of playing in water fountains coming out of a rounded concrete pad. The park also offers the pier itself, swimming in the ocean, and beach volleyball courts, a covered pavilion and picnic tables.

WHERE TO GO

Splash Park at the Pier | 350 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach

The splash park is free and open to the public.

Info: 209-0326 

MARINELAND DOLPHIN ADVENTURE

Dolphin lovers, this is the place to go.

Marineland Dolphin Adventure offers multiple dolphin-oriented programs, along with educational workshops, programs and outreach initiatives about dolphins and other marine mammals.

Kids and adults alike can swim, touch and play with dolphins and learn from dolphin trainers, plus several tours are offered inside the oceanarium and out in the environment.

WHERE TO GO

Marineland Dolphin Adventure | 9600 Oceanshore Blvd., St. Augustine

Info: 471-1111 or marineland.net

Thanks to Jewell Tomazin and staugustine.com for compiling such a resourceful guide!