Ocean Sports in Long Beach

With more than five miles of sandy beaches, Long Beach is an urban rarity: equal parts Big City and Beach Town. And whether you require equipment or lessons, Long Beach offers myriad ocean recreational and sporting possibilities: boarding, surfing (both wind and kite), jet skiing, sailing – in other words, there’s a whole lot to do in and on the water. The Pacific Ocean is just waiting for you to come out and play.

JET SKI

You may know them as Wave Runners, Sea-Doo, Jet Skis, or personal watercraft – whatever you call them, they are a whole lot of fun as you scoot over the ocean. London Boat Rentals (186 N. Marina Dr.) rents Wave Runners you can ride from Seal Beach to the Queen Mary. They can document their journeys with GoPro digital cameras available at London. GoPros come with a flotation device as well as a handlebar mounting. Wave Runners hold up to two people and are relatively simple to handle, but since they can reach pretty exhilarating speeds, London’s staff will give you a quick tutorial on all of the craft’s features and functions.

KITESURFING

KAYAKING

One of the most popular and accessible ocean activities, kayaking can be done at your leisure or turned into an extreme sport. Whatever you prefer, Kayaks on the Water (5411 E Ocean Blvd.) makes it easy to get out from its location at Bayshore Beach on Alamitos Bay, directly across from the Naples canals. The bay’s calm waters make for an ideal environment, especially for beginners. Kayakers can cruise the bay, circumnavigate Naples or head to a cove that is home to moon-jellies, beautiful and non-stinging jellyfish. A canal trip normally takes about 90 minutes, the moon-jelly excursion will probably take twice as long, but certainly is worth the time.

PARASAILING

WINDSURFING

Participants hold directly onto a sail that is connected to a board. Depending on the strength and direction of the wind, as well as the skill of the rider, windsurfers can get going fairly fast. Long Beach windsurfers favor Alamitos Bay for the ease of setting off and its calm waters. It keeps things simple. So does the Long Beach Windsurf Center (3850 E. Ocean Blvd.), a one-stop shopping destination that carries a large inventory of boards, sails and any other accessories the windsurfer may need, including lessons. The Windsurf Center offers group and private lessons.

Credit: Long Beach Windsurf Center

PADDLEBOARDING

About the Author
Steve Lowery