Go Extreme With The Best Offbeat LA Recreation Spots
The Los Angeles area's diverse landscape provides the perfect playground for thrill seekers. From swimming with sharks to a zipline adventure, there is an extreme activity for everyone. Next time you are looking for some offbeat fun, be sure to check out these activities.
Stand Up Paddleboarding
Price: Rental $60 per day
Explore Southern California's version of the Italian canals on a paddleboard. Get a great workout and earn bragging rights by mastering this extreme sport. Given the degree of difficulty, lessons are your best bet. Saddle up for this emerging global sport with stand up paddleboard instruction from Malibu Long Boards and get a taste of this nutty trend once again popular on the West Coast.
Related: A guide to Catalina Island.
Aerial Yoga
Price: Click here for full schedule and price information
Try something new and boost your adrenaline with Aerial yoga. Strengthen your core by hanging upside down and flipping in a swing with this zen-like sport. Get in the groove of this latest trend in workouts by taking classes at a private studio. In seven weeks, you'll be ready for the advanced classes, so hang tight your first time out.
Related: Best spots for cool cardio in Los Angeles.
Ziplining
Hours: Mon to Fri - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sat to Sun - 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Price: Click here for price information
Ziplining isn't just for exotic jungles anymore. In fact, California offers plenty of rugged terrain to soar over. On Catalina Island, you'll travel nearly three-quarters of a mile, jumping one zipline to another at mind-bending speeds of nearly 45 miles per hours, all this while dropping from 500 feet to 60 feet above sea level. The adventure, which takes about two hours, begins at Hog's Back gate overlooking Avalon and pushes thrill seekers through Descanso Canyon while halting at a number of eco-stations along the way to learn about the environment. The adrenaline pumping nature of this extreme sport, available in our own unique back yard, will keep you coming back for more.
Related: Best places to go fast in LA.
Swimming with Sharks
Hours: Call for reservations
Price: $65 for single kayaks; $110 per boat in tandem kayaks
Believe it or not, sharks frequent Southern California. As a result, the area is perfect for the novice wishing to swim with the sharks. In fact, the leopard variety is keen on their La Jolla hangout, situated about two hours south of downtown Los Angeles. To indulge, head on down for a long visit with these sharks. This species loves shallow water and are humorously harmless with their two-inch mouths and five-foot statures. Get a good glimpse by first kayaking out to the open seas. Next, snorkel alongside these sharks to your heart's content.
Related: Best swim lessons in Los Angeles.
Bouldering
Hours: Mon to Fri - 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Sat to Sun - 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Price: Click here for membership deals
Although buildering (the art of urban climbing without any gear) in public spaces is illegal, bouldering (the art of free climbing in traditional places) is not. This is especially so when done under the auspices of an indoor sanctuary equipped for such a potentially dangerous sport. Hanger 18 fits the bill with two bouldering walls that reach 15 feet, their perimeters set for rope assistance (which also double as challenging traversing climbs. All this without the elements to stop you from taking this towering sport to great heights.
Related: Guide to outdoor rock climbing in Southern California.
Read more about how to maximize your leisure time with our Los Angeles Day Off Guide.
Los Angeles travel writer Jane Lasky contributes to publications such as Travel + Leisure, Vogue and Esquire. Her weekly sojourning column ran in 40 newspapers for 20 years. Jane is anything but an accidental tourist. Check out her articles on Examiner.com.
