Our Favorite ways to #OptOutside in Southern California this Black Friday
As Thanksgiving approaches, we're all exploring new ways to celebrate safely and keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy. The idea that we should #OptOutside has been one of our favorite holiday season mantras for the last few years, but it 2020 it takes on a whole new level of importance. It refers to boycotting traditional Black Friday shopping and choosing to be active outside instead. It's also a great reminder of the value of sharing experiences over physical gifts, which we couldn’t agree with more! If you need some inspiration for how to #optoutside in Southern California, here are some of our favorite adventures!:Go Explore the Kelp Forests!
Lush kelp forests are one of the things that make the California coast so special! Like our forests on land, kelp forests are rich with life and are a sanctuary for all kinds of cool animals! In fact, they're so important to protecting sea life that several of them in Southern California are officially "Marine Protected Areas", which means they're off limits to most kinds of fishing and other human behavior that might be destructive to the ecosystem. While kelp forests are beautiful from above the water, you can only experience their true magic from below the waves! There are few things we love more than grabbing our snorkels, masks, and fins and diving in! If you can hold your breath a bit you can explore on your own, or plan a dive with locals who can show you around like the team at Dive and Surf.
Find Balance on a SUP
If you want to stay (relatively) dry, but are still craving some ocean time, Stand Up Paddleboarding is an easy way to have a mini-adventure. Most beginners pick it up quickly, though it gets more challenging on days with some swell. If you want a more relaxing, meditative experience it's great to go somewhere naturally protected from the waves like Mission Bay in San Diego. If you're up for a challenge, you can check out our favorite spot at Point Dume in Malibu, where we run Climb & Slide.
Get Salty with a Surf Session
Just grab your wetsuit and board, and you'll be back in time to snag some leftovers!