Try stand up paddle boarding at night

If stopping by the market to pick up coffee filters has somehow crept its way into what you’re doing on play days, it’s a clear sign that your things-to-do list has infiltrated your things-to-do-for-fun list.

Not so good. The good news is there’s no place like San Diego to fix it and San Diego Paddle Yoga (SDPY) has a one-size-fits-all solution for date nights, BFF nights out, and family fun nights.

Yes, you just read the word yoga and might be wondering how that’s possible? The SDPY solution - Night Glow classes. No yoga involved - just a relaxing, slow, night paddle on boards equipped with Nocqua Lights, so you can see the marine life swimming below your boards.

Suddenly thinking about that one person who thinks sharks can swim up through the plumbing and into the bathroom pipes? Not to worry, assures Sarah Dymond, SDPY’s manager, paddle instructor and creator of spontaneous fun.

“We get a lot of beginners, usually about half of the class on a given night,” Dymond told DiscoverSD. “We always start class on land to go over the forward stroke, how to turn, how to launch, where to stand, and also a brief safety discussion. It’s a guided tour around the shoreline from Mission Bay Sportcenter (MBSC), then we cut across the bay to return. To quell any fears about marine life, there are some larger fish that fall in the family of sharks like the leopard and sand variety. And sometimes we get these tiny fish - like marine fireflies -that are attracted to the light and occasionally jump on the board. You’ll see jellyfish, stingrays, and the whole experience is unique and tranquil with the Nocqua lights giving the water a pretty, aquamarine glow.”

SDPY Night Glow launches at 8 p.m. now and 9 p.m. later in the season on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from MBSC and from the Hyatt Mission Beach. Paddle sessions will runs seven days a week later in the summer. Check the website at SanDiegoPaddleYoga.com for updated schedules and to make your reservations.

Non-swimmers and all children under 14 are required to wear life jackets, which are provided. Small children are permitted to sit on the board with an adult, but if they can paddle and keep pace, kids are welcome to take out their own boards. The cost is $25 per board.

The three main requirements:

1) Make your reservations in advance, because spaces fill up fast.

2) Be at the launch site in time for the safety discussion and intro lesson.

3) Don’t forget to have fun.

Source: DiscoverSD