All regions
Salt, surf & marsh

Coastal missions

Lowcountry beaches, barrier islands, tidal creeks, pier fishing, and dolphin paddles from Charleston to the Outer Banks.

Season34 of 34
Beginner

Coastal Crabbing

Mt. Pleasant

Pull blue crabs at low tide on a public pier — no boat needed.

Apr–OctAges 4+
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Beginner

Surf Basics

Folly Beach

Push your kid into their first wave on a soft-top longboard.

May–SepAges 7+
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Beginner

Inshore Fishing

Cooper River

Redfish and trout from a dock — bait, rigs, and patience.

Year-roundAges 5+
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Beginner

Lowcountry Trails

Francis Marion

A 3-mile loop through pines with a creek crossing.

Oct–AprAges 4+
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Intermediate

Salt Marsh Kayak

Kiawah Is.

Glide past dolphins on a tide-timed paddle through the marsh.

Mar–NovAges 8+
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Intermediate

Beach Camping 101

Edisto Beach

One-night car-camp at a state park with kid-proof setup.

Mar–NovAges 5+
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Intermediate

Cast-Net Shrimping

Shem Creek

Learn the throw, fill the bucket, fry them up for dinner.

Sep–DecAges 8+
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Intermediate

Oyster Foraging

Bulls Bay

Harvest wild oysters at a public bed and shuck them dockside.

Oct–Apr (R months)Ages 10+
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Beginner

Tide Pool Hunt

Sullivan's Is.

Hermit crabs, sand dollars, and starfish at the lowest tide.

Year-roundAges 3+
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Intermediate

Dolphin Paddle

Shem Creek

Stand-up paddleboard alongside the resident dolphin pod.

Apr–OctAges 9+
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Beginner

Sunrise Pier Cast

Folly Pier

Predawn pier fishing — donuts, big rods, and pink horizons.

Apr–OctAges 6+
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Beginner

Gator Spotting

Donnelley WMA

Drive the dike roads at dusk to spot alligators safely from the car.

Apr–OctAges 3+
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Intermediate

Bioluminescent Paddle

Beaufort

Night kayak through glowing plankton on a new-moon tide.

Jun–SepAges 10+
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Beginner

Lighthouse Boat Trip

Morris Island

Charter a small boat to the abandoned Morris Island Lighthouse.

Mar–NovAges 5+
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Beginner

Shark Tooth Dig

Edisto Beach

Sift the wrack line for fossilized megalodon and tiger teeth.

Year-roundAges 4+
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Advanced

Offshore Trolling

Charleston Harbor

Full-day charter for mahi, wahoo, and sailfish 30+ miles out — real deep-sea action with the kids.

May–SepAges 10+
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Advanced

Night Shark Fishing

Folly Beach

Stake out the sandbar after dark with heavy tackle for blacktip and spinner sharks.

Jun–SepAges 12+
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Advanced

Spearfishing Intro

IOP Reef

Free-dive a nearshore reef for sheepshead and spadefish with a guide.

May–OctAges 14+
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Advanced

Kitesurfing Taster

Sullivan's Island

Harness the wind on a 3-hour private lesson with a certified IKO instructor.

Mar–NovAges 13+
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Beginner

Folly Surf Lesson Morning

Folly Beach, SC

Book a dawn lesson with a local outfitter, then walk down to The Washout to watch the pros.

May–OctAges 7+
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Beginner

Wrightsville Longboard Day

Wrightsville Beach, NC

Mellow rollers and a sandy bottom — the friendliest learning wave in the Carolinas.

May–SepAges 6+
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Beginner

Pawleys Island Family Surf

Pawleys Island, SC

Small, mellow waves on a quiet barrier island — perfect first-time saltwater day.

May–SepAges 6+
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Beginner

Nags Head Surf Watch & Splash

Nags Head, NC

Watch real surfers at Jennette's Pier, then splash in the shorebreak under the lifeguard's eye.

May–OctAges 5+
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Advanced

Hatteras Surf Spectator Day

Cape Hatteras, NC

Drive the Outer Banks to watch hurricane-swell surfers at the lighthouse — strictly viewing.

Aug–NovAges 10+
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Beginner

Hunting Island Beachcomb + Surf

Hunting Island, SC

Soft-top rental, sand dollars, and a climb up the only public lighthouse in SC.

Apr–OctAges 6+
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Beginner

Sullivan's Lighthouse Loop

Sullivan's Island, SC

Bike the back streets to Station 18 and the modernist Sullivan's lighthouse at sunrise.

Year-roundAges 6+
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Beginner

IOP Tide-Pool Morning

Isle of Palms, SC

Low-tide pools at the north end of IOP — hermit crabs, baby flounder, sand dollars.

Mar–OctAges 4+
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Intermediate

Edisto Boneyard Beach

Edisto Beach, SC

Hike Botany Bay's driftwood graveyard — Carolina's most photogenic beach.

Oct–AprAges 6+
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Intermediate

Cape Lookout Ferry Day

Harkers Island, NC

Take the passenger ferry to the diagonal lighthouse and a wild, empty beach.

Apr–OctAges 6+
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Intermediate

Currituck Wild Horse Beach

Corolla, NC

4x4 north of Corolla to find Banker horses on a wild stretch of OBX.

Apr–OctAges 6+
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Beginner

Beaufort NC Waterfront Day

Beaufort, NC

Ferry to Shackleford Banks for wild horses and shelling on the way back.

Apr–OctAges 5+
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Beginner

Bald Head Bike & Beach

Bald Head Island, NC

Passenger ferry, electric carts, and a climb up Old Baldy lighthouse.

Apr–OctAges 5+
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Beginner

James Island Climbing Wall + Ropes

Charleston, SC

50-ft outdoor wall plus the Challenge Course at James Island County Park — climb, zip, and high-ropes in one day.

Mar–NovAges 6+
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Beginner

Climb Charleston Intro Night

North Charleston, SC

Indoor top-rope and bouldering — perfect rainy-day first climb for the whole crew.

Year-roundAges 5+
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More Coastal missions every Friday

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