Living in the Bay Area has its perks - besides having the best sporting goods stores around, you also have an endless list of adventures and outdoor activities to enjoy, whenever you want to. All you have to do is stop by your local Sports Basement, let us know what you're into (or what you want to try), and we'll get you set up with the gear we love and the tips we've learned along the way. No major commitments, no hassles, just fun.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Ocean kayaking can be a complicated endeavor, but it becomes a whole lot more manageable if you start out somewhere protected and quiet, like Tomales Bay up by Point Reyes. The Bay itself is 15 miles long and about a mile wide, and features a ton of different launch points to start your kayaking adventure. You can even reserve a boat-in camping permit, letting you set up your campsite right on the beach and enjoy a whole day of kayaking, or paddleboarding, or whatever strikes your fancy. And naturally, you can rent everything you need at SB! 

Somewhere between a luxury resort and a campsite, the Costanoa KOA is the perfect intro to camping for the less outdoorsy among us. Costanoa’s bungalow tents are gorgeously instagrammable and include just about everything, including electricity and even wifi, but there are still some creature comforts you’ll want to bring along, like an electric cooler that’s basically a mobile mini fridge. That’s the Dometic, by the way - the ultimate glamping accessory!

If you haven’t done it before, you should. Riding a bike over one of the seven wonders of the modern world is absolutely worth a spot on your bucket list, and you don’t even need to own a bike to do it! Our Presidio store is perfectly located: drive or bus or walk on over, rent a bike for the day (or even just a few hours), ride out onto Crissy Field, then up and over the Bridge! You can turn around on the other side, or ride out to Sausalito for a relaxing lunch and take a ferry back to the city. Wherever you choose to ride, we’ll help you get there.

Tilden Regional Park up in the Berkeley hills is such a gorgeous spot for a family picnic! Besides the obvious draws of the Tilden Steam Train, the carousel or the Little Farm, the park itself is full of fun! There are plenty of reservable spots if you have a big group, but there’s also a ton of open picnic tables and beautiful grassy meadows sprinkled throughout the park if you want to be more spontaneous. Grab some prepared foods from Berkeley Bowl on the way there, and grab a few basic rentals from Sports Basement to set the scene. A Goal Zero power bank lets you take this picnic to the next level - power some music, string up some lights, or even power a blender for smoothies! The sky is the limit.

Bolinas is probably the best spot in the Bay Area to learn how to surf. The waves are consistently small, with little wind or other dangers to look out for. We recommend taking a lesson - Bolinas Surf Lessons are a great option - and with our surf rental package you'll have not only the wetsuit and board in hand, but also a soft rack for your car so you can go take a shot at a few other Bay Area surf spots after you've gotten the hang of it.