A Hidden Florida Gem

The sun rises over the Atlantic Ocean in Delray Beach.

Surf, Sand, and Pinball

Family fun in Delray Beach

By Cary Dunst

When accounting for both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, Florida has a huge coastline, second in length only to Alaska’s. With so many vacation-worthy towns from which to choose, my family recently traveled to Delray Beach to combine a restful beach trip with memorable activities for our two pre-teen kids.

Though my wife and I would have been content to do nothing more than read, stroll the beach, cool off in the ocean, and then repeat, our kids were full of energy and ready for action.

Water Skiing Without the Boat

After a short Uber ride north from Delray to West Palm Beach, we arrived at Shark Park 561, founded by the son of golf legend Greg “The Shark” Norman. It’s among a growing number of wake park facilities that employ a tower and cable system, rather than a motorboat, to pull riders around a lake course.

We quickly navigated through electronic waivers, helmet and life-jacket fittings, and kneeboard, ski, and wakeboard choices. We arranged a lesson with Donnie, a tall, sandy-blond high schooler.

Donnie started my kids on kneeboards, the easiest way to learn. After some on-land coaching, he left us to take a solo lap around the course. One at a time, my kids received the rope handle from the cable operator, who offered some last-minute encouragement, and then counted down: “Three, two, one, go!”

The slack in the rope tightened and off they went, pulled from the dock’s ramp like a rock skipping across the lake to an expectant Donnie, who received and stabilized them on the water and taught them how to navigate the sharp tug of the cable at the four turns on the course. He got both kids both riding and having fun from their very first try.

TALLAHASSEE

FLORIDA

ORLANDO

DELRAY BEACH

Getting there:

West Palm Beach airport is only 30 minutes north of Delray.

MIAMI

I was not so lucky! I tried a wakeboard and succeeded in getting up on the water in one out of five attempts, only to fall at the first turn. After numerous comical “Dad wipeouts,” I was content to sit on the dock with a drink and newfound appreciation as I watched the young locals’ fluid riding styles and epic jumps where they twirled and flipped through the air.

Surfing With Nomads

While the wake park was great fun, the kids also wanted to surf an ocean wave, and the Nomad Surf Shop, just north of Delray in Boynton Beach, was the place to go. Founded by Ron Heavyside in 1968 out of the back of his father’s TV repair shop, this second-generation institution has outfitted and inspired South Florida surfers for more than 50 years.

We were put at ease by our instructor, John, and followed him out to the back where he selected foam-topped longboards for us. We then walked a block to the beach, where John’s lesson began on the sand, teaching us how to lie and paddle on the board, then assume a push-up position and pop to our feet once inside the wave.

It was then time to try it in the water.

John walked backward through the gentle waves, guiding both kids’ boards through the warm, shallow waters. He helped each child get into position and then gave them a swift push into the wave, shouting encouragement to pop to their feet.

With most of the work done by John, both kids surfedahalf-dozenwaves.Theywerejubilantasthey stood on theboardskimmingatopthewhitewater.

Even Dad got up on a few waves with the help of John’s instruction.

With our fresh, firsthand experience with the challenge of surfing, we encountered another Delray local scene as we were taking our daily stroll on the beach—enormous, sail-like kites flying above the ocean and sand. On closer inspection, these huge sails were attached to the torsos of people on surfboards, who were carving turns in the water. The most advanced riders would pull straight up off a wave and fly for several seconds before returning to the water.

Pinball Wizard

Rounding out the family-friendly activities on dry land was a visit to the Silverball Museum, a collection of vintage pinball and arcade machines. These relics from generations past were beautifully maintained.

Unlike the tourist-trap arcades where your kid can easily burn through $100 and then come looking to you for more, Silverball charges for admission, and you can play as much as you want. Some nights, it stays open until 2 a.m., and there’s a great bar and food menu to keep your energy up.

Even my wife, who hates video games, got into the fun, dusting off her Ms. Pacman skills to the surprise and delight of the kids. My son was proud to show me his high score on several of the machines he played. As we were getting ready to leave, the karaoke scene was starting to heat up.

After a week spent enjoying Mom and Dad time on the beach and fun activities for the kids, our only regret was that we couldn’t stay longer in Delray, and we are already plotting our return. 

2

miles

of uninterrupted beach beckon sun and sand seekers.

If You Go

Stay: We loved our stay at the boutique Crane’s Beach House. The in-room full kitchens, laundry facilities, and two pools are extremely convenient for families and extended stays. Other great options are the Opal Grand, The Seagate, The Ray, and the Colony Hotel and Cabana Club. Dine: Celebrity chef and former professional snowboarder Akira Back’s innovative Asian fusion menu at The Ray Hotel was a great choice for our date night, and we had enjoyed a family meal at the Ember Grill, also located at The Ray.