Fun and Affordable Sports and Activities To Try in the Bay Area

Just make sure you take into account the wind, currents and others who may be in your path, like marine life, boaters or paddlers.

Lacock’s group also hosts the triathlon clubs’ new swimmer orientation, where they go over conditions, practice breathing in cold water and work on navigation — all skills important to get the hang of before your first open water swim.

“It’s highly addictive,” Lacock said. “Some people who come out, they get in the water, and they’re like, ‘I want to do this every day.’”

Set up for success: It’s really important that you’re a confident pool swimmer before attempting open water swimming, Lacock said. Wearing goggles and a bright swim cap is recommended, as is a tow float that attaches to your waist and floats behind you, to keep you visible to boats and others in the water.

“It’s your responsibility as a swimmer to also make sure that you are checking on their location and making yourself seen,” Lacock said.

Many people also choose to wear wetsuits, but if you go that route, make sure you get one that’s for swimming, Lacock said — or rent one from Sports Basement or other nearby retailers.

Lacock said it’s better to start with shorter times in the water, like 10 or 20 minutes for your first few swims to get used to the cold and the roughness of the water. If you can’t go with one of the groups, consider bringing a buddy so you can check in on one another.

“You might feel really good right up until the point you don’t,” Lacock said. “And at that point, it may be too late.”

Cost: While swimming in the Bay is totally free, you might consider becoming a member of one of the local triathlon clubs for around $150 per year. The Dolphin Club and South End Rowing Club also each offer day use passes for $12 on alternating days, giving you access to their facilities for showers and lockers. To get professional instruction on open water swimming, Pacific Open Water Swim’s clinic is pricier, at $150. If you decide the sport is for you, the group offers personalized events and courses to help you get from casual swimming to completing more difficult routes like swims to Alcatraz or to Angel Island and back.

Swing dancing in Golden Gate Park

Lindy in the Park, the free dance session and lesson held each Sunday in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, is a completely free and open-to-all event to get your swing on.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been dancing for years or never at all — from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Sunday, a DJ, dance instructor and dozens of participants will be out on JFK Drive between Eighth and 10th avenues swinging to the beat. The dance lesson, held at noon each Sunday, is just a half hour and will work you up from basic footwork to learning the dance so you can feel confident jumping onto the dance floor. You don’t even have to bring a partner, co-founder and organizer, Kenneth Watanabe said.

“You can just show up by yourself and learn a few steps,” Watanabe said. “It’s a good way to try it out and see if you like it.”

Watanabe and co-founder Chad Kubo created the group in 1996, when swing was making a renaissance and the dancing scene in the Bay Area was growing quickly, he said. After someone suggested trying to organize an outside event, Watanabe sent out an email to the around 20 people he knew in the local Lindy Hop community at the time, “and then people just showed up.”

“One of my friends brought a boombox and we all met at the bandshell and played CDs,” Watanabe said. “We thought it would be fun just to dance outside.”

Since then, the group has grown from a monthly to a weekly event to make it easier to attend — on its busiest days, more than 100 people will be out dancing. Watanabe said, apart from occasional disruptions like Bay to Breakers, assume the dancing is on.

Set up for success: All you need to get started is comfortable shoes, Watanabe said. Depending on the weather that day, bring layers, as the park can get cold and foggy. And don’t worry about tripping over your own feet: “It’s a really friendly crowd,” Watanabe said.

“It’s just a happy dance,” he said. “You’re jumping around, you’re kicking, you’re moving. It is a way to express yourself, it’s a great way to meet people — and the music’s fun.”

Cost: Access to the park and the dance event is completely free.