Stop Wasting Your Life Away Inside: 3 Ways to Spend Your Free Time

February 23, 2017

Here in Florida, it’s always a great time to be outdoors. You can pursue just about any outdoor sport or hobby and have something really exciting to look forward to every weekend. So if you’re looking to spend more free time outside and improve your relationship with nature, here are 3 ways to spend your free time.

3 Ways to Spend Your Free Time

Scuba Diving

First off, whether you’re surrounded by fish on an offshore reef or exploring the depths of a natural spring, scuba diving is an amazing way to see things most people don’t normally get up close to. More than 114,000 people earned their open-water diving certification cards in the state of Florida from 2005 to 2012. (According to the latest data from the Diving Equipment and Marketing Association.) Having an open-water certification card opens the door to many other underwater adventures, including lobstering and spearfishing. With additional certifications, the truly adventurous can delve further into this magical world through wreck diving and cave diving. Although there is an initial investment in training and gear, you can spend the rest of your life diving places close to home or in far-flung locales. Put a toe in the water and visit a reputable dive shop to learn more.

Fishing

Secondly, there’s just something about water that pulls us to it. For many people, outsmarting the marine life becomes a lifelong pastime. The Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission (FWC) estimates that residents and non-residents tallied about 57.6 million days fishing. All it takes to join in the fun is some basic gear, a bit of local knowledge usually found at a bait shop, and some patience. Fishing can take you to quiet lakes, rivers and streams, along beautiful mangrove or beach shorelines or out into wide open bays or oceans. Visit a tackle shop and you’ll be surprised how quickly you can get started.

Hunting or Shooting Sports

The lure of the woods calls to about 242,000 hunters in Florida each year, according to the FWC, and the average hunter in the United States spends about $1,638 on equipment. Many Americans enjoy pursuing small or big game, while others prefer shooting sports such as trap and skeet shooting. Getting started should include a class on the safe handling and operation of firearms. Then you can stay sharp between hunting trips by visiting a local shooting range for target practice.

So make a vow to quit wasting your days away in front of the TV or ignoring the outside world. Take up a new passion, get out there and have fun.

If you have any questions about getting started or gear selection, visit Bill Jackson’s today.