FLORIDA KEYS - Thrill seekers who want 365 days' worth of sun, surf and sea can get their blood pumping in the Florida Keys both above and below water.

KITEBOARDING

Catch air and go fast with this exhilarating alternative to surfing. The safe environment of the Keys offers a unique opportunity for anyone to learn the sport of kiteboarding.

Throughout the islands, people are immersing themselves in the kiteboarding lifestyle - feeling the wind power riders for miles at heart-stopping speeds. Warm, knee-deep water is ideal for launching and riding, heading out to deeper channels for popping jumps and steady, rideable wind carries kites from all directions. For an exhilarating rush over the seagrass flats, try a backcountry safari where kiters slip through estuaries past marine life.

Newcomers or students of the sport can take lessons to absorb skills and moves, safety procedures and a philosophy of living in the moment and becoming one with the environment.

Kiteboarding requires a waist harness, a kite attached by four lines, a steering bar and a board. In the clear shallow waters of the Keys backcountry, students learn to pump up and fly the kite, steer the bar and attempt jumps, spins and other maneuvers on the board.

Most instruction is one-on-one, addressing safety, theory, equipment, set-up and pre-flight — yet still designed to get students ripping quickly. Training ranges from one- to five-day beginner, intermediate and advanced lessons, the latter geared primarily for kiteboarders who want to hone their skills for riding and staying up-wind consistently.

Special riding excursions are offered for advanced kiteboarders who don’t need instruction and want to kick it up a notch.

PADDLESURFING

World-famous surfer Laird Hamilton, regarded as a genius in crossover board sports, is credited with a resurgence of interest around the world in standup paddling, or paddle surfing, popularizing the sport among boarders everywhere.

Paddle surfing originated with the ancient Hawaiians who would paddle their outrigger canoes through the surf while standing up. During the 1960s, “beach boys” would perch on top of big boards to snap photos for tourists. The sport has exploded in popularity and is attracting enthusiasts and newbies alike to the Florida Keys to try it.

When the winds are either too much, or simply nonexistent for kiteboarding, standup paddling is a perfect stand-in sport both for fun and a core physical workout. Standing on the board, typically 12 to 14 feet in length, not only allows for a better view of the surroundings, but also enables practitioners to paddle longer and more easily while standing, versus sitting as in a kayak.

Standup paddling appeals to many different people because it is a relatively simple, straightforward yet diverse activity. Use the board for surfing, traversing on a “downwinder” (riding the board with tradewinds at your back to cover long distances), as a fishing or diving platform, or just enjoying touring through the mangrove trees, along the beaches or in the backcountry flats in a noninvasive way.

Two regions in the Keys are riding the wave of interest in kite and paddlesurfing: Islamorada’s leaders, Otherside Boardsports, and Seven Sports, the board sports division of Islamorada Watersports Company, are keeping residents and visitors to the Upper Keys hooked in to the sport with an annual kiteboarding invitational event and otherwise getting kites in the air as many days as the wind allows.

Key West’s The Kitehouse is managed by a team of mavericks led by Paul Menta, whose passion for taking kiteboarding to the extreme led him to conquer challenges such as kiteboarding from Key West to Cuba.

For more information about paddle-surfing water adventures, visit othersideboardsports.com, sevensports.com or thekitehouse.com. All watersports outfits offer an individual or complete package of lessons, day tours or equipment rentals.

SPEARFISHING

Florida boasts the only living coral reef ecosystem in the continental United States. With the diverse marine life that thrives on the reef and in deeper waters come excellent spearfishing opportunities.

Spearfishing enthusiasts can find many of the best spots in the Middle Keys, as other regional zones are protected from fishing within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Unlike mainland Florida, where drop-offs are close to shore, Florida Keys “spearos” need a boat to find spearfishing grounds — unless they’re targeting the quick and elusive yellowtail snapper among shallow patch reefs. The reef in many areas is three to six miles offshore. As water temperatures go up with the summer heat, big fish typically head to deeper, cooler waters.

Popular game fish include a variety of grouper and snapper: gray (or mangrove), mutton, yellowtail and the local favorite, hogfish. Spearfishing aficionado groups are attracting significant interest in the Middle Keys, including Above and Below Extreme Water Sports, as well as Club Spear, a casual group of spearos organized by the staff and friends of Hall’s Diving Center in Marathon. They will customize and accompany visitors on local spearfishing trips, as well as offering classes to teach tips on safety, regulations, legal fish and size requirements, spear gun use and repair.

For more details on spearfishing trips in the Middle Keys, contact Above and Below Extreme Ocean Sports at (305) 743-1880. To join a Club Spear excursion, visit hallsdiving.com or call (800) 331-HALL.