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Spending time on the water or at the beach is a wonderful way to enjoy a personal escape, but it’s also an incredible experience for groups. Outdoor team building activities, far from the office environment, are optimal for creativity-based team building games and activities, where workers can feel free to solve problems that aren’t part of their day-to-day work routine. Getting outside makes work seem less like work, and more like fun. The variety of watery activities in and around Half Moon Bay gives everyone a wealth of choices.

For those who aren’t entirely comfortable on the Pacific Ocean, adventures at the water’s edge invite groups to discover ocean creatures in the tidepools at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve’s 3-mile shoreline. Shallow reefs, sea grass prairies, giant kelp stands, rock pinnacles and ridges are home to more than 150 different species of plants and 200 species of animals, like leathery gumboot chitons, pink-tentacled moonglow anemones, the elusive red octopus, and flamboyantly hued nudibranchs.

Kayaks on Beach

Adventures don’t end on the beach. Head out on the water, in the protected waters of Pillar Point Harbor, with Half Moon Bay Kayak Company’s custom-tailored group tours that include fun and interactive activities that address topics like trust, teamwork, leadership, and thinking outside the box. The harbor setting gives groups the space to learn more about each other while enjoying the ocean environment and viewing marine life from a seat right on the water, and trade up from a meal in a corporate lunchroom to a picnic on the beach.

Group Kayaking

Even a small group benefits from renting stand-up paddleboards and heading out into the harbor. Both Half Moon Bay Kayak Company and Mavericks Paddlesports offer rentals and instruction, so your group can run its own team-building excursion. Spend part of the day out discovering the edges of the harbor before returning to land and enjoying the Coastside style of relaxation while you continue time together on the beach or at a nearby restaurant.

Man Paddleboarding

Venture farther out on the ocean with fishing and whale-watching charters, where groups can take their catch home, whether it’s fish or fantastic photos. Choose a vessel to fit your crew, from the 38-foot Que Sera Sera, 40-foot Riptide, or 50-foot Queen of Hearts available through Half Moon Bay Sportfishing and Tackle, the 53-foot New Captain Pete, or the 53-foot Huli Cat. Even if you don’t catch anything but a better clue on how to work together, the experience on the open water without office walls is ideal for spotting wildlife, from whales to harbor seals to sea birds on their annual migration.

Surfer Girls

Cheering for your co-workers outside the office can lead to better teamwork when you return. Learn to hang ten together with a surf lesson at Surfer’s Beach from classes offered by Open Ocean Surf Lessons and Camps and Jetty Betty Surf School. Sure, you’ll get wet, but at least you’re all getting wet as a group and sharing the experience. Coastside meals and beer always taste better after some exertion, anyway.

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