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THE SPORTING LIFE: ACTIVE ADVENTURES

6. Take Your Best Shot

Here's a great opportunity for scuba divers who'd like to develop their underwater photography skills: The roving annual Digital Shootout takes place at some of the world's healthiest, most camera-ready reefs, and next year it'll be in Little Cayman, an island renowned for the spectacular scenery on Bloody Bay Wall. Organizer Dan Baldocchi's workshop is geared to photographers of all skill levels, including beginners. "If you just bought a new camera and haven't even taken it in the water once, this is the perfect first trip for you," he says. "We get a lot of repeat divers too; in fact, some have come five years in a row because there's always more to learn." A typical day comprises a two-tank morning boat dive, guided by a photo pro; a few shooting seminars in the afternoon; and an after-dinner slide show, where experts critique guests' images and offer feedback on the shots. Workshops include seven nights' accommodation at Little Cayman Beach Resort, all meals and six two-tank boat dives.

The Digital Shootout runs from July 19 to 26, 2010. From $1,999 per person for a pool-view room, based on double occupancy. 773-564-9579; thedigitalshootout.com

7. Relax, Sail, Repeat

If you like to sail but want to leave the work to someone else, Horizon Yacht Charters offers plenty of packages to suit everyone, from foodies to action junkies to Zen masters. The St. Martin Gourmet sailing package includes seven nights aboard a luxury yacht, plus a private dinner at La Samanna, with a five-course tasting menu and wine pairings. Weekend warriors will enjoy the seven-night Active Antigua package: Guests design their own itineraries around activities such as windsurfing, diving, snorkeling or kiteboarding. And if you just want to chill out, the 10-night Grenada Sail and Well-being package includes five nights on board, followed by five relaxing nights at the island's eco-chic La Luna resort, in a cottage complete with a private plunge pool and all the yoga and meditation classes you'll need to recharge your chi.

Rates for the St. Martin package start from $5,195 for the week, based on six passengers; Antigua from $2,895 for 10 days, excluding activities, based on six passengers; and Grenada from $3,435, based on quadruple occupancy. All rates are for the entire boat and exclude food. Skippers cost an additional $150 per day. 877-494-8787; horizonyachtcharters.com

8. Take the Helm

There's no better place to learn to steer your own course than the British Virgin Islands, where 60 mostly uninhabited islands and islets await discovery – not to mention the nearby U.S. Virgin Islands. Tucked into a cove on Virgin Gorda's North Sound, the classic Bitter End Yacht Club specializes in turning sailing neophytes into capable captains in as little as a week. Book the seven-night, all-inclusive Admiral's Package and tack on a Learn to Sail Adventure program. You'll get three-and-a-half days of sailing lessons (by U.S. Sailing Association-certified instructors), starting with a 101 class, where you'll learn terminology and knot-tying, and you'll wrap it up with a full day on the water at the helm of either a sailing or racing vessel. 

Rates for the Admiral's Package begin at $3,710 for a garden villa, based on double occupancy. The Learn to Sail package is an additional $250. 800-872-2392; beyc.com

9. Take the Plunge

Honduras' Bay Islands border the second-longest barrier reef in the world, the perfect environment for beginner divers to strap on some scuba gear and submerge. With the Learn to Dive package at Roatan's Las Rocas Resort & Dive Center, guests will arrive as newbies and leave as certified open-water PADI scuba divers after testing the waters on their very first day at the West Bay Beach resort. Because the coral reef is so close to the shore, most sites are less than a 10-minute boat ride away, and divers will get to gawk at all the reef's colorful marine life at beginner-friendly depths of just 40 to 60 feet. Three instructors lead classes small enough to provide personalized attention.

Book by December 12, and for $569 per person, you'll get seven nights in one of the resort's bungalows, daily breakfast, PADI open-water diver course instruction, books and equipment, and two additional boat dives once you're certified. 877-379-8645; lasrocasresort.com

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