VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Hampton Roads is a vacation destination for many, so if you live here, why not make the most of it? News 3 set out to find places where you can borrow or rent gear to help you have fun in the sun.
First stop: Princess Anne Area Public Library on Nimmo Parkway in Virginia Beach. The library recently announced an “Explore Outdoors” section where they loan out everything from picnic baskets to yard games, kites, and surfboards. It’s all thanks to a grant from the Virginia Beach Library Foundation.
The innovative idea of loaning out surfboards is making history.
“We actually worked with our reference librarians at the Central Library, and we had them dig in as much as possible to see, 'does anybody else do this?’ And the only one we could find is one in Australia,” said Ashley Barrineau, branch manager for the Princess Anne Area Library.
Barrineau said the items are free to check out for library card holders. They can be used up to three weeks at a time but cannot be reserved.
Just down the road from there, on the way to Sandbridge Beach, you’ll find Surf & Adventure in a bright turquoise building. It’s known for surf camps and outdoor equipment rentals.
“We have umbrellas, chairs, tents, beach carts. We rent bicycles: mountain bikes and fat tire bikes if you want to explore False Cape Park,” explained owner Rob Lindauer, adding, “A lot of people just come down for the day and rent a kayak or paddleboard, and they’ll paddle right here on this canal that’s behind our shop and this leads out to the northwest corner of Back Bay.”
Surf & Adventure also offers lunch and dinner kayak tours.
“I feel like Sandbridge is a really unique place. I call it the far end of the earth, but we have a really dynamic area to explore,” Lindauer said.
If you are okay with crowds and want to be a tourist for the day, you might try Cherie’s Bicycle and Blade Rental at the Boardwalk and 24th Street. You can rent a surrey for the whole family, tandem bikes, cruisers, or even rollerblades.
If you have the need for speed and some cash to spend, you might consider a Polaris Slingshot rental to hit the open road. Hourly reservations can be made and you can find more information here.
Just a few minutes from the Oceanfront on Virginia Beach Boulevard, we found Moke America of Virginia Beach which sells and rents golf carts.
“We started with just the campgrounds, doing the travel park and KOA campground rentals, and we kind of branched out to doing delivery at people’s rental homes or wherever they’re staying, explained manager Tessa Duarte. “Now they can do pick up and drop off down at the boardwalk area.”
So where would you drive the golf cart? Duarte said, “Any roads that are 35 and under, which is mainly that whole [Oceanfront] area."
For those affiliated with the military, you may also want to check with the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation office at your nearest base. Places like Naval Air Station Oceana rent a variety of outdoor equipment.
These are just a handful of options to help locals who want to explore the outdoors but may not want to try the equipment before making an investment!
