Each year OceanCity.com readers vote on the best of everything in Ocean City. We also have a panel of experts around Ocean City who pick their favorites based on local experiences, which we refer to as Editor’s Choice. Click here for this year’s voting.
Whatever the weather and whatever your preferred form of entertainment, there’s always something to do in Ocean City. The bay is riddled with watersports for the adventurous vacationers, just as Coastal Highway is home to an abundance of mini-golf courses for those who prefer a more relaxed kind of fun. Whatever fun activities you choose to partake in, you’re sure to have a great time.
Best Fishing Charter
The Angler
If you’re looking to reel in sea bass, cod, trout and everything else the Atlantic Ocean has to offer, sign up for one of the Angler’s Deep Sea Fishing Trips and set sail on their 65-foot fiber glass party boat with your fishing rod in hand. If you’re looking for more of a scenic adventure, their Nature Cruise will take you around Assateague Island to see the ponies and waterfowl, and the Evening Scenic Cruise treats boaters to a trip around the bay as the sun sets.
Runner-up: Happy Hooker
Editor’s Choice: Judith M
Best Mini Golf
Old Pro Golf
Since 1965, Old Pro has been treating golfers of every age to fun, challenging games at all four of their locations. Fuel your imagination with whatever your heart desires, whether that be underwater, safari, Renaissance castle, dragon, dinosaur or pirate-themed courses. You’ve seen all of Old Pro’s fantasy sculptures every time you drive down Coastal Highway – the dinosaurs don’t bite, so why not get to know them a little?
Runner-up: Lost Treasure Golf
Editor’s Choice: Nick’s Mini Golf
Best Parasailing
Paradise Watersports
Feel the wind in your hair as you watch the waves move beneath your feet. Paradise Watersports will take you up in the air on their parasails, where you’ll get a birds-eye view of dolphins, sea turtles, Assateague’s wild ponies and the most beautiful views you can imagine of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. You can even choose your own height — but of course, the higher you go, the better your view will be!
Runner-up: OC Parasail
Best Jet Skiing
Paradise Watersports
Open from May 1 to Sept. 24 each season, Paradise offers a premiere jet skiing experience in Ocean City (you know, to cool off after your parasailing expedition). Navigate the waters near Hooper’s Crab House at the foot of the Route 50 bridge where Paradise is located, reach top speeds and achieve the ultimate adrenaline rush on your Ocean City vacation. Your vacation isn’t a true adventure if you don’t jet ski at least once!
Runner-up: Odyssea Watersports
Editor’s Choice: Bayside Boat Rentals
Best Kayak Rental
48th Street Watersports
Located on the picturesque Isle of Wight Bay, 48th Street Watersports is one of the only places in Ocean City that offers kayak eco tours, where guides help you get on the water to catch an intimate glance at all the plant and animal life that lives in the bay. You can see diamondback terrapins, Maryland blue crabs, ospreys, egrets, horseshoe crabs, jellyfish and sometimes even stingrays and skates as you glide over the shallow waters of the bay.
Runner-up: Odyssea Watersports
Editor’s Choice: Ayers Creek Adventures
Best Surf Shop
Malibu’s Surf Shop
Surfers rejoice at Malibu’s Surf Shop, where you can find the best surf gear and boards that Ocean City has to offer. If you’re new to surfing but looking to ride the waves, Malibu’s offers private lessons every morning with seasoned instructors who are local to the Ocean City area. If you don’t have a board of your own, Malibu’s has rentals, too.
Runner-up: K-Coast Surf Shop
Editor’s Choice: Chauncey’s Surf Shop
Best Rainy Day
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
When the rain starts pouring down and you’re seeking shelter near the Jolly Roger pier rides, head inside Ripley’s to be amazed by all their weird collections — a model of the world’s tallest man, shrunken heads and two-headed animals among them. The kids will be entertained for as long as their attention spans allow them.
Runner-up: Fox Sun & Surf Cinema
Editor’s Choice: Escape Rooms
Best Boat Rental
Odyssea Watersports
Not everyone is lucky enough to have their own boat tied up behind their beach house… That’s why you rent one from Odyssea Watersports. Odyssea offers pontoon boats that hold up to 12 passengers and deluxe pontoons that hold up to 14, available to rent for two, four, six and eight hours at a time. Bring a cooler full of drinks, or bar hop your way down the bay. Whatever you do, you’ll have a blast, especially if you opt to use the boats’ bluetooth speaker radios. Now it’s a party!
