Have you ever considered spending your vacation time volunteering on a mission trip? There are literally endless numbers of tour companies that offer trips that include helping those less fortunate. Some offer the opportunity to provide medical aid, build homes, visit orphanages, or even help out a Marine Conservation groups.
  You can take your trip as a family, as a couple, or even solo. Some trips are done in the United States and others require abroad travel. In the United States, at Global Volunteers, you can work with local people for a week of service in education, labor, and cultural projects. If you enjoy the ocean, then maybe choose a marine conservation project in Seychelles that includes counting turtles and helping identify marine species. If you are adventurous, you can climb Mt. Kilimanjaro while also providing equipment and services to those with special needs including the wounded vets that have taken the journey with K2Adverntures.

Marine Conservation http://www.responsibletravel.com/holiday/2280/marine-conservation-project-in-seychelles
Veterans assistance and build hospitals
http://www.k2adventures.org/about-us
Reservations in the USA
http://www.globalvolunteers.org/usa/

 As a person that is deathly afraid of sharks--and I am not just talking that I am fearful of them when I dive in the ocean, I get that creepy feeling a shark is following me and hear the Jaw's theme song in my head when I swim in lakes--So if you are like me, fearful of sharks, this is one of those adventures that will either help you overcome fear or solidify it. 

  I decided to try and overcome my fear by diving in a shark tank at the Epcot center of Disneyworld. Very cool experience. But let's be realistic, I was diving with Disney. They let us know, before we dove, that the sharks were very well fed and that they were Disney sharks so, of course, they were friendly and would not attack. I chose to believe this bit of humor and did the dive. Honestly, this was a lot of fun.  I may have had a false sense of calm thinking that the Disney dive-masters would not put us in a situation where all of the cherub-faced kids pressing their noses to the tank from the glass would end up with a horror photo of me becoming lunch. The dive itself was amazing! I highly suggest this adventure for a family activity. First, they give you a quick briefing with your small group (they only take a few divers per day). Then, you enter the water and swim around with the sharks and other sea life while waving at the kids gathered around the glass. This might be one of the more expensive activities in Florida, but if you are a diver, this is worth every penny.

For those looking to be in the actual ocean, there are a few diving companies that cater specifically to shark-cage dives. One such tour is the Shark Diver in California and Mexico. Now, this is the real deal. Out in the ocean and no pre-feeding of  the sharks to make sure that the sharks are so full you do not look appetizing to them. I love the fact that they are shark conservationist and do not just do shark dives. They claim you can see up-close Great Whites or Tiger Sharks if that is what you are looking for.  For me, I will stick with Disney for a while.

Check out Epcot shark dive for a chance to dive with Disney. 
or
http://www.sharkdiver.com/ for a chance at the real deal.

  Surfing has been a sport for centuries, possibly first introduced by Polynesian culture. Today, surfing can be done in any body of water that has waves, including larger lakes.

Consider a family vacation or adult- only adventure learning to surf (or improving your skills ) A friend of mine did a few days in Costa Rica's adult camp for his bachelor party.

  Surf schools are located all over, from California to Australia, and even in Montauk, New York.  Some top-ranked schools we found are in Kauai, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. If you choose a week-long school, many have accommodations by the beach and include food and drink. You don't have to surf all day, every day. You can kick back and enjoy the beach and take optional excursions.


Check out:
Witch Rock surf camp - Costa Rica
Del Mar surf camp - California
Kauai surf school - Hawaii

Make sure you check school reviews before choosing and confirm the school is not only for youths.

If you would prefer to learn to surf indoors, there's a park called Sky Venture in New Hampshire that you might want to try.  It looks like a great time.