Retirement Hobbies You Never Knew Existed

We all know about standard retirement hobbies such as golf, gardening, or woodworking. But now that you have time to fill, why not think outside the box?

Activities such as sailing are a great way to explore the great outdoors with friends and family.

 

Here, we share some retirement hobbies you never knew existed that can help spice up your golden years.

Beekeeping

Beekeeping is an age-old hobby but one that most people might not think of during retirement. When you think of bees, you might think of painful stings or honeycombs; in fact, bees are complex creatures and extremely important to our entire ecosystem.

Beekeeping is an interesting hobby because in tending to your bees, you will learn how the colony interacts, how not to get stung, how bees pollinate and forage, and many more things about these amazing creatures. Plus, you will get benefits from your hives, such as honey, propolis, and honeycomb. Finally, you will be doing the planet a favor!

Scuba Diving

Age is just a number when it comes to scuba diving! Even if you've never dived before, retirement is the perfect time to start. There are two main certification agencies, NAUI and PADI, and both offer scuba certifications all over the world. Even if you don't live near the ocean, you can get certified in a lake, a river, or even a pool. Once you have your certification, you can discover the amazing underwater worlds of some of the planet's most beautiful waters. Plus, it's great exercise and will keep your mind and body sharp.

Sailing

Sailing is another great retirement hobby that you might not have considered. Even if you've never sailed before, you can still jump right in and enjoy the sport. The first way to enjoy sailing in retirement is to learn how to sail yourself. The American Sailing Association (ASA) makes it easy to find a sailing school near you. There are over 300 ASA sailing schools across the United States.¹

If you don't want to maintain your own boat, another way to get involved in sailing is to join a racing team. There are many leagues throughout the country, and lots of boats are looking for crew, even if you have little to no experience. Search for "sailing crew pool" among the Facebook groups in your area to see if there are any opportunities to get out on the water!

Kombucha Brewing

You've likely heard of brewing beer and making wine, but have you ever heard of making kombucha? Kombucha is a beverage made of fermented tea that is full of probiotics and other vitamins. You can make all kinds of wonderful flavors of kombucha and experiment to find your favorite. All you need to get started is your own SCOBY, which stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast. The SCOBY is the "mother" bacteria that gets the whole process started. You can buy a ready-made SCOBY or make your own.²

One of the best things about retirement is that you have the time to try new things and possibly discover a new passion. These are just a few unique hobbies to consider. Which one will you try?

By Christian Cordoba
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™
Founder, California Retirement Advisors