1. COME OUT OF YOUR SHELL
Most folks are either too busy or too self-conscious to get their flirt on at the beach. That’s never the case at Dog Beach in Bonita Springs, however. Nothing sparks conversation like watching your furry sidekicks getting acquainted with one another in an olfactory way. And as a bonus, cat people are weeded out by default.

2. CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION
If you believe that the way to a person’s heart is through the stomach, you’re a classic bon vivant ... or a really incompetent surgeon. Cruising the aisles of the local Publix can be a lot less stressful—and a lot more informative—than the club scene. Feel free to make assumptions about the gal grabbing the industrial-size hamburger patties at Albertsons or the guy picking through the loose shitakke mushrooms at Fresh Market.

3. LOVE BYTES
Straight-up Internet dating is so 2002. Savvy online daters today demand a way to examine the goods personally. And there’s no more efficient method than speed dating, that harrowing exercise in explaining how much you love kittens, sunsets and long walks on the beach in eight minutes or less. Check out www.cupid.com’s speed-dating services and sign up for a seat every fourth Wednesday at Bice Grand Cafe in Estero’s Coconut Point.

4. BOOK LOVERS
The cushy ambiance of most booksellers today provides the perfect vantage point to see if he’s interested in poetry or pulp fiction or ... oh no ... is he really thumbing through Ann Coulter? To find more men and women of letters, drag your book bag to the Fort Myers Barnes & Noble near U.S. 41 and Daniels Parkway on the second Tuesday of each month, or call Fort Myers-Lee County Public Library at 479-4635.

5. BLOOD, SWEAT AND LEERS
The mating game is not the only one we play. The attraction to athletic pursuits
is social as well as physical. Whether it’s golf, tennis, softball, soccer or running, the drive of competition and the thrill of victory make for a nice, if somewhat sweaty, ice breaker. For adult athletic opportunities, check out www.cityftmyers.com or www.athletesinparadise.com.

6. LET THE SPIRIT MOVE YOU
Meeting folks where you worship can eliminate a lot of pesky first-date questions. Understanding that their flocks are often yearning to be fruitful and multiply, many area congregations have built ways for singles to meet into their community outreach work. Check out the Lunch Bunch meetings organized by First Presbyterian Church of Bonita Springs, 992-3233; or try the Community Shabbat Dinners hosted by the Chabad Jewish Center in Naples, 262-4474.

7. WINE AND POSES
Meeting in bars. Everyone does it. They do it so much that a certain cluster of local night spots is now known as the Viagra Triangle. The Gulfshore does boast solid singles-bar choices for every taste—from the hip trancers of Sway, to the line dancin’ cowpokes at The Country Spot, to the bitter-yet-braggadocious New England sports fans at the Foxboro Sports Tavern. And then there’s always Jack’s Bait Shack.