La Jolla Kayak — Attraction in San Diego

I reserved six paddle boards ahead of time. We arrive at the front desk. The young lady there, probably no more than 16, proceeds to tell me it is probably a good idea to switch to kayaks. I had already looked at the conditions from the nearby Coastal Trail a short time before: only an intermittent light breeze. I turn and poll my six companions and they all wanted to use paddle boards.

She reluctantly said “okay” and told us to proceed over there and pointed to a hallway. I led my family around and was stopped by another front desk person, also clearly a teen, who asked me where I was going. “Your colleague told us to head over this way to get our wetsuits, PFDs and paddles,” I said. “No, you go out the front and around the side of the building to the right. We do so, another teen is there helping a teenage boy pick a wetsuit. We wait. She helps pick what she thinks are the right size for each and then disappears, never to return. We get into the suits w/some trial and error w/the kids.

Next, we need PFDs and paddles. I look inside the nearby door and see 2 teenage boys engaged in irrelevant, unrelated conversation and who show no interest in helping us. I interrupt them and they point us to the rack of PFDs. One of them helps my daughter and one other of my party and then they are called away. We finish getting PFDs on our own. Then we wait for another staffer to appear, eventually one does and points us to an egg crate in the corner not visible behind some lockers. “Help yourself, they are all the same size.” That is a problem, but a minor one at this point. He disappears. It is at this point I had my singular interaction with someone who is an adult. I ask her where the paddle boards are. She responds “Around front” and she too promptly disappears. Around front we go and sure enough, there are 7 boards there. I start to look them over and my antenna goes up a bit. All are inflatables, okay, I think to myself, fine. Then I notice they don’t have long center fins, just 2 short surf fins, one on each side at the stern. This concerns me but there was only a light breeze earlier. Everyone is getting warm in their wetsuits. “Okay, we can still make the most of this,” I say to myself. After all, there was no wind earlier. The new problem is there is no clear idea what is next—-how do we get to the beach? We walk them there and is it straight down this street? There is no sign pointing toward the beach. I pop into the shop and ask at the front desk. “Yes, you carry them down to the beach, it is that way,” she points.

Off we go with my 12, 14, 16 and 17 year olds in tow and complaining. It is only about 200 yards to the beach. I get them over the breaking waves at the beach and we start toward the cliffs and caves of La Jolla a quarter to third of a mile away. Only now, a 10 knot wind has kicked up—not a problem for my C4 at home or my inflatable, on which I had installed two long center fins—these boards, however, wallow left and right no matter what the kids and my brother-in-law do. Worse, the wind is pushing them towards Scripps Pier in the wrong direction. After an hour of paddling we make up the ground lost only to be far short of the cliffs and all six are exhausted. I head them back in.

We land safely, I lead them back to the shop. We deposit everything and there is no manager around for me to speak with. I walk back around to the teens at the front desk. “Why were there no center fins on those boards?” I asked. She looked sheepishly at her colleague and then stammered a bit. “Well, there are none left. They kept breaking and because of the pandemic no one would ever send us any replacements.”

“I’m a guide and instructor in New York. You should have told me they had no center fins from the start,” I said. “The shop I work for would never have put those boards out for use in the first place and removed boards from the menu until they had replacement fins,” I said. She said “Thank you for letting us know.”

Their kayak tours appear to run well. Their equipment rental biz,...

I am leaving this review in hopes that it warns people before booking:

My friends & I were so excited to do the sea cave kayaking experience. I would like to point out that this was NOT our first time kayaking and are all somewhat skilled in doing so. But nonetheless the website says “no experience required” and that it’s suitable for 6+ year olds, so why would it be an issue?

While I understand they cannot predict the wave pattern & roughness of the waters, they can take more measures to ensure group safety and comfort should it be that the water will be rough. Getting in the ocean is challenging but there are people on the shore to assist with “riding against the waves” in. Several people flipped and fell out of the kayaks going in. And were kind of just left to figure it out. As we paddled further and further out, our tour guide was so far in front of us that it was hard to even pick him out of the many other groups kayaking from different businesses all at the same time and he did not once turn around to see or count to make sure everyone was there.

Most issues arose at the sea cave- at this point I didn’t feel safe going in because our tour guides advised that the waters were really rough and there was a high percentage of us flipping once going in. I brought my phone on the kayak with me, which I know was a personal choice, but I have never had an issue kayaking with my phone before. I wish they had advised to not bringing your phone before hand but they did not. Because of this I chose to not go in the cave. Sitting there waiting for whoever in the group decided to go in, the water was getting rougher and rougher, inevitably making me sea sick- which once again personal issue. It was finally time to paddle back against the waves/currant. We were so far away from shore and our tour guides no where to be found. As hard as I was paddling I just kept getting sucked further and further out and no one was around to help me, after 15 minutes I began to have a panic attack because I was so genuinely scared that I would not make it back- I was out of breath and my arms were tired from giving it all I had to try and fight the oceans pull in the opposite direction, I couldn’t even see anyone within a distance to get help. I eventually pulled it together and gave it all I had while crying just hoping to get to shore soon, it genuinely couldn’t end fast enough. I eventually got to the shore intact with no help other than my own. Both of my friends flipped out of their kayaks going into shore, one of them injured with a bruise the size of a football on the back of her leg as the kayak knocked her & the associates just yelled & laughed telling her to move out of the way. Once on shore it was up to you to find your way back to the store to return the stuff, no one cared if you made it back or not.

I say all of this to emphasize that- as someone with experience who struggled, this is certainly not for a beginner or someone with “no experience,” let alone children. Tour guides are careless, have no empathy and lack accountability for the group. It sounds like an incredible must-do experience...

Highly recommend!!

2nd time using this company and still sooo much fun.

Over the years kayaking has definitely been much more popular and for good reason!

Highly recommend if you're in the area! You can walk in for reservations or go online. Sign waivers.

Guides are great

Very affordable

BE ON TIME!!!

Single or double kayaks, very hard with double up unless you work together well hahaha

Lockers are available for $8.00 they hold your key for you, so no risk of losing it.

Life jackets and helmets are provided

Bathrooms just before you go, located where the lockers and jackets are.

Wear a bathing suit, light clothing that you would go swimming in. You can change into dry clothes back at the place if you want, changing rooms available.

Highly recommend purchasing a cell phone bag, works and takes pictures just fine, not the highest quality but still capture fun times. They are $23.00 with tax. They lock and float and it's like a necklace.

Highly recommend taking water bottle with a clip on to yourself or the kayak if you decide to jump in the ocean, which they let you do bc it's fun. You don't want to lose it.

You can take a back pack or water proof bag, make sure it floats and again attach it... only if your adamant about it.

Wear lots and lots of zinc/ sun screen, apply at the the last min possible unless you have zinc or wet reapply sun screen.

Chapstick!!

Sunglasses a must

Hats, can get in the way of the helmet but it's possible to wear a ball cap.

Just the basic essentials, you'll get a workout from this tour, especially if the waves ocean are choppy, eat before!

Wear strap secure sandals or water shoes, there is a place at the beach, where folks pile their shoes/sandals before they go out if you want to go barefoot.

The sand can be extremely hot to walk on but only a short distance once you get the kayaks.

Paddles float

Kayaks are already at the beach, guides help you get out onto the ocean over the waves.

You go through caves, see leopard sharks, the seals, the view, nice people.

You stay together as a group, you go back together.

There are showers before you turn in your jackets and helmets.

Cash for tips and they also have venmo

Show them some love

Lastly parking!!! Is A..T..R..O..C..I..O..U..S!! Mostly 90 min parking ( typical...) and you will get towed and ticketed. Best to park in the neighborhood, be respectful and responsible and walk. There is one Handicap parking spot right alongside for are elders and fun folks that also enjoy the life pleasures.

It's located on a corner so it's easy to spot.

BE ON TIME!! in case you forgot!

Great places to eat and have chill time, in case you're early and keeps you close by. Lots of ice cream, coffee, shops to walk around lol the...