Excellent experience learning to paddleboard. It's a nice little spot to pull away from the craze of life.. grab some sun and light exercise out on the water. If you're interested in learning how to paddleboard, I recommend coming here. Different experience than being out on the ocean (rougher waters). There's enough room to paddle around and not be capsized by speed boats. You can paddle out with a picnic and enjoy a really nice relaxing day out on the water. Look for groupons to save money. Highly recommended and would return again! read more

I waterskiied and kneeboarded. The driver was very helpful in getting me out of the water on single ski (been a few decades), and then keeping the boat on plane so minimize wake. This place is more ideal for wakeboarders. The boats are designed for wakeboarding (they tell me) and set up to generate big tabletop wakes, afaiac, at slow speed. At higher waterski speeds the wake is less, but still hard to cross if you aren't a pro. Anyway, I had a lot of fun. The driver was mega chill, brought all the toys I thought I might want to try out. And we did. Would definitely go again. Just go super early or late as possible before they close if you want smooth water. It's pretty choppy mid day. read more

A man who was working here threatened to kick us off the property he said that we can't go past the boe which we were in front of. There boats barely worked we spent 100 bucks! When we got to the dock to give the boat back we were stuck in the sand with no hesitation I jumped in and pulled it to dock they watched and did absolutely nothing. They were yelling at us and saying we did it wrong! First when we got the boat they were driving it very slowly we asked if that was normal and they said it goes much much faster. I had a terrible experience and advise that nobody ever comes here!!! read more

Loved this place! I used a Groupon I found for $27 for 2 hours. There's a lot of activities for all ages. We did the Aqua Cycle. It was fun at first but then it was a ton of work to pedal against the wind. At the end of the lagoon there's a little beach where you can get out and hang out for a bit. It was definitely a super fun activity but I would like to try the canoe next time. All of the staff was really helpful and friendly. We didn't have to wait at all. read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Great experience. We did a deal palooza. Paddle board and a kayak. It was awesome. My kids 8,12 & 16 had a blast. Highly recommend going at least once. read more

I know I wrote a review on trip advisor and maybe on here previously too but I just want to come back this year and say thanks for another great summer experience Cbad Lagoon! We really enjoy your facilities and always have a great time! It is so cool how we can just set up our entire day to relax, picnic and play here. The use of tables and chairs and the groupon you guys have out right now are a real treat too! The friendliness and helpfulness of your staff is always an excellent addition to our days we have here! See you soon!!! read more

We rented kayaks from the watersport store at the Carlsbad lagoon. The staff wasn't very accommodating or professional might just be their summer gig. The lagoon is nice I recommend going on group- on. Group-on has vouchers for thirty bucks for a two person kayak for two hours. read more

I came here to paddle board but found that all of the jet skis zooming around the lagoon made it unsafe to ride a paddle board. It was shocking to me that some of these jet skis were being driven by employees. There is a posted no wake zone but those were being ignored by the jet ski riders. I would not recommend this business. read more

Update: in regards to the message josh posted. This company is still a joke. His statement makes absolutely no sense. This is what happens when you don't have accountability as a business. Why wouldn't we make a reservation? Why would we call and ask if reservations are available and not make one. I looked at your face and said your business sucks. I'm filing with the BBB. You put your employees in poor working conditions and they don't even respect you. We called twice for a reservation as that is how true businesses conduct themselves. We were informed that there were many jet skis and not to worry. We showed up to celebrate my wife's bday weekend and experienced the worse customer service we have ever had. There were no jet skis available even when we had called twice. After paying, they could not guarantee a jet ski. What kind of business takes your money and then tells you to wait for an amount of time that they can't even predict. The owner here is a joke. He didn't even apologize one time and won't even look you in the eye. Other people were complaining as well. We ended up getting a refund and the workers here don't even know what they are doing. One guy says to go in and get a refund and the other will say go back outside. This place is a zoo and I do not recommend it. The life jackets are an utter mess and this owner hires high school students who treat you like a 3rd class citizen. Even the workers here say the owner is rude to them. So glad we left and found a better place. We will never come back to this poorly run operation. It is very chaotic here. read more

I came down here with a bunch of friends for my birthday and we all had probably one of the best days​ of our summers. The working staff was really helpful​ and diligent. We rented​ out a boat and brought lunch​ out on the water. Their​ boats were​ in nice shape and we even listened to the radio on it. After the boat,​ we wanted to get on some jet skis. The map does not do it justice. The jet ski area is big and since then I have already been back twice for other rentals with my boyfriend​ and family. Definitely​ recommend coming down and checking this place out. read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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Me and my husband came here last weekend to redeem a living social deal for stand up paddle boarding. We had never been to the lagoon before but it was easy to find with lots of parking, even for a sunday afternoon. After parking and making our way into the front office we were greeted, or lack of , by a very unfriendly girl working at the front. She didnt smile, wasnt helpful in anyway and would barely even talk to us. While she was interacting with us, a lady came and asked her if her son could do community service work and help pick up trash. She said yes and when the other lady asked her for the trash bag for her son, she acted all flustter and told her she didnt have a trash bag and to just use her hands to carry the trash. The lady seemed confussed by her reaction and the girl just snapped, " well i dont have a trash bag for you so just do whatever you want." This was not a good impression and we were just going to leave or ask for a manager, but we decided to let her attidude go and get our rentals. Thank God for the guys that work out on the beach who were very friendly and helpful. They made us feel very safe and gave us helpful tips on having a successful time on the boards. We had so much fun that we decided to rent the jet skis. After being informed that we needed to go back inside to pay for this we were happy to see that there were two new girls at the desk who were very nice and helpful. The eating tables right on the sand were such a fun bonus to eat your lunch and watch everyone out on the water. There are two decks to eat on as well. One was open to public and next to a fire pit and the other was a private one you could rent with BBQ and tables. There were ping pong tables and a snack stand as well. The guys on the sand redemmed themselves and thanks to them we will be coming back for sure. The only down side of the lagoon is that you need to have a permit. read more

Love this place! The staff was always friendly and courteous. The owner was around and was polite. My kids enjoyed the summer camp! Tubing, wake boarding, paddle boarding, and all supervised! Thanks for the memories! read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

A must for summer; paddle boarding is the best! Went with my two best friends and we had so much fun! Staff is very friendly! Zach, one of the managers is awesome! read more

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Good Things: laid-back but competent workers who love where they work. Married couple who own and operate. Average Things: parking, prices. Improved Things: huge bathroom renovation, equipment handling procedures improved. Still my family's favorite north county place to rent water sports equipment. Thanks for being here. read more

We did the 2HR $29 double kayak #Groupon deal and it was so much fun! For beginners the price and time was SUPER cheap! We really enjoyed ourselves and loved the Carlsbad locals who gave us friendly tips from the shore. Wonderful experience. Definitely coming again. read more

This is a great family place! Would definitely come again with family or friends. We rented and tried everything they had canoeing, paddle board, speed boat and jet skiing and the water tricycle. My family usually goes on a big family outing once and year and we picked Carlsbas Lagoon. Definitely a place to visit! read more

This is a very nice place to go kayaking. You can rent kayaks for a really good price or If you have your own kayak there is a beach on the opposite end of the lagoon. read more

Yesterday, I held a surprise birthday party for my wife at the the lagoon. I can't tell you how many times I have driven by the lagoon and didn't realize this hidden jewel was here. I normally don't write reviews, but this is one I felt I needed to write. The staff was extremely courteous and helpful. they were able to work a deal for me for the full day use of the large deck overlooking the lagoon given I had reserved a few waverunners,a boat rental and mixed variety of passive vehicles as they call it (non-motorized vehicles like kayaks, paddle boards, paddle boats, etc that you can choose as you go). They also had a smaller deck for smaller parties. It was a bit crowded at times, given it being a nice sunny weekend day in the middle of July, but they were able to manage it quite admirably to where we almost didn't notice. A good time was had by all. Some of the party attendees were already discussing how me might want to make this a more regular occurence with a few failies. the wave runners were a blast, but I think the highlight of the party was the boat rental that pulled 3-4 people on an inflatable raft, while the boat itself could carry 10-12 people at a time. The kids (and adults) definitely got some air time when the raft hit the wake on the turns. Josh (the boat driver who's piloting prowess was included with the rental) made sure everyone had a good time. Based on an informal polling, that was the kid's favorite (7-17 yrs old). Very memorable. Cheers, Brett read more

So much fun boating here...the waves disappear quickly and not too many boats allowed on the water at one time. I like to wake-surf and they have boards/boats to rent out by the hour. Our drivers are always really chill and helpful. read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Hangin - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Brought my daughter here to take on the stand up paddle board and beat the heat. Got a great deal in living social for 2 hours. Easy to find. The staff was great. We had a great time. Will definitely be back. read more

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My family always has a great time here. We always rent two-seater kayak and the kids ride along with us. Or sometimes a double and a single kayak. The kayaks are in great shape and easy to row even for a beginner. read more

My review is specifically focused on how the Jet ski area is extremely dangerous! My extended family recently rented numerous items from the lagoon. We had originally paid to ride a jet ski. Right before we were to check it out, a family member commented how unsafe the jet ski area looked. It is basically a very small area in which a large number of jet skis were circling around in. At the last minute, we decided to switch to what seemed like a safer vehicle to us. Less than 30 minutes later two jet skis collided and one woman was killed. That easily could have been my son and I in the collision had we decided to take a jet ski out. How heartbreaking for the victims family! I would recommend renting the other watercrafts they rent and the staff is very helpful and friendly, but definitley not the jet skis/waverunners. read more

Came here this weekend with my daughter! Had a BLAST!!! The girls in the office we're great! Riley helped us out and she was the sweetest!! We rented an aqua cycle for 2 hours and it was the perfect amount of time. We will definitely be coming back soon!! Great place to come with your family! read more

First time going kayaking at this location and it was amazing! My daughter and I enjoyed it! Will definitely go back again! Also special thanks to CJ he was so helpful and so nice! On a side note arrive early this place gets crowded! read more

I love finding an affordable place for family fun! We love it here. Employees are super friendly and helpful. The water is perfect the toys are fun. Our favorites are paddle boarding and kayaking. We had my daughters birthday there today and everything was so chill and fun. We will be back as much as possible! read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - The girls out having fun on the lagoon! - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Love it!! Affordable fun, not in the open beach so feels safer for the novice. Truly enjoyed my time here!!! Can't wait to come back again to try the many other water equipment. They charge per rental equipment over time not per person so it is very affordable. read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

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It's funny that Josh the manager replies to all positive comments, however my post from July there is no response. I have not had any feedback. I also can see other negative reviews without a response. Funny that all positive reviews have a response but mine being negative and others do not. They really don't care about making it any better because sadly there are still people wasting money there everyday. read more

Had a great time here. First we rented a kayak and didn't get far (harder than thought) so then we rented some jet skis for an hour and had a blast! The jet skis were brand new! When we got there at 11am we were the only ones there it was a blast! Later in the day a lot more people came but it didn't change the amount of fun we were having. There were people constantly on the shore if you wanted to switch who was driving which was nice. They also had a great shop where you can get swimsuits or sunscreen or anything else you need. Tons of fun will definitely be back. read more

Such a great experience! Their customer service is great they are very helpful and honest ! We did tandem kayaking for our first time ever it was a blast and such a huge area read more

Great summer fun at the Carlsbad Lagoon! One of our favorite family places for watersports in Southern California! And especially for Wakeboarding and tubing! ! Lagoon gives you the best of both worlds - refreshing ocean with calm waves to enjoy all the water sports. Wakeboarding is especially exhilarating. And if you cant get up on the board, u can go tubing! Only need to hang on for a wild thrill u will never forget. Love the speedboat drivers who can accommodate up to 8 on board. Time flies fast. About $175 an hour on the boat but worth the happy memories. Fun in the sun for the whole family. And where i love taking guests to enjoy the best of so Cal! Great job Josh and Riley and Alisha! See u next summer! read more

Dishonest business! So my 2 friends and I were coming from San Diego to LA, a lot of traffic and we saw the jet skis and kayaks in the water. We decided to stop by and after looking at the sign choose the single kayak for an hour. I told the lady we would like 3 kayaks for an hour. She then charged me $35. I said it's only suppose to be $20. She said because the jet skis and boats are up front. kayaks need to go all the way to the other side of the lagoon it will take you and hour and and hour back so she charged $35, I said we only have time for an hour she said you won't make it there and back in that time. We havent kayaked before and it took 20 minutes to get the other wise beach area. She lied and was dishonest, we shoulda have received what we wanted an hour! Total scam way to add $15 to all over our rentals, total of $45, so future people doing kayaks you can make it easily there and back and stop at the beach for pics within an hour! read more

Great place to go with a group that needs to rent together. They have an awesome bbq hang out area, you might have to rent though... I'm not sure. If you are a solo person with your own watercraft (kayak, paddleboard, etc) there are other locations in San Diego that are more visually interesting. This wide open water spot, if there is any kind of wind, works in your favor in one direction and provides challenges in the other. Also you must pay a day use fee to the rental place if you do have your own gear. read more

I'm a big fun of this place partially because nice people working there and customer service too. Can't find a better place for wave runner in SoCal than this. Their formal part of waiving liability etc is not suffocating at all as many similar places are. One girl on front desk easily carries all that load with very nice computer software they have. I'm a business owner myself and like to see how other businesses organize their work and strive to be efficient. If you go to big national rental place you would see tons of documents piling on front of you and couple of reps swarming above your head to make you sign. Here it's way more professional, without pressure, and efficient. read more

Pretty fun and relaxing. We rented two water bikes for an hour, two people per bike. Weather was great. Parking was creative. Employees were very nice and helpful. The girls at the customer booths and the guys at the dock were very professional and kind. They all wore masks which we appreciated. As for the customers at the beach area, some wore masks but most practiced social distancing. The bike riding was a great mini work out. Just a tip- we paid $30 per water bike for an hour. If you go on Groupon, you can get the same bikes for $32 for two hours. That's a better deal. Wished we knew that beforehand. It was fun overall. Would definitely do it again but with Groupon next time. read more

I had a blast here this past summer. The crew was super kind and patient with our stupidity. During my particular visit, I was in the middle of a very very crazy home reconstruction while hosting family from Boston. Coming here really took me away from my stress and allowed me some fun and distraction. I can not wait to return. We highly recommend this place. Not just for the fun but because of the chill crew. read more

I think this place is awesome! I called to ask if I could reserve the bay liner and the girl said sure then proceeded to ask for what time. I don't know if it works different for jet skis/other water equipment but definitely was not rude! We got down there and they gladly assisted us in ringing up and signing their liability waiver. They dropped the boat and taught us how to launch and drive by taking a lap around the lagoon. The kid who was teaching us how to launch and drive was super cool and friendly, talking about boats, life and more while interjecting intermittently to give instructions. We got back in and relaunch by ourselves, to have a beautiful hour and a half out on the lagoon. Once we got back in they took care of everything else for us and we headed off. If you're looking for some fun while in town or if you're a local looking for a cool spot for water sports, check them out. read more

My family and I were driving on the 5, and I happened to notice this sweet place. The first thing that attracted me were the people Jet-Skiing. I had to make sure we went there the next day, which we did. We rented the aqua cycle, and it was fun! Just make sure you have incredible leg muscles if you're the only one pedaling, it was me and my 6 year old nephew. I was doing all the work, lol. The next thing we did were the jet skis, and that was the best thing. There's an area where only the jet skis are allowed which is better, because there are other people in the water doing other activities. The staff were friendly, and very thorough on how to operate them, and went over it once on land and on the water. We did it for an hour, and it flew by fast!! Next time I'm around the area, I will definitely come here again. Also I suggest to come around when they open or later on in the afternoon. There are less people at those times, and the water is open all for you lol read more

This was my boyfriend's first time . I took him here because I love the friendly service ! the biggest problem was all the dead and stinky fish laying all over the beach . It was very un pleasant and smelled terrible . It really took away from the experience. It was so sad to see all the dead fish it looked un real . I would love to see something done about it ! The pollution in the water is something THAT NEEDS TO BE HANDLED IMMEDIATELY! it is very very distracting and disturbing. read more

We just got home from a couple of hours at the lagoon. We had such a blast! I wish I remembered the girls' names at the front desk because they were so cute and sweet. They were helpful and answered all of my questions. Also, a gentleman name Jaden was the BEST!!!!! We had no idea what we were doing once we got on the wave runner (it has been a few years since we were there last) and he was super friendly, kind, informative and helpful. We changed riders a lot on the wave runner and each time we came to shore he would help everyone switch places and get back out there. Even though they had quite a crowd down there, Jaden always helped with whatever we needed and with a smile. We will for sure be going back soon and when we do- I hope Jaden will be there to ensure once again that we have a wonderful time. Thank you Jaden and everyone at Carlsbad Lagoon for a great time! read more

3 stars only because my daughter loved to be on the green mattress they have in the water. I made a mistake of taking advice and trusting one of the girls at the ticket office and rented one of their paddle kayaks in hopes that my 5 year old will be paddling with me, she recommended 2 hour rental and I agreed trusting her on it. We couldn't even go 100 feet; I couldn't paddle that Kayak, let alone a 5 year old, paddles are so stiff and unmanageable so I go back in the office to let them know that I can't use the kayak and it's not my fault it's impossible to navigate. Well apparently they don't do refunds but credit towards other rentals which was useless to me since it was my last day in SD area. I would recommend letting people know about your non refund policy ( and I am sure it is somewhere there in your consent agreement which nobody reads)or at least let customers try first,especially, with young kids. I am not going to go broke without $54 but don't think it will make this business any richer either just bad experience and uncaring customer service. read more