Fun fun fun in the sun sun sun!! I LOVE watersports and I LOVE mission bay, but once in a while, it's nice getting on a different body of water to get my groove on a different water sport. Totally felt like we were transported to some place outside of San Diego when we were here! Came here with Michelle Y, Allen C, Vinh H, Mike W, and Eileen C and we all rented stand up paddle boards. Typical rental rate is $50 for 2 hours, but we all got a great deal on Zozi (online deal site), which cut it to nearly a quarter of that price! I love me some dealios. 2 hours is plenty of time to paddle your heart out and explore the lagoon. We were told that the entire lagoon was 6-12 feet deep and had no sharks (phew!). There were a few small beaches if you wanted to kick back, but we just chilled on our boards the entire time. Watch out for the gooey muddy spots around the right side of the lagoon. It's NASTY and will stick to you. Some how it made my legs smooth though... weird. Go on, take a little vacay at your local lagoon. And I finally found out what a lagoon is... "A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water". Spiffy. read more

See all

We've driven by this place literally hundreds of times over the years, but hadn't taken the time to check it out. The family was looking for a few hour outing where we could take in some sun on the water and have an enjoyable family excursion. Mission accomplished. The rental check out process was painless and the staff was super relaxed and easygoing. If you're planning on making an extended day out of it, there's a few things you should note: 1: This place gets crowded as the day progresses. The earlier you arrive, the fewer people to contend with. 2: If you want food, go in knowing they have only basic drinks and snacks at the rental store, so plan accordingly. Parking is available near the water and also several levels above on the hill. Now the most important thing you need to keep in mind if you are paddle boarding or canoeing: Heading out is easy. The current helps you along and therefore the departure is easy and enjoyable. However, remember that the same current (and wind) that helps you out, works against you coming back in. Therefore you want to be mindful that you'll need to work a little harder coming back in and adjust how far you go accordingly. To summarize, if you're seeking a fun filled day that can be as short or long as desired, this is a solid option. --- If you found this review useful, funny, or cool do me a favor and leave that feedback. I try to make my reviews interesting. Follow me on Yelp and I'll make it worth your while. read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Paddle easy. - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

I have lived in San Diego for 20 years and have passed by the Carlsbad Lagoon more times than I could possibly count and finally gave it a try. My two daughters wanted to learn how to wakeboard so I decided to try them. I was able to book the lessons without any difficulty and even called back a few minutes later to make a change and it wasn't a problem. We showed up at the scheduled time and the instructor (Mike) was right there. He got the girls fitted in their equipment, went over basic lessons and then we were on the water. Within four tries, my first daughter was up and wakeboarding like she had been doing it all her life! My second got up on her second time. We had a great time, but I really want to give a BIG thanks out to Mike! I've been wakeboarding for years, but don't know if I could have taught them as easily as Mike did. Mike has a very friendly personality and the girls liked him very much. He was very patient with them, extremely professional and without a question I would go back and ask for him again. Thanks again Mike! The girls can't stop talking about their experience and want to go wakeboarding again soon. read more

I really enjoy this place! I've always wanted to come here since I first laid eyes on it when driving on the 5. The lagoon is calm and water is usually a nice temp. Its not a huge lagoon but its a good size. There are a few beaches you can stop off at and tan in the sand for a bit. So there are many different activities to chose from. I've done kayaking and recently progressed to stand up paddle-boarding. Both are great work outs! I have noticed its easier going out then it is coming back in, this is when you will really get those muscles workin. The staff is very laid back and helpful. There is a decent amount of parking but it will fill up on hot sunny weekends. Currently groupon has a great 2 hr $26 deal going on for this place. If you enjoy the sun, sand, and water then I strongly recommend coming out here and trying one of the fun activities they have to offer. read more

See all

I wanted to check out Carlsbad lagoon with my new SUP. We came here and I wasn't impressed. I'll stick to Mission Bay. For 1, parking... good luck with that! This place is way too busy and a small area. They made me pay a $9 "permit fee" and because I had my own SUP. So basically to launch off their beach. They wrote on a post it "permit paid", so that was my "permit" I guess. I now see there are other places I could of launched from and not pay. Even a doggie friendly area. So IF I came back, it would be over there but honestly, there are way better places to paddle board than the lagoon. We were not impressed but now we know. Where we launched from, was too hard to stand up for a while because of the jet ski activity. After you get past that area, it's fine to stand. I'd say I'd want to rent a jet ski here but literally, they all just go in circles in a small area in a single file line. It seems lame. But they don't charge a deposit for it with a credit card down, so that parts good. FYI, they do honor the Groupon prices there if you mention it. (Prob so Groupon doesn't get a cut). Very hard to tell who's staff at beach area here too. They don't wear uniforms. read more

See all

We tried the lagoon today, thanks to a screaming daily deal I purchased. There are a lot of choices and the setting was pretty. Also very calm. Our family usually plays in the ocean and harbors, so this was a change, and everyone is interested in coming again to try other things. We did the aqua cycles. It was fun, but do NOT take one out with wheels of different colors and sizes! Unless you want a severe work out. The bike won't work smoothly in this situation, trust me! I recommend you ride around near the starting point to see that all is working before taking off like we did! There are so many things to do here to enjoy water sports, and something for any age. Great family outing for sure. Would make a fun date, as well. read more

See all

I love this lagoon! I've gone paddle boarding a few times in Mission Bay but found it was always so windy there so the experience was subpar. The lagoon however, was a different experience. PARKING - there are two guys directing cars in to parking lot. It's a small place, reminds me of someone's boat house but parking was not bad at all considering it was Labor Day weekend. The lagoon is beautiful and peaceful. It's like a lake where everyone is just paddling, kayaking, using the wave runners, etc. There are a lot of fish that jump out of the water too so be prepared to see them jump in front of you. We got groupons for paddle boarding ($26 for 2 hours). Regular is $50 for 2 hours. The teens operating all this were all really nice. The guys in the water were nice helping people get their rentals and situating everyone. We will come back here for paddle boarding. Loved it! read more

This is been my third weekend spending it here my girls love this place and we do too even though we spend $400 or more every time we visit ,..Am giving one star just for the cashiers ,they know whats a good customer service! I made a reservation for this Saturday ,for a small Beach $212.00 with tables and chairs, i go to this guy (really impolite) asking for my reservation and.. he says oh let me check because we don't have any spots available! Am like ok thats why i made a reservation to me is like ok they are saving my spot thats why they charge before!! So .. i was just standing there waiting and waiting so i saw they were improvising a really tiny spot with a palm tree in the middle!.without chairs and a old dusty table !! I was really upset and disappointed i went back again with this two guys really rude Giving me the worst customer service... and one of them ( boss) i ask so what happened to my reservation that i made days ahead,..instead of trying to do something he just says ok you want your money back!! Like really ,??? So at the end i feel that i had no other choice because the place was really pack , without any spots so We left with a really bad experience I really not recommend the reservation"thing because its not really safe to do that ,they don't reserve your spot at all. read more

We had a super fun time at Carlsbad Lagoon this past weekend. My husband and I have kayaked before in La Jolla and, while we don't mind getting wet, we were constantly flipping over until we made it past the waves. Here, the water is relatively calm and we didn't flip once. We scored a nice groupon deal for a double kayak, 2 hours, 26 dollars when it's usually 36 dollars. Easy parking, nice employees, quick instructions on where to go and where not to go. They have sand and picnic table there so you could easily spend some non-water time there too. We saw jumping fish, some egrets, and really cute dogs on paddle boards. We also saw a whole group of paddle-boarders doing yoga. Yes, in the middle of the lagoon. That's how relaxing it is! Will definitely return. read more

This is a relaxing lagoon that is perfect for a morning or afternoon stroll with your dog. You can get to it by parking on Carlsbad Blvd and walking across the street or by going a back way off of Garfield Street. Parking is free at both areas. If you park on Garfield Street, you will have to walk down a gradual hill until you get to the water. The many times that I have been there have been just for fishing. I have had good and bad days. I have mostly caught bass here with friends who have reported halibut. You will need a fishing license with a salt water permit added into it. You can walk all along the lagoon up till you get under the train tracks and then there is a fence to stop you. There are a couple benches to sit on, but they are usually taken. Some people have bonfires here as evidence by rock circles with charred embers inside, but I'm not sure if it is legal. It is part of the power plant so there are some man made machines that ruin the natural beauty of the lagoon. People do not usually swim here. There are no jet skis or any motored water sport vehicles here. Check this place out when in the area and going for a stroll with the dog or if you want to test your luck on a fishing line. read more

See all

We always have so much fun at the lagoon. Love the SUP!! This weekend we rented jet skis and it was a blast! The staff is always helpful and friendly. Can't wait to go back again later this month! There are so many things to do for the whole famiky from kayaking to boating, barbecuing and hanging out with friends. A hidden gem in Carlsbad! read more

Only a few days of summer left and while everyone is at their cubicle typing away dreading the Monday blues, I had a free afternoon and decided to accept a kayaking date offer! Took a cruise over to this hidden gem because although you can see it from the 5 freeway, how many twists and turns it took to find this place is a scavenger hunt within itself. I'm even ashamed that San Diego is my hometown and I had NEVER seen any of these places before. I wasn't driving so ehh who cares. Parking Lot was full with kids running all over the place of what it looked like was a summer camp taking a field trip to the Lagoon, but there were getting their backpacks together, so we missed the crowd. YES! We rented two single kayaks for $15 a piece for 1 hour which is a steal! The staff was helpful and friendly which always is a good thing being in a new environment. I've been kayaking before in a single and double kayak down in Mission Bay and Coronado, but I liked how serene the lagoon was once you got out onto the water. Definitely best North County place for watersports: Kayaking, Paddleboarding, Jet Skiing, Water Boat, Canoeing! You can also bring your own motorboat and have fun out in the lagoon intertubing for hours. Even though this was my first time, it won't be my last time! read more

I've been here a few times with my family, since 2010. My favorite time was in 2012 when we rented kayaks to go kayaking together. My husband had the GoPro camera attached to the front of the kayak and for whatever reason, he wanted to move it to the side of the kayak. Eventually, it fell in the water. The floater attached to the GoPro didn't make it float and my husband jumped in with his persols sunglasses to get it. The water was so muggy that he couldn't see anything, so he lost his GoPro and his Persol sunglasses, both of which he replaced the same day. He went back there to snorkel to try and find it but the water was just too muggy for him to see anything. Somewhere down there in the water is our GoPro and my husband's sunglasses, lol. Later that day, we did the paddle boarding and hung out together. There's not a big of a spot for you to sit and camp out your stuff, but if you do get a spot, it's pretty nice. We plan to come back here again soon to kayak again, this time, NO GOPRO cameras! read more

Rented SUPs and kayaks with the family a couple weekends ago. Had a good experience overall. The paddleboards were in great shape and higher quality than ones I've rented in La Jolla. The one downside was that one of the kayaks had a small hole in the bottom, that slowly began to take water. To their credit, however, the staff quickly refunded us our money for that kayak when we got back and were very apologetic. As far as things to see, it's a little hectic when you first get out due to the number of jetski's running around in circles, but, once you get past that, the lagoon offers a great, quiet sanctuary to paddle around and explore. read more

Such a beautiful and mellow spot to take my cousins stand up paddle boarding. From my reservations, to the staff inside, to the staff managing the boards, everyone here was amazing. Definitely coming back (and this time renting for TWO hours... rookie mistake renting for one). read more

Extremely friendly, cool and professional people with boats in good condition. Had a pleasant experience with my family. For sure will be back soon! read more

Yes, you can rent just about anything that floats here. And you can buy all types of water appropriate apparel too. But what you may not know is that they have arcade games. Well, technically only 3 games, 2 if you don't count the pinball machine. Arcade game 1 is Buck Hunter and game 2 is Off-Road. Off-Road!!!! This was pretty much the arcade version of RC Pro-Am back in the day. It was so cool to see the game. It would have been cooler to play it, but I was here to kayak. Just so you know, I held the Hi Score for Off-Road at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Visitor Center from 1992 until it was removed sometime in 1996. Until next time Off-Road... read more

What a joke!!! Came with my wife and son to jetski.After we paid we ware told to go for orientation under the Orange tent was a guy who told us to wait so we wait for 20min, then I see that people who came after us are going to orientation, then I ask the guy is there a line ? Or any type of order we have to go by ? No answer from anyone. Then come to find out it's the owner Who is sitting and giving orders to under aged kids who are being bossed around go do this go bring me that oh and no organize staff around to be found including owner who is just sitting under the orange tent!!!! What waste of our time will never go there again and not recommend for family or friends and do not want any type of contact from the owner because he was there and didn't care about his clients or customer service. No proper management !!!! This review is for the owner only!!!!! read more

We had multiple issues with this company. First of all, we were a party of 3. One person in our group has a minor medical issue so we asked whether the kayak or the water bike would less strenuous. The lady that checked us in told us something like "oh the water bike is so easy, he will be zooming ahead of you effortlessly" so we got that for him. The other two of us got a double kayak. Well, in the end we all three tried the water bike (the other two of us are very young, healthy, and active). It was night and day. The water bike was 10x more difficult to use than the kayak. So we returned promptly and tried to help my friend with a medical issue but they wouldn't exchange his bike for a kayak or refund us. On top of that, we used a groupon and the woman at the desk accidentally clicked to redeem a third Groupon by mistake. So I'm now out of that Groupon as elk because of her! What?!? Also, just as a heads up there were huge crowds of people here and very few people were wearing masks or social distancing. The store has a sign that says masks are required but the staff wasn't doing anything to enforce it. What a disappointment. We were looking forward to a fun day on the lagoon, and didn't get to do anything. read more

So fun! Decided to stop by while sitting in traffic on the 5. Rented a bayliner for an hour and had a blast. Boat was clean and ran well, dock staff was very helpful, overall great experience! Jules at the front desk is amazing, thank you SO much girl! read more

"I've always driven past the lagoon on the 5 frwy, but never been" says almost everybody we know! They even have that on their site. Well after 20+ years of living in San Diego we FINALLY stopped by. This place is so great! I'll keep it simple. Get there between 9-10am to claim a great spot for your event. Call to rsvp the bbq deck in advance. (Btw deck is great but you aren't right in front of the water for the kids, meaning take your a*s down to supervise them) -Plenty of parking (come early to grab front parking off the dirt) we had guest arriving between 10-5 on a Sunday & nobody had trouble finding a spot -leave your chairs & tables at home they have plenty here if you come early (bring canopies but they have some tables with umbrellas) -bring a grill -fair renting prices from $30+ we rented a few kayaks for $50 a day I believe. There's also a groupon out there! -they have a ping pong table, basketball hoop, volleyball net -clean bathrooms with sinks outside -staff on watch when you are out in the water. We had a staff come by on a jet ski telling us the tide was getting low and that it's safer to be on the left of the lagoon. We also witnessed 2 jet skis that collided & 3 guys quickly came to their rescue speeding off on the jet skis. They also resolved that situation in a professional manner. Now the thing about dogs. The sign states no dogs allowed. The staff said no dogs allowed. BUT we saw more then 2 dogs at the lagoon & plenty of pictures of dogs there on Yelp. I'm a wee bit confused on that part. All in all, this place is great & we will be coming here more often! read more

See all

Family and I came here this past week, we loved it . We got a motor boat for an hour , kids loved it. Staff was super friendly and helpful . read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Kiddos enjoying the lagoon - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

So much fun!!!!! We were a little late for our rental but they started the time from when we got on the water! Great team and a fun experience! read more

Thanks for letting me know that this page is for the business that rents the kayaks, SUPs, etc. I have actually been there already, so I will update my review to mention my experience renting Kayaks. We had some family in town 2 years ago, so decided to rent some kayaks. We rented some 2 person kayaks, and then paddled down to the Public entrance area (By Bayshore street) where we had also some paddle boards. Everyone had a great time, and my family remembers that day as one of their favorite days in Southern California. The equipment was a bit pricey, although I have seen that they sometimes run promos on Groupon or Living Social. Also weekends can be crowded, but I have driven by on weekdays and there is almost nobody there, so that is a great time to go. I wonder if swimming is allowed on the lagoon in the area where this business is located? Maybe the owners can comment about that, since swimming has recently been prohibited on the Lagoon access on Bayshore street. Is there an area near this business where people can play/swim in the water while others paddle board nearby? read more

Gross, graffiti full bathrooms, dirt parking on a hill. Wasn't told that i could avoid the $10 fee by launching from another location until a very "kind" Josh commented that on yelp. Not welcoming, very immature children running this place. Could've handled my angry yelp review better there buddy. #karenismad read more

The place was clean and waterfront. The water isn't the clearest. The bathrooms were clean. We rented paddle boards, a boat, and a water bike. All were well kept. The only issue we had was the boating was limited to the small lake. Other than that all was great. read more

I bought a groupon for this place for paddleboarding and it was really easy to redeem and check in. The board was pretty good and stable. The scenery was cool, fish kept jumping around while I was paddling. They even rent out jet skis and kayaks. It was fun to be out on the water on these hot days so I'd recommend if you want to do some adventuring in the area. read more

this is not my 1st time here. but this year would be my worst experience... we waited 45 mins for our schedule book of bay liner... the water smells and taste like stale fish dead fish all over the lagoon.. disappointed very disappointed... :( read more

I was glad to see the place had removed the wave runners ,after the bad accident they had in the lagoon with them last year. But unfortunately there are now small motorized boats to rent ,that were being used in the same area we were SUP boarding in! and looks like that could be dangerous too. When I talked to the staff they just shrugged and said there was nothing they could do. Watch out for the dead fish floating around!!! read more

We had three problems that shouldn't have happened, and a fourth that sucked because of the other three. 1) Irresponsible overbooking during COVID-19. To retrieve your rental device, you must enter the rental office. You must wait in line sandwiched between two dozen young people (many of whom do not wear masks) waiting to enter a tiny office with inches between them. At one point, a parking valet forced the line to squeeze even tighter so he could direct vehicles into the parking lot behind the office. There's a pandemic! Open it to fewer people! 2) No instructions on where it was safe to take our paddleboat. We ended up in the lanes for speedboating and could have gotten killed! 3) No warning that paddling out would be easier than paddling back because of currents. (We had to pedal twice as hard to go half as fast, turning our pleasure cruise into a grueling spin class.) 4) No Groupon discount for paddle boats. For a day full of problems, we paid more than almost anyone else. Nearly every other non-powered vehicle had a Groupon discounting it to $35 per rental, while ours was a full-boat (pun intended) $95. Hey, they ASKED us for a review in a follow-up email, so I'm obliging. A huge MEH of an expensive day. read more

Update This places management is awful. Had my Sons Bday party there in Jul worst decision ever as you can read from my previous post. Its Oct and the "new" general manager msg me because they cant open emails from "old" GM with my complaint / issue. Again its Oct and nothing has been don to address how my kids bday was worst ever. Save your money / headache do not does business with these people. They have ZERO customer service, place is dirty, overpriced, and no control of the area. read more

Fun place to spend with family and friends! We went jet skiing here... The staff was really friendly. We plan to go back for paddle boarding and kayaking! read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

We had SO much fun paddleboarding here. We found a GROUPON for 2 hours of paddleboard rental for $27, and it was perfect. The equipment was in great condition, much better than others I have rented in the past. Went there on a Friday and there were plenty of people but it was not over crowded. The rental shop has a big selection of bikinis, which was fun! Except that every single one is marked as an extra small, which clearly there were other sizes. Too bad we didn't find one we loved enough to buy. They also sell the waterproof phone bags, so we were able to take our phones out onto the water with us to take photos! read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Rental paddleboards were in great condition. We had a blast! - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

2016 We were at it again....this time even brought sons friend. They had a blast. The water is perfect if you want to avoid crowd go during the week less people yet enough bikinis to have a beach feel. :-) For those donkeys that don't understand what counter clock is ( Going in circles to your LEFT ) A CLOCK turns to the RIGHT. In closing, bring your speedos-bikinis-sunblock and have fun. read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - El Gordo i El Flaco having a blast. I recommend $300 cash deposit you get it at the end. - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Just Celebrated my 24th Birthday at the Lagoon, and it was such a fun time! The deck I rented was a good price for the whole day. Staff was very professional and friendly all Had mask on & they sanitized everything after every use. Most of my family who came used Groupons when renting and they had no complaints or complications. I would definitely come back again to celebrate or just to rent out the Aqua Bikes & boats! read more

We drove down from Hermosa Beach for a bit of a staycation and Carlsbad Lagoon far exceeded our expectations! Everything was amazing today, we found this place on Groupon and the price was incredible! Lauren helped us (and expedited the line) by quickly checking us in and we were on our way, a group of three we tried Kayaks and a SUP board, so much fun! We hung around a bit after our two hours and spent sometime socializing on the public beach with people who booked cabana style beach area. Such a great overall vibe, everyone was super helpful. What we thought we'd "try out" has quickly turned into one of our favorite new activities! We'll see you again tomorrow Carlsbad Lagoon, for round two! read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Such a fun and inexpensive thing to do with the family. Groupon was available so I got a discount as well! The redemption was super easy....just handed my phone to the cashier! A few things to keep in mind: There is parking right in front of the store so see if your able to get a spot in the shade down there before parking on the hill. There isn't anything to eat in walking distance and all they have are drinks, candy and $3.50 ice creams. So it would be a great place to pack a lunch and eat in the areas they have tables and chairs to just hang out. It is actually pretty relaxing just to sit on the water. After an hour we were exhausted. I caught a sign in the shop while we were buying ice cream and was able to get a token to come back and use our additional hour later!! They have anything you want to do on the water. Boat rentals, jet skis, paddle boards, kayaks and aqua cycles. They even teach water-skiing! The staff was great and helpful. Can't wait to take the family back! read more

Carlsbad Lagoon - Boating Near Me - Carlsbad, California

Rented a jet ski for an hour. They allow you to ride it in a fairly tight area and just do laps. Basically go in circles with about 10 others riders, creating an unpleasantly choppy area. I was bored within 10 minutes with the monotony of doing laps. Much better to rent jet skis in Mission Bay. Staff was very friendly and the beach area is very pleasant. If they would open up the area where you can ride it would be a good experience. read more

This rating is solely based on safety (the staff was very helpful and nice). My family came to the lagoon this past weekend and the rental company had rented out so many jet skis that riders were practically on top of one another in the small lagoon. We had also come to rent the jet skis but fortunately a family member looked at the scene and said that it was way too dangerous and violated numerous safety codes. We decided to rent paddle boats instead. As we entered the water, two jet skis collided and riders were pulled from the water. Numerous emergency vehicles arrived and the jet ski rider was pronounced dead from the collision. Please, please be cautious before bringing your family out to the Carlsbad Lagoon. read more

Had a great day on the lagoon. We rented a kayak and two standup paddleboard's and the day was great. We met Samantha who works there she had a great attitude and was super helpful and always had a great smile thanks for making a great day. read more