John and Shawn took good care of us on our girlz trip to Santa Barbara. Had all the gear, took great photos so we didn't have to drop a camera in the bay, saw the seals, sea otters with babies! And sent us up the road 15 minutes to Duckies for amazing chowder and shrimp tacos right by the Catuco beach. Thanks guys. read more

What a treasure this tour was for our family. It took some muscle, but was well worth the effort to see and explore the numerous sea caves in the Pismo Beach vicinity. We saw dolphins, harbor seals, sea birds, and a million dollar view of the sea cliffs. We were expertly lead into several of the caves for a thrilling and memorable experience. Well done CCK and our passionate guide John! read more

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What an incredible experience! I was eyeing this tour however unfortunately yelp states that they are closed on Wednesdays but online said it was possible to book rentals by calling. My gf and I were only in Pismo beach for that Wednesday so we decided to take our chances and I called Central Coast Kayaks at 8AM to see if they could add us on to their tour and boy was I so happy I did. They were super accommodating and said if we could get there within the hour, they could add us on. We did a tandem tour which was $199 for both of us. Cave Tour: Includes: Kayak which they will deliver to the beach front for you, wet suit/shoes/jacket if needed, a guide, amazing photos. You don't need anything. Highlights: The tour starts down the street from the main location (about 3 blocks) which is totally walkable. There is a brief intro prior to getting in the water on the beach just to briefly prep you how to paddle and what to do if you flip over. Once you're in the water, it's a bit rough with the big waves near the shore but once you pass into the deeper area, it's much easier and calm. Our guide Chris was absolutely incredible. He was super funny, told great stories and was very laid back which I loved. We start out on one of the easier caves and progressively go through more difficult ones and do "training" exercises on the way where we learn how to do pivot turns which you're going to need or else you'll crash in the smaller caves. We visited about 6-8 caves along the way and all of them were amazing. I loved how close you get to the sea life and rocks. We were about 20-30 feet from seals and pelicans (obviously not getting too close to scare them off the rocks). You don't have to be a strong kayaker to do this tour however it's not easy either like kayaking on a lake or standing water. The tour can be as difficult or easy as you want as the guide will warn you but overall it's not hard at all. Also it's totally normal to tip the kayak which the guide will help you! Summary I absolutely loved this tour and it's totally worth the cost. My GF and I are still talking about how much fun we had. It takes about 2-3 hours total for the entire thing but time passed by so fast. I was tired after but I had so much adrenaline that I could easily have kayaked another 2 hours! I also loved that they take photos for you and give you everything at the end for free. It is completely included. I brought my iphone with me since I'm a pretty confident kayaker and swimmer but I can totally see a lot of people losing it. They take more than enough high definition photos for you. I only brought it because I didn't know they'd be taking photos for us. Overall, I'll definitely be doing this again with my family. Highly recommended activity if you're going to be in Pismo. The views, wild life, thrill of the waves, beautiful cave, etc are amazing. read more

Central Coast Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

I am not an adventurer, but I like to think I am adventurous. This cave tour was perfect for me and my son. Signing the waiver, I was a little apprehensive, first thought this was going to be a shorts, cap, and water shoe excursion with a guide, but they really loaded up with a full armory of undershirt, wetsuit, jacket, life jacket, and shoes. I felt very secure with the attention they paid to safety. We have never kayaked on the ocean before, and there is a reason this tour takes place in the morning, because the waves are calmer and easier to paddle through, though it was gray and foggy. We saw storks, seals, and assorted birds in their natural habitat as we paddled toward the caves, which are really more like rock tunnels. We went through about four or five caves, each with their own nicknames, with varying levels of wave intensity. Returning after the marine layer burned off, the scenery looked completely different in color, lol. We were a little amazed by the distance we covered, as we drove down to the return point. Christian, our guide, was quirky, engaging, filled with information. My son capsized, and I liked that Christian let him learn to get back on his own kayak. Best of all, he took great pictures of us all and emailed them promptly. I love that, because I have lost items in the ocean. It always happens, so I would never bring my phone, although someone in our party did, and it turned out fine. That CCK would take photos and not charge us at all was really something exceptional in this age of gouge you for all you can get. Serious kudos for this service! We had a wonderful time, and wish we could stay longer, but the waves became choppier and this old man was tired, lol. read more

Central Coast Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

Girlfriend surprised me with a kayak outing and I would highly recommend them. Was a little late to our appt and Jordan our guide was super cool about it. Ended up being just us and had a personal tour! Had a great time, he took photos on a camera through the trip that he emailed over right after. Was very pleased and happy with our time that we wanted to go right back out. Jordan remembered our names from start to finish and even remembered we were here for my bday. 5/5 for the company, 10/10 for Jordan. Ask for him! read more

Central Coast Kayaks - Volcanic plug, who knew? Little tid bits from Jordan, the guide, he answered all our questions. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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It was a fantastic tour! Tom was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable on the wildlife and history of the area!

Solid five star experience at Central Coast Kayaks. I have done guided kayaking tour (cave tours) in Mendocino also, but Central Coast Kayaks is much better! We had a small group, except for one family of four, all of us were on single kayaks. We got two tour guides, both taking pictures for us. And it also came handy when one of the double kayak group members got sea sick and they were able to quickly send him back to the shore with little to no interception of the rest of the group's progress. The wetsuits are very helpful so we don't get cold in the water. They were very strict about the rules around the wetsuit and safety jackets. They actually took us to multiple caves, and they are real caves! They taught us useful skills and techniques to maneuver the kayaks so we can deal with large waves. Unfortunately, all of us fell in the water at some point of the tour except for my boyfriend. But it was super fun! Maybe I shouldn't mention this in my review but bonus point is that they took pictures of us along the way and we got a full load of fun pictures after one day of the tour. I can't thank the team enough for such a wonderful experience at Pismo beach. It's been two months and I can't remember our guides name but they are in the picture. read more

Central Coast Kayaks - Super awesome kayak tour - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

This is my 3rd kayak from Central Coast Kayaks in the last 6 years and once again a great experience!!! Tom and Rich always give the best recommends and help when it comes to picking my new kayak and rigging. They had everything I needed in stock to add the accessories I was wanting. Get to have fun this weekend making the kayak unique to me. I am sure I will be back in to get more goodies. Thank you guys!! Truly the best kayak shop on the Central Coast!! read more

Central Coast Kayaks - The new Jackson KNARR I just picked up! Thanks for the help loading it Tom!! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

The staff was very friendly and helpful to us! We loved the Cave Excursion with our tour guide Jordan! We did a tandem kayak and had a great time! Just be sure to take off any rings or jewelry before this adventure! Unfortunately my husbands wedding ring got swallowed up in Devils Mouth Cave when we flipped over in there! But we were given excellent advice on what to do and got back in with the help of our awesome guide Jordan! He took awesome pics of our adventure so don't need your cell phone on kayak! We even got a snack and water on our break during that excursion! Had a great time and definitely recommend this company for a great time out in the ocean! Such fun caves and birds to see up close! Quite a story to always remember! read more

100 percent a 5 star experience. We did the Cave Excursion tour and were given all of the equipment needed. We were provided food and water for our halfway break. Evan was our guide, he is really great and a super fun guide. He taught us what we needed to know to have fun and stay safe out there. His instructions were clear on all of the caves that we went through. read more

Central Coast Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

Central Coast Kayaks has a variety of tours. I called and asked for the 'mildest' setting and they recommended Morro Bay. Booking process: easy to do and best part - liability forms all online! That saved 30 minutes to an hour versus having to wait and do this in person. The tour itself: we were greeted by Sandy and Zack. They took us through a quick intro, training, and safety. Granted this is a very mild experience, we were still impressed at the level of precaution they took for our safety and that of the wildlife. After getting the entire crew out to the water, we had an hour to swim across to Morro Rock, hopped off for some shore time, water and snacks, and back another hour for more wildlife and history of Morro Bay. Zack is an absolute blast. I highly recommend him for any future excursions. What made my day: early on he asked my child their preferred pronouns. I highly recommend Central Coast Kayaks. We will likely do some of their other tours when we are back in town. read more

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My second time kayaking in the area (I'm from The Bay Area) and had a great experience. Andrew was such a friendly and fun tour guide. We were so lucky to get extremely close to some dolphins playing and plenty of other sea life. The dolphins were the best. Completely recommend this even for those who aren't that adventurous. I plan on revisiting soon. read more

I took the Wildlife group tour in Morro Bay with tour guide Jordan. It was during the slow season so it just ended up being him and I! Funny for many reasons, one being my name is also Jordin, lol! It was great. He was incredibly knowledgable on the wildlife in the area. My favorite were the sea otters and their pups (!!!!) floating around. I also found 11 sand dollars on a private beach. How neat! They also take pictures of you throughout the day so you don't risk getting your phone wet/dropping it. It was a great end to a solo journey up the coast. read more

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Very great experience, my second time doing the cave tour, if you love kayaking then this is the spot to go! read more

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The Adventure Buddies went out with Central Coast Kayaks and had a blast! We highly recommend this coastline wildlife cave tour with incredible experienced tour guides getting you in and out of the caves and around the kelp beds. We had so much fun! tbhttps://youtu.be/v6NOR2JHMnI read more

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They were so accommodating and kind. We had so much fun on our tour! Highly recommend !

ZOOM! ZOOM!! Central Coast Kayaks provided me with an incredible experience! I had never ridden an Ebike and the young gentleman (Sorry! Missed his name) was happy to answer all of my questions along with a quick and helpful tutorial on how to use these unique bikes. They are located right in the center of shell beach road with easy access to bike lanes and the coast. I had a wonderful time surrounded by a beautiful view of the ocean. I'm really happy I stopped here and I recommend you do the same! I hope you all have as much fun as I did! read more

Central Coast Kayaks - Central Coast Kayaks! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

Wife and I had the pleasure of doing the cave excursion tour with 2 guides, Josh and Sean. They were both great, smart and professional. The tour lasted a little over 3 hours with a break in between. A lot of the caves are dependent upon mother nature and the guides. We were beginners but the guides provided more than enough instruction and examples to make us feel confident. The water was very calm, however we did flip our kayak once due to an unexpected waves but nonetheless we felt very safe and the guides instructed us what to do and we remained on course! They provide you with wet gear that will keep you warm and safe. We will definitely be back if we return to the area. If you're looking for something adventurous to do in Pismo area, look no further and book now!! read more

Customer service was great from the first phone call to the closeout of the bill. I had a general idea of what to expect before I arrived and they far surpassed that. Evan was our guide and he was excellent in explaining how to mount, dismount, paddle, recover from a capsize, and communicate with hand signs over distance. He explained each cave and gave it a number of difficulty, then demonstrated prior to us attempting them. Each cave was optional, and nothing was forced on us, making the adventure fun for everyone. He even took pictures for us! One of our group had capsized and was unable to mount her kayak and Evan handled it like a professional, reaching her, giving up his kayak and retrieving hers. The rest of the trip went on smoothly. His confidence and calmness rolled over onto us and gave us the courage to try out the harder caves. Guide, wetsuits, pictures, snacks and water were all provided on the trip, making the price we paid more than worth it. The shop has a great mix up of options for any level of adventurer, and any budget. I highly recommend this to anyone! read more

Josh was our tour guide. Took us out to view caves and secret spots along the coast line. He is very knowledgeable on kayak safety and a very good teacher. We would definitely do it again! Thank you Central coast Kayaks! read more

Decided to do this adventure on a whim and am so glad we did! My sister took me to Pismo for my birthday and was recommended to this place by the owner of Shell Beach Inn, Dave. We walked over and booked it right away. Staff was courteous and informative. Arrived the next morning ready to take on the day. We were guided through the process of gearing up and preparing for the tour. Josh and Kristian were our guides for the day. Both great and knowledgeable. My less adventurous sister had the time of her life. We went in and out of caves as if we had done it before! They took great pics of us throughout the tour which were provided in the package. So much fun to relive those moments! The views from the other side of the ocean were amazing! So much sea life and cool cliffs and caves. Would definitely recommend this friends and family. read more

DOLPHINS! My husband and I had a Cave Tour last Friday morning with Kristian. To say it was awesome would be an understatement! The caves were beautiful, Kristian was a superb guide, and we saw about a dozen dolphins that frolicked near us, close to shore, as we sat in awe. Definitely a great value. Highly recommend for locals like us or visitors. Temp was 64 and overcast, we weren't cold. Waves were just enough to handle and Kristian judged all the sets for entering and exiting the caves without worry. Anyone in average physical shape, like me, can do this! read more

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Heard about this place for years and, like many local people, never tried them out even though I had heard great things about them. Had Kristian as our guide and, lucky enough, was just my wife and I on the tour. Kristian gave us a tour of a lifetime both in adventure and sheer beauty of the places he took us by the Dinosaur Caves area. We were even blessed with a sighting of over a dozen (not kidding!) dolphins. Kristian had a lot of great knowledge and advice on how to properly kayak and when to time the waves (very important!) when going through the numerous caves. I can't say enough about our time and this tour. The Dinosaur Cave tour is an absolute must if you're going to do any of their tours. I found it was worth far more than what they charged. Will be heading back soon I hope. They also do rent bikes and kayaks that you can take out on your own but recommend getting the tour first if you've never kayaked out in this area to get a good education. read more

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This was the highlight of our CA trip. So easy to book, and my husband and I were the only ones who signed up for the day so we got a private tour ! our tour guide Jordan was amazing. He was super friendly, very knowledgeable and very patient with us beginner kayakers. The tour was tailored to what we wanted to do and we saw so much wildlife and it was just a great experience. We definitely recommend this company and this tour. Thank you Jordan!! read more

I decided to do something new by signing up for the cave kayak tour. I, for some reason, thought it was going to be an easy stroll looking at caves, rather than kayak thru' them. I'm glad I was wrong because it was definitely an experience unlike any other. I've kayaked many, many times in lakes but never out in the ocean and it was definitely a little more nerve-wracking but with the help of John, my nerves were eased. I lucked out and got a private tour (the other guests got motion sickness, they otherwise don't do private tours). I ended up falling out of my kayak which was a bit cold and hilarious. But I got to see jelly fish, pelicans, sea otters and kayaked thru what they call the devils mouth. Regardless of how terrifying it was at points, it was unlike anything I have ever done. And to add, they'll take pictures for and of you so you can enjoy being in the moment. the customer service was amazing, the experience was unreal; i can't speak highly enough of these guys. Thank you CCK for helping me celebrate my birthday in such a fun, thrilling way. read more

Central Coast Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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This was my first visit to Pismo Beach. I had never been kayaking before and decided to sign up my boyfriend and I for the cave excursion tour. I have to say that this tour exceeded all of our expectations. They included all the gear that was needed in order to kayak and gave us a very detailed explanation on what to do once we were out on the water. Our tour guides Christian, Evan, and Connor were phenomenal in giving us a kayak experience full of fun and adventure. Don't worry about carrying your phone or a camera as they took plenty of wonderful pictures of all us on the tour and emailed them to us the very next day. Thanks to Central Coast Kayaks for a safe and once in a life time kayaking experience! read more

Central Coast Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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We saw sea otters, sea lions and many birds. Zack was very knowledgeable about the wildlife and geography. I would definitely recommend doing this tour. read more

Central Coast Kayaks - What a treat to tour the Bay with Zack. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

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Very friendly and accommodating staff. Very efficient and got us out on the water quickly even though we had a bigger group (6 people). I appreciated the quick intro. I called ahead and asked about the water conditions and they said earlier in the morning was better for calmer waters. Would allow a little extra time to find parking as needed as it's a shared lot with the harbor. read more

DANGEROUS!!!! We went to this place today for Kayaking. Let me begin with the fact that they DO NOT properly instruct you while you are out on the water. The weather condition were not permitted for kayaking but they still were Money hungry and sent us out. They do not warn you about where and where not to go. No guidance you to stay within a certain perimeter. Worst part about this whole incident is when our kayak flip over from a massive wave. There are no staff members from their companies watching you while you are out. They basically just send you out there at your own risk. I personally am a good swimmer but let me be honest with you if you even know how to swim in that water with humongous waves and rocks out there you will be dead in the water. We were stranded in the middle of the water, finally when we were able to flip over our kayak which We struggled to get on and called them to help us. They took over 20 minutes to come out and help. Only for all the staff to give us attitude the whole time and make it feel like its our fault this happened! Their comment: "well, hey at least you're safe!" Yes, with you guys help we would be dead. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE. SUPER UNPROFESSIONAL AND DANGEROUS. read more

My Husband and I went on the cave kayak tour which is about 3 hours long. We brought out own 3mil wetsuits and booties but you can also use the shops stuff (although it was chilly out the morning we went and the other people who used the shops stuff were a little cold) The tour is much more adventurous than I had thought when booking it. They give you a quick and dirty tutorial on how to use the kayak and then you're off in the water. We had Brett and Spencer as our tour guides and they take you through skinny shoots of water that spit your kayak out, through big caves, twisty caves, and some teeny weeny caves. This is the ocean people, and there are waves! I smacked into a few walls myself but no one got hurt. I didn't want to go in some of the more extreme caves (like the little bitty one that could only fit one person and people kept falling out of their kayak in) but that was no problem. It was completely up to you to do what you felt comfortable with so I just waited on the outside of the cave for others to be done. Three hours of kayaking will leave your arms dead tired for sure and on the way back to the beach there were moments when I thought I couldn't paddle for another second, but we made it! It was definitely an adventure and I recommend it for anyone who's comfortable in the water and wants to really ride some big waves in a kayak. read more

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I went the first time a while ago and just now signed up for another trip this coming weekend to show friends. The last time we went it was a different side of the coast we hadn't seen with cool caves and a lazy otter hanging out. I'm looking forward to going again for sure! Worth a try, do it! read more

Great place to seek for adventure. My girls and I had a girls trip to Pismo and we booked the caves kayak tour. When we go there social distance was followed and they did a pretty good job trying to manage with a small shop and area. They had a process for people coming in and how to get your gear and get you out to the waters! Honestly the guides Kristian and Ryan made it so much fun and it was pretty awesome that they took and captured pictures for us. I started to feel sick and tired close to the end of the kayak. Kristian was super attentive and helped me back to shore. Great place to go when you want adventure out in the water and they made it super engaging with the group we had! read more

Central Coast Kayaks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California

Waited over an hour with 2 kids only to get told that they just sold out of kayaks (singles- so 1 of us would have to stay behind) jhile the quantity fluctuates are people leave and return, there has to be a better system of estimates/quantities/wait times. This was my 2nd time with this company (the 1st was great) and my last. read more

A great day! We did the cave excursion. Kristian and Andrew were both awesome. The ability to either take it easy or dial up the wave adventure made not a great experience for everyone in our party (except my wife, who go seasick, but they took great care of her). Top notch equipment and an all-around well crafted experience. read more

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Wow, okay. Popped into this place this morning looking for a little tide book for when I'm out hiking. I do a lot of off the grid traveling. Asked very nicely, "do you guys sell tide books?" and the guy working, younger, bearded said "...tide books?" yeah. it's fine if you don't but he followed that with "um yea there's this thing called the internet.." I honestly couldn't believe how rude. and he said it in front of a family waiting. it was very rude, embarrassing and unprofessional. I was shocked and didn't know what to say so i kinda of laughed? and just walked out. Disappointing. I'm an active local in my thirties. Not that it means anything but it was just uncalled for. read more

Kayaking is never something I would choose for myself; however, a bunch of our friends wanted to go and I am so glad I did!!! Christian and McCall led our tour and were incredible with us. They gave clear instructions for how to steer, how to protect ourselves, and they were extremely personable and friendly. We were never pressured to go through the caves if we did not want to; however, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and went through each cave. NO regrets! Everyone does a great job enforcing social distancing protocols in that only a certain amount of people are allowed in the building at one time, there are designated areas to avoid overcrowding, and everyone must wear a mask. The price was SO WORTH the entire experience and the crew did an amazing job getting so many pictures of us out on the water. This place is a MUST on your next trip to the Pismo Beach area. read more

What a fun experience kayaking in the ocean yesterday with Evan as our guide! Paddling in the ocean is a first for most of us in the group and we felt safe and well taken care of throughout our adventure. Evan is an expert at anticipating swells, guided us through channels and caves and took amazing photos of the scenery, caves, wildlife and all of us having a grand time! The photos were available for us (part of the package) the same evening. The tour package we purchased had ALL the equipment and outfit provided (head to toe).... even a snack and water during the break in between. Thank you Central Coast Kayak for this once in a lifetime, must-do experience! Will be back again read more

I took the Morro Bay wildlife tour and it was great! Entirely suitable for beginner kayakers, it's an easy paddle with lots of stops and starts (no long periods of time paddling). Zack was my tour guide and he was so funny and very patient with folks. He also knew a lot of animal facts! We saw: otters (including baby otters), sea lions, pelicans, cormorants, other lil shorebirds, and learned some facts about Morro Rock and the surrounding area. Wear shoes you can get wet, bring a hat, and don't be a jerk and show up late because it means everyone has to wait for you. The tour guides take tips (and they earn them, omg I can't imagine dealing with the public and being charming about it) but aren't pushy about it. Just bring some cash, you'll be all happy at the end and wanna tip. :) read more

Had a great experience fishing with Tom in August of 2023. My two teenage boys and I caught fish and enjoyed hanging out on the water. The Rock Fish also made wonderful fish tacos. read more

I was up for a little adventure with my 12 y/o son. Something out of the ordinary and that we've never done. My wife signed us up for a cave tour with Central Coast Kayaks. Man! What a Trip.!! My son and I loved every minute of it. I recommend it 100%. Memories for a lifetime. read more

Central Coast Kayaks - One of many caves you can only experience from the sea. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Pismo Beach, California