We planned to kayak in the Harbor today, and we were planning to go to the Sup Shack, where we had rented kayaks last summer. Sup Shack was unexpectedly closed (hours and webpage said they were open, the number listed didn't connect, and there was no note). The Hostess at Crow's Nest recommended Kayak Connection! It turned out to be a phenomenal experience! Milan (sp?) talked us through everything, made sure we all had well-fitted life vests, and the office recognized my step-daughter's 16th birthday with a free Santa Cruz sticker. It's true that the construction impedes the experience to an extent- Milan had to call the foreman to have us escorted through, but they did so promptly ensuring minimal disruption of our experience. We got assistance boarding, and we were especially impressed with Milan's patience with my step-daughter, who has Down Syndrome and needed some extra help. He was super patient and kind! We really appreciated that, unlike with Sup Shack, we were given "free rein" during our hour outing, except for needing to follow common sense safety rules. As soon as we were done, we called the number on the kayak paddles, and Milan was down in a jiffy to assist us back. We saw a seal, quite a few crab, many birds, and friendly boaters. We felt the price of $65 for an hour per double kayak (including life vests, paddles, the kayak, and assistance) was a very fair value. Highly recommend this exceptional and reliable business for your next outing! read more

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Kayak Connections in Santa Cruz was amazing. Reece and Anna were incredibly nice, helpful, and welcoming from start to finish. They explained everything clearly, were very informative about safety and the area, and made the whole rental process super easy and stress free. Their kindness and great attitude made the experience even better. I would definitely come back and highly recommend them! read more

Kayak Connection - Dock! - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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Great experience for enjoying a couple of hours in the ocean near Santa Cruz. Signing up for a reservation was simple and quick. The staff is very friendly. We got a quick layout of the coast and a review of how to kayak. We signed up for the double kayak Ocean Tour - $75 for 2.5 hours. Kayaking off the coast of Santa Cruz is wonderful. You can see the boardwalk, the light house, and the wharf. We saw plenty of wild life including sea birds diving, seals lounging, and even otters floating around. read more

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Good vibes and Great times are found and had here! This was Amazing! what a fun, rad trip we had!! Every person we encountered related to this business was friendly, kind, and professional. We were pulled in by Marcy and her bubbly positive energy on the telephone and followed up with the pleasure of having Suzy as our guide. Suzy was fantastic! Super warm personality and full of knowledge relating to kayaking, local sea-life, birding, and history! Our experience couldn't have been better; literally a ! ...(there is even legend a leopard shark was spotted near the bridge toward the end of our journey). Facts: we saw well over 100 sea otters and about as many harbor seals! ...and Bird-Nerds (no judgement here - I'm in the club) will not be disappointed!! We will return with our son and his gf. **Highly recommended** read more

Kayak Connection - Rest time....phew! ‍ - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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This place and the staff are really cool, they guide you through all the steps in a very friendly manner. They are okay with 5-10 minutes late and didn't charge us and anyways you have to walk so long to drop off your paddle and life jacket. But overall a good experience. Parking is little tricky here, but try to park on the opposite cross streets (one way only) and walkable to the kayaking place. Make sure you call them if you have to prepone or postpone depending on from which part of bay area you coming in as traffic is crazy. read more

Kayak Connection - Kayaking Outside - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Quite possibly the sweetest place to go for a little surprise treat -- make it a birthday trip, a girls adventure, or just a weekend fun activity! My boyfriend surprised me with a 4-hour Kayak Connection visit for my 30th birthday this year, and it was the BEST. As a disclaimer: neither of us are water people -- but we are cute sea animal people, and so this place was perfection. For a 4-hour visit, you get to paddle a kayak out to Elkhorn Slough (2-person kayak for this time period is ~$110) and go see all the creatures. We saw so many seals, sea lions, different types of birds, the WORKS. There were even kayakers around who were tour guides as part of the local wildlife preserve, and they gave us insights on the different types of wildlife out there, which was super interesting to hear about. Make sure to pee before getting situated into the kayak, and bring snacks! If you're over 5'10", it may also be worthwhile to get a kayak that's not enclosed. Otherwise, 5/5 visit! Looking forward to coming again! read more

Kayak Connection in Santa Cruz was amazing. I would give more than 5 stars if I could. We went 10/15 for my daughters B day and it was such a memorable experience. The kayaking was great, we saw harbor seals and other wild life in the harbor. But what made this experience over the top was the staff. We had a young man named Milan and a sweet young lady in the office on this day. I was a first time kayaker with a little girl, and I would have totally walked away if I didn't feel comfortable. Milan was patient and explained everything perfectly. He was so professional and thorough. The young lady in the office (I'm so sorry I forgot her name) was so nice and thorough as well. They made the day and my daughters birthday 10 times more enjoyable. read more

Kayak Connection - Paddling away - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

The prices are pretty high, but the staff is so sweet and they sell lots of fun stuff at this location. There's not too much to see in the Santa Cruz harbor so 1 hour will be plenty of time. read more

We had a great time doing a family tour with Michael - he's an expert marine biologist and super patient with questions from the 7 year old member of our party. In addition to sea otters and many species of sea birds we saw a sea lion, a sea slug, sea hare and jellyfish. We were all first time paddlers and everyone had fun: the 2-hour Family Tour provided lots of entertainment and was a nice way to get introduced to marine life. We will add this Kayak Connection tour for future visitors to the area. read more

We came to the Santa Cruz Harbor location on a beautiful 70-degree and slightly windy Saturday after making same-day reservations for 11:30am with Kayak Connection. Parking was convenient because there were four-hour parking spots on the side of the road next to the Kayak Connection office. ALL of the staff members were so friendly, helpful, and professional, which my family really appreciated. We rented two double-kayaks for $55 each, with up to four hours of rental time. They gave us life vests, showed us a safety video, taught us how to use our paddles, and directed us to the starting spot inside the harbor, which was a 5-minute walk from the office. Since this was our first time kayaking, we decided to just stay within the harbor. If you want to kayak past the harbor, you can, as long as you put on a wetsuit (that they provide free of charge) and if the winds aren't too strong. NOTE: In the morning, the winds are usually calmer, but the temperature is usually colder. Around noon and in the afternoon, the temperature is usually warmer, but the winds are usually stronger. We spent about two hours kayaking as we raced each other and explored both ends of the harbor. The water inside the harbor was really calm, and the only thing we had to watch out for were boats entering and exiting the harbor. We even saw a sea otter spend some time sunbathing and cleaning itself in the harbor. This was my first time kayaking and it was a lot of fun, and I can't wait to kayak with Kayak Connection again. They have another location in Moss Landing where you can see a lot of wildlife, such as sea otters, while kayaking. I recommend checking the weather before coming here to kayak and deciding whether or not you want to kayak in the early morning or close to noon. Remember to apply sun screen to your face, neck, arms, legs, and feet. Your lower body will definitely get wet, so I recommend bringing a change of clothes and a towel. The office can hold your personal belongings such as car keys and phone. After kayaking, we changed in the car and ate at the Crow's Nest, a nice restaurant with a pleasant view at the entrance of the harbor. Overall, it was a wonderful Saturday adventure. read more

Kayak Connection - Santa Cruz Harbor - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

We took kayaks out on Father's Day. The process is a well-oiled machine. They have the payment/waivers part done quickly and then they move you to the next room where you're sized for your wet-suits (yes, you must wear a wet-suit!), life jackets, and paddles. You watch a safety movie while you're being fitted. Then you walk down to the water and are assigned your respective kayaks. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Our only complaint was that we reserved two two-person kayaks for 3 people. It was all that was left when we reserved them the day before, so that was our mistake. However, they assured us that it would work to have one person in the two person kayak. And while, it did work okay, it was a lot more difficult for the person in the two-person kayak alone. It was a lot more work and it was hard to balance the kayak over waives and may have even contributed to it tipping while we were out in the ocean. I think we would've still chosen to take it out the way we did, but a warning about the added difficulty would've been nice. Also, the seatbacks that support you while you sit and row were broken in the kayak used by only one person. This also made the trip hard on him as he had no back support while rowing. It's a great place with great staff and I think we'll definitely be back. We'll just make sure to test out the seatbacks before we head out next time. read more

I am a novice kayaker who wants to improve his skills to be comfortable in Monterey Bay. The team at Kayak Connection has been a perfect fit; they have been flexible in designing training and experiences that greatly accelerated by learning. I have taken private lesson from Jake, Larry and Suzie and all were outstanding, providing me with encouragement, guidance and the right amount of challenge to make the experience great! Suzie even followed up with tips and suggestions to help with safety, fun and good maintenance of my equipment. read more

I rented a kayak with my young son. Everything was fine until we got back and nobody was at the dock. We waited for a good 10 minutes and nobody showed up. So I tied up the kayak to the best of my ability and we left our paddles there, as nobody told us to bring them back. When we got back and returned our life vests, the person at the shop was clearly very annoyed that we didn't bring our paddles back and gave me major attitude, even after I apologized and explained the situation. Very rude and disrespectful. read more

We've rented standup paddle boards and kayaks from this shop multiple times. Always really friendly employees and today was no different. Covid-19 protocols in place which means sanitized pens for paperwork, everyone wearing masks for the check in process and everything taking place outside. They still allow you to check in belongings but you don't go inside to put them in a locker; it's now handled for you. Also no access to a restroom at the shop but there's a clean public restroom by the docks. Minor quibble - the rental time options are 1 hour, 2.5 hours, half day. I think by the hour rentals would be more convenient. An hour was plenty of time with young kids since it was windy and not recommended to leave the protected harbor. A double kayak is $50/hour and a single is $30. read more

The employees at Kayak Connection, Santa Cruz location are so friendly, welcoming and customer service oriented! They walked my daughter and I through the process, extremely helpful and pleasant. We had a fantastic time. Thank you ladies for making our experience so enjoyable! We will be back! Hua and Haylee read more

Had two Hobie kayaks in for updates, repairs and replacement parts. Easy going Blake spelled out what he could do, repaired the kayaks as planned, tuned the rudder steering lines (Hobie), and the rates were considerably fair and reasonable. 5 stars all around and I would refer the business to my best friends. We'll be back. Thanks Blake! read more

They were so friendly and Kind. Reservation process was smooth. We will definitely come back! Thank you for making our 4th of July Special!

My Son and I truly enjoyed our tour with Dave on Saturday evening. Thanks very much for your time, knowledge and patience

As an amateur photographer, it brings me great joy to explore various mediums that make up our landscape. Add in the cuteness of Otters and Harbor Seals and the background is all yours to configure. I've rented from Kayak Connection several times and am a fan of the self-led exploratory time out on the water. That being said, I also rent the sit on top kayaks. I've never fallen off, even when the waves were rolling from the incoming tide and we are protected in that slough. The process is you park (don't forget to pay for the parking with cash $8), go up to the office to claim your reservation (you normally don't need it, though, since they have a huge stock on hand) unless you have a group, then be smart please, get fitted for a wetsuit (recommended as your butt will get wet, then head out for a quick orientation then you are on your own! The slough here is a protected reserve and a majority of the otters here are transplanted rescues/rehabilitated by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Because it is quiet and the waters quite plentiful with clams (one of the Otters mainstays) they are comfortable here and if you don't have one popping up in front of you, a raft of them are usually found floating in the cove or undulating like caterpillars to haul out on the beach and warm themselves in the sun. You can go as far as the historical dairy farm but nothing further. Please respect the marine wildlife and keep an eye on your kids and teens. I've had to call out people on their stupid behaviors when federal law prohibits the distance between you and otters and harbor seals, especially since springtime is pupping season. Second, put a leash on your kids and tell them to be quiet. Yelling and screaming is disruptive to the marine wildlife not to mention other kayakers out enjoying the calm. Third, keep your trash in your kayak. If you are littering, you don't belong out on the water. Fourth, if you are in a group setting, tip your tour guide. You tip your pizza deliverer right? Sheesh. Thanks for providing the tools and allowing me to explore and observe the amazing waterscape and marine mammals that are key to this areas ecosystem :) read more

My girlfriend brought me here on my birthday for a venture out onto the waters. This was my first time kayaking and Nani did an outstanding job of communicating with us to ensure we made the most out of our opportunity. She made sure, first and foremost, of our safety as well as clearly explaining the procedures and maneuvers when navigating through the ocean: my safety was never in question. Along our way, we spotted a few sea otters including a momma and her pup! We got a great view of the sea lions hanging around the docks and enjoyed watching some surfers within close distance. I had a memorable time for my birthday: enormous thanks to Nani for being an awesome guide and the staff at KC for ensuring a wonderful experience. Highly recommend for family time or a date! read more

Kayak Connection - Nani made it easy for my date and I to have an unforgettable time - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

Cost of gas for the drive to Kayak Connection: $9.40 Kayak rental and tour: $50 Souvenir stuffed dolphin for 2 year old niece: $24.99 Seeing your friend freak out like Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone due to a huge sea lion passing under her kayak: PRICELESS We spotted cute sea otters swimming all around us, tons of sea lions, different types of birds. The water conditions were great for a beginner. Personally, I prefer kayak surfing in Costa Rica. Yahoo! But, this was perfect for my friends who never been in a kayak. Overall: kayak rentals in good condition and guides were great and experienced. I am definitely going back during whale watching season. read more

My two other friends and my wife went kayaking on the Independence Day. Due to their fault, one of my friends kayak has a leak in the middle of ocean. It was very dangerous situation because we are way out from the shore. Luckily, all of us did our best to rescue my friend. Here is why I rare their service bad. During the process of giving us full refund, a girl who worked at the front desk, gave us attitude and didn't want to give a whole group refund. Did she think that we had fun? She was very insincere about the accident and acted like a greedy business woman. I believe this store ruins whole good down to earth spirit of Santa Cruz and other surfers around this town. I highly do not recommend!!!! read more

This review is based on a tour. I've not taken a course nor rented at this location. 4 stars for the guides' knowledge of of the area and marine life. 2 stars for safety The guides are marine biology students from UCSC and they deliver a near-constant narration of snippets from Nature and Nova and Scientific American Frontiers. That's a nice touch but I'd have preferred a little more paddling. We were supposed to go to Natural Bridges but we didn't even try to go that far. The boats were all in good condition. It's a standard assortment of Necky's and Wilderness system closed decks. They also have sit-on-tops for rentals. Safety is lacking. No wetsuits required for closed decks even through we go a few hundred yards offshore on freezing water with swells. No rescue walkthru on land. The guides said they hadn't had a capsize in 3 years so that may contribute to the complacency. Most boats used for tours are doubles and very stable. I'd like to rent here but they have a policy of no beach landings which sucks. $35 for 4 hours of a single; a pretty good rate IF I could land somewhere. No way I can actually sit in a yak for 4 hours and enjoy it. The dock is 250 yards from the office so bring sandals even if you paddle barefoot read more

S-E-A O-T-T-E-R-S they got muhfvcken sea otters yo ! I went on a group tour with a bunch of people who ranged from never have kayaked before to have kayaked a few times so our group was pretty much a retarded cluster fvck of novices. The tour guides were cool and very knowledgeable about marine life. They brought us right up to a sea otter colony and tried their best to herd our group of kayakers, so good job guys. Kayak Connection only had sit inside tandem kayaks so I was a little disappointed with that. I wanted to paddle my own kayak as I own a kayak and wanted to do my own thing but whateverz . Im also not a fan of the bibs/ skirts so if you happen to find yourself here on a nice day I would recommend not using them. Other than that I loved this place. read more

I got a groupon deal for 20$ for 4 hours. UH. That sounds awesome already. I was confused where the actual place was but eventually I saw the blue flags. When I went there they were all super nice. I mean thats a very general description but dang, they were the nicest bunch of characters! =) I would def come here again! Also, I was paddle boarding and my expereince with them was amazing, in terms of customer service and the whole process as a whole. They were very warm and family based, although, they were super professional and knew their stuff!! read more

This review is for my recent visit at kayak connection. I went stand up paddle boarding. PRICES $25 FOR 2 HOURS $35 FOR 4 HOURS I was disappointed when they told me I couldn't paddle out into the ocean and that I had to stay in the harbor AFTER I had already paid. The water in the harbor was so dirty due to the numerous boats that reside there. I paid for 4 hours but after 2 hours, my arms were tired from paddling, and I was a little sun burnt. so my group and I decided to leave early and ask for a partial refund. They refused to gives us $10 backs. Ridiculous! As a future Business Owner, I would rather refund 10 bucks than lose customers. Never coming back. read more

I recently purchased a gift certificate at a school fund-raiser for a 4 hr kayak rental. My daughter & her friend, both 18, drove down to Santa Cruz to enjoy the day & use this gift that I purchaed for them. Neither had ever kayaked before. Unfortuately, the company would NOT HONOR the certificate because they wanted a 2 hour kayak rental and tour guide, one of their standard packages, instead of a "self-guided" 4 hour rental. My duaghter was charged an additonal $60,.. So now my "donation" turned into $120 expense. To say this was upsetting is an understatement. When I called the company to get clarification, I was told that although they were happy to "donate" the cost of the rental, they were NOT WILLING to "donate" their staff time, hence the rejection of the gift certificate. Surprisingly, I was also told that I was the first person, EVER, to complain about the services they offer. REALLY? They've never heard of following through on what was promised? They could have very easily accepted the certificate for the 2 hr. rental and charged us an additional fee for the guide. (By my calulation that would have been an additional $28,not $60). I guess I actually expect to get something in return when I purchase a "gift certificate" and will now think twice before I purchase a similar item at a fundraiser or school auction! To futher add to my frustration I got a lecture about how the company was so proud that they are able give away so many "donations" to the local community every year! How about they give out less "donations" and concentrate on building goodwill and actually honor what the've sold! The old adage still seems to ring true: "BUYER BEWARE!" read more

Grabbed the YELP deal back in March (?) 50% off for a 3 hour tour! I was able to make the Friday MONTEREY BAY MARINE SANCTUARY tour 2 days before the date. Got my email confirmation and showed up at call time. Did not have any glitches redeeming my YELP purchase. We all got geared up and headed out to the water. Took some time to get everybody into their kayaks but it was worth the wait. Our TOUR GUIDE was SARA/SARAH and I very very much enjoyed her! She was very pleasant and easy going. You can tell she really enjoys the work and is passionate in marine life. Our group was 4 kayaks large + Sara's single. She was very good at reading our pace and interest at different areas. Never rushed and was able to keep the group's pace to keep us all together. What we saw: **2 groups of DOLPHINS **A couple packs of SEALS **SEA LIONS **SEA OTTERS chilling in a patch of kelp out at sea **Variety of birds I was LITERALLY less than 10 feet from the DOLPHINS!!! AHHHHHHHH!! Sara said in her years of doing the tour, she has never seen so many of them and so close. The weather was perfect --overcast ;D I would recommend Kayak Connection to other people. read more

I'm so glad I didn't pass up their Yelp Deal. $25/person for a 3 hour tour. This was my first time kayaking. Our first original reservation had to be rescheduled because I was going out of town. The person on the phone was extremely pleasant and told me to reschedule whenever it was convenient. So, a few weeks later, I called and booked for two the same reservation which was the Capitola Tour (2nd and 4th Saturday of each month at 8:30am). The girl booked me but failed to send me a email confirmation like she said she would. A day before my reservation, I got a phone call after they closed shop saying that the tour I booked was cancelled because they didn't have enough people that signed up. Understandable. The guy on the phone offered for me to sign up for the Sanctuary Tour on Sunday. I wasn't sure if I would of been able to make it so I told him I would call him the next morning, which was that Saturday, the day before the tour. I called bright and early to book and the girl told me that there was only one slot left. Great. Before my third attempt, I told myself that it was going to be my last and final time booking a tour. I called and booked the Sanctuary Tour. Again, I did not receive a confirmation email. As the day arrived, my boyf and I were the first ones there at 8:30am. We were greeted and introduced and told to wait for the rest of the group to show up. When everyone was present, we all met up to do a quick icebreaker and suit up. First off, kayaking is not an attractive sport. Our suit resembled something of a banana. After we were "dressed", we did a few quick lessons outside on how to paddle and went over a few rules. We walked over to the dock and the most dreadful part was waiting for EVERYONE to load into their kayaks. There should of been a better system. As for the tour itself, it was actually really fun. The best parts were watching all the animals in their natural habitat. Our tour guides were awesome as they really made the effort to memorize everyone's names and chatted with each of us along the way. read more

What an AWESOME experience!! Anyway, we didn't go on a tour, just rented kayaks, but it was great nevertheless. Our main mission was to find sea otters, and one of the workers was really helpful in directing us on how to find them. Once we got out into deeper water, we finally found one peeking its head out of the water!!! We then proceeded to follow them around for 4 hours straight! My friends and I got hungry after 3 hours of kayaking, so it was good that we brought a bag of gummies :) The lifeguard on the shore yelled at us a couple times with his megaphone because we kept drifting in towards the shore, so yeah, try not to do that. Parking was really convenient in the morning since they have parking permits available. Try not to bring too many valuables with you because the lockers are not secure (there are no locks), but you can leave your car keys at the front desk. Oh! I almost forgot to mention - my friends and I all wore these wetsuits that cut-off above the knee and got THE best tan lines. After being out on the water for so long, there was literally a line cutting across our legs, separating what was and wasn't exposed to the sun. haha. So if you don't want a tan line, make sure you get the wetsuit that reaches your ankle! Just sayin. read more

I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life on the kayak whale watching tour with Kayak Connections. Nick was our tour guide, who did an excellent job of getting us prepared, and was incredibly friendly, outgoing, and knowledgeable. The equipment all seemed to be very high quality, easy to use, clean, and affordable. I showed up without reservations, essentially zero kayaking experience, and Nick was more than happy to get me signed up and ready to go. I thought it would be more of a hassle, but it was as easy as pie, and everyone was super welcoming--genuinely nice people here. The kayaking trip itself was surreal and gorgeous. It was a 830am tour, so the water was pretty calm. At first we mostly saw otters, sea birds, and sea lions, which in itself was so much fun. After a little over two hours, we started to head back in, only slightly disappointed that we hadnt seen whales....but THEN, we spotted two spouts right ahead of us. Instead of rushing us back into the harbor, Nick was happy to take us a bit longer in pursuit of these majestic creatures. After 5 or 10 minutes of fast paddling, the whales were literally FEET away from us. It was nothing less than a spiritual experience. I was blown away. All in all, even if we hadn't seen whales so close, i would have given this company a 5 star review. I felt safe but adventurous at the same time, and the people were so welcoming, friendly, and clearly very experienced. Thank you Kayak Connections for one of the best days of my life!! read more

Yay for NICK!! My favorite tour guide. I went for a tour with him a few times, and he his so smart! He studied Biology or something, and he know's everything about the water. He would just say "wait," and splash the water with his hand, and viola! he would be holding some kind of little sea creature and telling me everything about it (species, relatives, gender, habitat, food, predator, etc) WOW!! Then he would say, "do you hear that? It's a mother seal looking for her baby in the kelp forest" I didn't believe him at first, but eventually, the noise got a response from way in the distance. Then we could see the little baby seal that was making the noises back and swimming toward a worried mother, and alas they hugged and spun around in a circle (really people, all of that did happen). And Mr. Nick told me that each mom has a call that her baby recognizes and responds to. I always get to see awesome stuff on a tour with Nick. I've been by myself and with friends, without a tour, and it's just not the same. Nick will look at the water and say, "let's paddle over there so that the cliffs shield us from the headwinds", or "let's not paddle over there, because it's too dangerous." I've never toured with anyone else, but I don't imagine that it would be the same... You should go, and get a tour!! read more

that's what's SUP!!!! Love them $25 hours for 2 hours. Includes board and wetsuit. You don't have to drag the boards on your car. You just walk down to the dock!!! Did it twice so far, and I will definitely be back for more. read more

I highly recommend Kayak Connection. i wanted to learn proper kayaking techniques, build some basic skills, and have fun. I signed up for their 5 week Kayak Club. This place fit the bill. The instructors are really good. Like, REALLY good. They take time to answer questions, make sure you're doing it correctly, and make it fun at the same time. David, David and David (there's 3 that work here, maybe more) are all very nice. Heck the whole staff is nice. They have a great spot on the harbor to launch from - a very short walk from their door. EDIT: My previous review mentioned there is no shower. Turns out, there is! I went back for some help outfitting my new kayak (thanks David and crew! you guys are awesome as always) and mentioned I thought they needed a shower. There's a rudimentary shower outside. All you really need to do is rinse off, so that works! 5 stars now instead of 4 for sure! I didn't take any tours here but have seen a lot of them coming back when the club I took were wrapping up and everyone looked happy. read more

I made reservations way ahead of time for 5 paddleboards and 2 single kayaks 4 Hrs kayak/paddleboard rental for $35. (actually a lot of time) - includes wetsuits, lifejacket, and windproof jacket (plastic jacket) I got there on time and informed them my party of 7 were going to start 30 min late. They were accommodating with the late start and the last minute update from paddleboards to kayaks. Our setup took an hr so give a leeway of ~30 minutes for prep if you're coming in a 2-4 party group. There's two changing rooms available. They gave us small instructions, good recommendations where to paddle. I recommend wearing a wetsuit. It was a little windy that day, but still a nice day. There were huge kelp beds with a few sea otters ready to snooze! Suggestions: - Big groups: make reservations ahead of time. - Paddleboards are typically more popular than kayaks so the if you reserved a kayak and want a paddleboard last minute, you're less likely to get it. - Kayakers can paddle to the boardwalk pier in 2-3 hours depending on the wind conditions. - Respect wild life (can't say that enough) - Initial your flipflops, if you're bringing them. I'm pretty sure I walked away with someone's Rainbows. (The pile of flipflops were kicked around) read more

My boyfriend and I had a great time kayaking here. We rented two single kayaks and kayaked for 3 hours. Staff was super friendly and we got to see sea lions and otters in the ocean! A great experience overall. read more

Kayak Connection - Boating Near Me - Santa Cruz, California

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I had purchased a Groupon for Kayak Connection back in March 2010. Before my time at Kayak Connection I had never been kayaking, and honestly not spent a lot of time in deep water (thanks to growing up in Illinois). The tour starts out in Kayak Connection's office. Parking around their office is a bit difficult due to all of the 'Permit Only' parking, however KC will give you a temporary permit in exchange for holding on to your driver's licence. After everyone in the tour group has gathered the tour guides (Dan and Melissa in my case) give a brief run down on the kayaks and then begin to outfit everyone in their skirts and life jackets. A short walk down to the dock and a brief introduction to paddling and WHAM! your in your kayak and in the water. Kayak Connection had ran out of two person kayaks so my husband and I ended up in singles. Dan chose us for the singles as that we "look like we are pretty athletic and can handle being out by ourselves". At first I was a little intimated to be in my own kayak, however both Dan and Melissa were very patient with me, understanding that it was not my choice to be put in a single. In the bay your tour guides will point out all of the marine life. We saw sea lions, seals, otters, crabs, and a giant kelp forest. Dan and Melissa were very knowledgeable. Overall the tour was great! Kayak Connection's tour guides were very knowledgeable and great with dealing with first time kayakers. read more

Enjoyed a relaxing morning kayaking in the harbor. Staff was extremely helpful and friendly. COVID safety protocols in place with paddles and life vests cleaned and sanitized. read more

One of the best things to do in Santa Cruz on a sunny day to catch the sights while venturing out towards sea away from the crowds. We met up with our tour guide in her late twenties at Kayak Connection and was given a quick tutorial on sea kayaking. My first adventure kayaking in an ocean! Sunset tour for roughly around $50 per person gives you a couple hours time to row out to sea where we're guided past the piers occupied by large pods of sea otters. Our guide was very respectful of their habitat and kept us a safe distance from the otters while getting us close enough to observe. We catch the beginnings of a beautiful cali coast sunset and start rowing back to the docks before it gets too dark. Overall, great outdoor activity without breaking the bank! read more

We had such a fun outing in Elkhorn Slough! Joseph was so helpful getting us outfitted with our kayaks, oars, and life vests and giving us advice for the conditions and wildlife; it was fun and easy! And everything was COVID- safe and sanitized. On the water we saw so many otters (including moms with pups), seals, and of course sea birds like pelicans, blue herons, and a white heron. We saw a couple jellies too! We had an amazing experience and the wildlife was abundant and superb. Thanks so much! read more