I've lived here my entire life and have never been whale watching but have always wanted to,…read morehowever it's just not an experience I'd typically consider splashing out on for myself (**spoiler alert - my visit was less than two weeks ago and immediately after disembarking I told my husband I wanted to get on another tour stat!) For Christmas, my husband's aunt gifted tickets to our entire extended family to enjoy a whale watching tour together so we finally landed on a date and it was an awesome experience from start to finish. We arrived about 15 minutes early for our 9:30am boarding time, checked in at the kiosk and were given paper tickets to be handed over to the crew as we came aboard. Once onboard, we were introduced over the speaker to the captain and crew and given a quick rundown of the itinerary and safety procedures. We navigated through the harbor where we spotted our local sea lion neighbors basking in the sun which especially delighted the kids and the out-of-town/state passengers, sailed out of the harbor and into the open sea. It was a pleasantly calm morning with hardly any wind and very smooth sailing. The only slight downside was that it was a particularly gray morning, so there was little distinction between the color of the ocean versus the sky but it was very clear and we could see for a long distance. We got probably close to halfway through our two-hour tour without any sightings but once we were about 5 miles off the coast, we started hearing transmissions between the crew over their walkies so we knew to start keeping our eyes peeled. The next half hour or so was spent watching three beautiful fin whales take turns coming up for air, swimming under the boat, rolling playfully and showing their light-colored bellies. It was so fun to be able to move about the boat freely to try to get the best view, some photos and videos, while being filled in by the crew on interesting marine facts. Finally the whales took their deep dives, at which point we were informed they wouldn't be coming back up for air for a while and it was about time to head back. The cruise back was equally smooth as the adventure out, and we got in right on time and prepared to disembark but not before getting coupons for a future expedition and adorable fin whale stickers to commemorate our tour. I can't WAIT to go on another whale watching tour with Oceanside Adventures - it was the best time!! I would 100000% recommend.

What a great day for whale watching!…read more The crew is amazing! Ivy, Tekon, Saxon, Chris. Hope I got all the spelling right! I've been on this boat and it's not always a guarantee as nature is nature but today was perfect. Calm seas, thousands...yes thousands of dolphin and a dozen whales. Mostly humpback but we saw two finback as well. So rad. Can't wait until next time!

Fantastic company. Dani and Kimberly were wonderful guides. Friendly, funny, and extremely…read moreknowledgeable. We saw literally hundreds of dolphins all swimming right next to our boat. We weren't lucky enough to spot whales this time but we will definitely come back again next time we are in town. Can't recommend them highly enough!

What a perfect morning on the water! The boat is awesome. So much closer to the water than a…read moretypical whale watching boat. Dani was very informative and we saw many families of dolphin up close and personal. We did the 1.5 hr, so didn't go out as far out as the 2.5 hour, so I knew we were less likely to see whales, but still so well worth it! Definitely recommend!

Amazing whale watching experience! The crew was friendly and knowledgeable, and we got incredible…read moreup-close views of whales and dolphins. The smaller boat made the trip feel much more personal and exciting. Highly recommend!

BUYER BEWARE: This excursion looks appealing because it promises a small group and a fun, fast boat…read moreexperience. However, booking with this company comes with a real risk: if the boat isn't completely full (6 people), they may cancel your trip. We planned a special outing around this excursion for our wedding anniversary, only to have it canceled with less than 8 hours' notice. Ironically, their own policy requires customers to give at least 24 hours' notice to cancel. If you don't want your plans disrupted at the last minute, I strongly recommend booking with a more reliable company.

Three of us took a half day fishing trip on the SoCal. Great trip, caught Bonito and overall had a…read moregreat time. The crew with Captain Brian was great. They were very friendly and helpful. I highly recommend this fishing trip!

This charter was spectacular. We have been celebrating our late dad's birthday for the past 20…read moreyears with fishing charters in San Diego, and this one was by far the best. The crew was incredibly attentive. I never had to ask for assistance because someone was always there before I even had the chance. It was unexpected and very much appreciated. The woman serving food and beverages also made a point to check in throughout the trip, which really stood out. We caught a lot of fish, and the experience was seamless from start to finish. The briefing at the beginning was quick, clear, and efficient, so we had our poles in the water right away. Highly recommend this charter and crew. An unforgettable experience.

Helgrens is the only people I have fished with since 1990. Last year (2025) a trip was cancelled…read moredue to a coast guard inspection. Not a problem. Things happen. Our money was refunded and we were told we can rebook a trip, at no expense to us, within a year. Very cool. They didn't have to do that. The problem is that no one picks up the phone so I cannot book. We had to go with another charter for my father's birthday trip.

Don't purchase gift cards from this company. They have been closed since last year and are just…read moretaking peoples money. I have tried email them and reaching out on Facebook with no response. To make this worse, the gift card was for my son from Christmas last year. Horrible people

Wow! What a beautiful sailing afternoon with Captain John and his wife Carol on their beautiful 42'…read moresailboat named Sea Star. We had sunshine and the perfect amount of wind. Everything was so easy from communicating with Captain John to arrange our outing to the actual outing. There was never an awkward moment. It was like sailing with longtime friends. You can bring your own drinks and snacks and they have the rest to make the afternoon so enjoyable. We are from Kansas City and we would go again when in the area. If you have a choice book with Sunset Coast Sailing. You cannot go wrong with them.

In the San Diego area to celebrate our parents' 50th wedding anniversary, we found John and Carol…read more(and the Sea Star) during a web search. Replies to set up out time together were prompt and clear, and Carol and John's warm hospitality during our sunset sail created a unique memory for a special occasion. Highly recommend!

Captain Bob is the reason I started writing reviews. From a psychology lecture, I learned that…read morepeople usually write reviews only for extremes: extremely bad or extremely awesome. Because of my trip with Captain Bob, I just had to write a review, letting people know not to miss out if you are in the Oceanside area. My experience started over the phone with the Captain. I was told that the trip only accommodates six passengers. This was a concern because I was was traveling with a party of eight. I called the captain and my concern was promptly alleviated. Captain Bob was very chill with the circumstances and didn't even charge us extra. We arrived at the harbor around noon. Captain Bob met us at the parking lot and greeted all of us. Already we were all impressed. We headed out with The Captain narrating what we were looking for in order to locate dolphins. He was very knowledgeable about the ocean and taught us quite a few things about boating and sea life. He also had very interesting tales to tell. I was torn between listening to stories or focusing on novelty of being out at sea. The Captain even let one of our number steer the boat for awhile. Later he served all the 21+ beers. At one point we also pulled random balloons that we saw out of the water. This was us being environmentally friendly. It seems that the Captain was really chill with us doing whatever out at see as long as it was legal, safe, and most importantly, we enjoyed ourselves. The boat was quite roomy and fit all of us comfortably. All of my party were very impressed with the Captain and the trip. I highly recommend Captain Bob for your trip, whether your with your friends or on a date. Don't miss out!

No doubt about it. Captain Bob is a kind and accommodating host. He loves what he does and his…read moreenthusiasm is contagious. However, there was one problem that made me feel uncomfortable: the boat only has a two foot rubber railing!! Thus, it just seems to me that it would be super easy to go overboard. Honestly, even though sitting up front was somewhat uncomfortable, i didn't want to move for fear of being tossed in! Finally, if you do go, i recommend going for only one and a half hours. We were out for two hours and it was just too long.

Highly recommend Captain Joe and his crew. We had a great time on the water, learning and fishing…read morewith the Sea Star Crew. Bobby and Amber were very helpful and we all had a great time. Waters were a little cold but we can't control the weather!

OUTSTANDING!!!! Not…read moremy first time going on a charter out of Sea Star Charters, but it was my first time on this boat. It was recently re-furnished I think because my other trips have been on the Chubasco. We did a private charter here for a friend's bachelor party yesterday and Captain Joe and James made it a perfect trip! We paid and chartered for 12, but had some guys back out. Fortunately we had already paid for the charter. We caught something around 50 or 60 fish thanks to Captain Joe knowing all the good spots. Both Captain Joe and James were attentive on the deck and were both proactively helping us land fish on the deck. James got all our catch cleaned, filleted and bagged and it made for a great dinner last night! Seriously haven't had that many fish tacos ever in my life. Looking forward to going on a yellowtail charter with Sea Star. Thanks Captain Joe and James!

We had a very enjoyable time on Ahoy Mateys Sailing Charter sailboat ... There were four of us out…read moreon a perfect sunny Labor Day weekend for a three hour cruise. Captain Bobby is very experienced and has a great dry sense of humor. Crew member Roger knows his way around sails and knots and was also a really fun guy. We highly recommend Ahoy Mateys and are glad we chose to sail with him, ... and would do it again!

My husband and I went on a sailing adventure with Captain Bobby out of Oceanside. It was the…read moreperfect outing. We even got to sit behind the wheel and play "captain". The Marina in Oceanside is beautiful and has several options for restaurants. I highly recommend this Charter, it's the real thing!

I really enjoy shopping at an e-bike store because it's exciting to see all the different electric…read morebikes and gear in one place. Stores like an e-bike shop are great because they have a wide selection of bikes for different riders, whether you want something for commuting, mountain trails, or just cruising around town. The staff are usually very knowledgeable and help you find the right bike size and style so you can ride comfortably and safely. Many shops also offer repairs, accessories, and test rides, which makes the whole experience even better. Overall, visiting an e-bike shop is fun because it makes you want to get outside, ride more, and enjoy the freedom that electric bikes give you.

So in an an update, they have decided to bill us an extra $125 for "repair" to the bike for…read morescratches (which I didn't see, but since the bike fell when it tried to run down my wife I assume are legitimate) and realigning the derailer (which should take a tech like 15 minutes if he's slow). Their actual cost to do the repair is probably like $25-$50. More to the point this damage would have been entirely avoidable, with just an extra 30 seconds of instruction provided at the start of the rental process. This charge was applied punitively, I'm quite certain, and after spending some time on the phone they have refused to reverse the charge. As far as I'm concerned, they were negligent, failing to provide safe operation information (how to walk safely with the bike) and providing unsafe and illegal guidance (you can't ride on sidewalks). They've now compounded this by unethically trying to collect even more money from us. Stay away. I would like nothing more than to see this business fail, or at least suffer enough that they correct their behaviors going forward. I have to believe that there are better, more ethical, and better trained locations to rent an e-bike from. Maybe will try again at another location once my wife's bruises and scrapes, and ego, have healed.