I was just thinking back to our California vacation that we did a short while back. One of the…read morebiggest highlights from our trip was our surf lessons. My son and I joined with some friends to get a group lesson from Barry at "Making the Drop". To help out, Barry brought his good friend Tyler Fox (pro surfer - how cool is that???). So, for a couple hours, these two guys helped us figure out the basics of surfing - paddling out, looking for the right wave, getting on the board, etc. They were both SUPER patient and some of the friendliest guys around. To this day, I'm still positively affected by Barry's laid-back take-it-as-it-comes attitude. I'll always remember him saying, as we're floating out in the water with dolphins watching for waves, "how can you hate your job when your office looks like this?". I can see how Barry is an effective life coach as well as top-notch surfing instructor. Whether you are a strong swimmer or not, love the ocean or not, I would highly recommend some lessons here. Learn something about yourself as well as life, in general, with just a few hours on the water with Barry. It'll change your life.

Barry is an amazing coach. This is not just a surf lesson, but a relationship with someone who…read morewill help guide you through your surfing progression. I cannot recommend Barry highly enough.

SO MUCH FUN! I am a…read morebig guy and was scared out of my mind BUT the nice little lady...Natalie I think...was very helpful and calmed all my fears. She showed me pro techniques that helped me in the calm water and the baby surf that was out there. I was doing hand stands by the end of the day! We got out early, it was calm and a little foggy but then the fog burned off and it was amazing! So peaceful. We got to see dolphins, sea lions and an otter with its baby! And schools of fish under your board...pretty cool! Can't wait to take my 9 year old out there! Thanks again!

1st. Class Service. This is a paddle surf shop. and I am a longboard surfer. I needed a special…read more"Waist Leash". Olivier Guincetre the owner said not problem. He took the time to show me how to take apart my ankle leash and install the waist leash and even gave me the little allen wrench.

We planned to kayak in the Harbor today, and we were planning to go to the Sup Shack, where we had…read morerented 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!

Good vibes and Great times are found and had here!…read more 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**

Absolutely phenomenal ASA 101 experience with Pacific Sail!…read more I had the pleasure of learning from Dylan and Darrel, and I couldn't have asked for a better team. Both instructors took the time to thoroughly cover the material--balancing hands-on learning with classroom-style instruction (Darrel even led lessons right in the hull of the boat!). We practiced tacking, jibing, tied a variety of useful knots, and learned all the parts of the boat in a way that was both fun and deeply informative. Even during wild weather (30+ knot gusts that caused racers to retire their boats!) and a brief engine hiccup, the experience was safe, empowering, and invaluable. I learned not just the textbook approach to handling situations like a man overboard, but also real-world knowledge--like how to troubleshoot engine issues (thanks, Dylan!) and who to call in a marine emergency (thanks, Darrel!). Dylan's patience and steady encouragement made sailing feel approachable, even when conditions were intense. Darrel brought humor, depth, and thoughtfulness to every moment--together, they're a truly outstanding teaching duo. I also had the chance to meet Kate, another instructor, who was all smiles and incredibly helpful, waving while passing up on her tow boat and then cracking jokes to Darrel when she prepared for her Chardonnay crew to take off. On land, Natalie and Ethan from the front desk were warm and welcoming. Natalie and Ethan even walked me over to the boat with my coffee in hand to make sure I didn't get lost. I left this course genuinely feeling like I have a solid foundation in sailing--both in skill and confidence. I highly recommend Pacific Sail to anyone looking to start their sailing journey. This team is the real deal!

Just finished my asa 103 lessons. Dylan is a really great captain! He's very encouraging and…read morepatient for my tons of weird questions. There is nothing he doesn't know he even knows the best fresh restaurant in Santa Cruz! You should all try his lessons and start to love sailing in the blue ocean with beautiful creatures!

Richard is a great instructor. Our first lesson, he set everything up before we arrived. He…read moreprovided us with wetsuits. He taught us how to properly get up on the board and keep our balance, and gave us a few tips, and things to avoid, before he took us out in the ocean. He helped me catch my first wave ever. I actually got up on the board a few times during our second lesson! He teaches you a lot about the ocean and how to know when a good wave is coming.

Richard, is such an awesome instructor. He doesn't just teach you how to surf but goes into surf…read moreetiquette, how to read the waves and set yourself up for the best surfing experience when surfing without him. He's also very veteran friendly and volunteers to help teach our disabled service member how to surf and get more connected to the ocean. I highly recommend Richard, as an instructor. An if you fall in love with the ocean like I believe you will he'll also help you pick out the best board and gear for you.

This trip was so much fun. I'm so proud of the fish I caught. I went home right away and cooked the…read morevermillion rockfish on my grill. The fish had so much meat it was delicious. Thank you Santa Cruz Coastal Fishing for such a fun and memorable experience. I told my friend about it and now she wants to go!

Capt. Rodney and his deckhand was amazing! He put us on the fish and did his best to keep us on the…read morefish. We all limited out and had a blast.

I book this guy all the time, he's good, you won't be disappointed. Don't forget to bring an ice…read morechest to bring home the meat

Chartle Charter's saved our vacation! The day we were heading up to Santa Cruz our charter with…read moreanother company was canceled last minute. We called Chartle and within 15 minutes Raina had the entire Taylor-Gene boat reserved for our party of 6 for the next day. We caught a 6 man limit of rockfish in 3 hours! Even a few Lingcod! Joe was an incredible captain! Very knowledgeable, great sense of humor, and knew exactly where the hot spots were. We will be booking again soon! Thank you so much Chartle!

I can't recommend this sailing charter enough! Our guy was so friendly and knowledgeable. I learned…read morea ton about marine life and sailing. He had a great way of explaining things in simple terms but not dumbing it down too much. Great charter and great boat!

We went on a sunset cruise in Santa Cruise for my birthday last week and had a wonderful time…read more Brian and his daughter were so helpful and friendly. This was the soooo fun !