My friends and I booked a whale watching tour last week because we heard that orcas had recently…read morebeen spotted on Newport Coast, which is so rare this point we knew it was a longshot, but we knew we would still have a great time even if we didn't see any orcas. The company did a great job of emailing us all of the information days before our tour and there was ample parking. We ended up parking across the street with no issues at all. We walked over to Balboa and checked in at David's locker and lined up and boarded the boat. There was plenty of seating and the boat wasn't completely full. We opted to stand most of the tour but there were plenty of spots to sit. There were bathrooms on board that were very clean. We liked that they had a full bar, with very friendly bartenders, and they also had chips and other snacks for sale. We didn't see any animals for the first hour or so of the tour, but then we went further out and saw hundreds of dolphins! It was the coolest thing I've ever seen! They swam with the boat and our tour guides were so amazing that they let us stay out almost another full hour just to enjoy the experience with the dolphins. No orcas were spotted but we were ok with that! The staff was very nice, helpful, and had great personality and attitude. I would definitely book this to her again because everyone was so friendly and nice and we had such a great time even though it was really hot. We didn't really feel that uncomfortable because of the ocean breeze and I can't wait to go back for the Christmas light tour and for another whale watching tour soon!

Absolutely amazing on how they upgraded all the surrounding areas…read more Lots of new parking with a new multilevel parking structure and new bathrooms and showers for the boaters that have a permit for boat parking to launch their Crafts from Dana Point harbor. Automatically given 4 hours of free parking with quick access to any of the numerous restaurants and gift shops right on the water. This is the spot if you want to go offshore fishing on a charter or whale watching which I did on a couple hour tour it was outstanding. Not to mention all the whales dolphins and other mammals that were seen offshore. Tuesdays they still do half off. If you have not been give it a try it's so much better now with the easy access and plenty of free 4 hour parking. Don't overlook the stunning safe day beaches without the big Surf issues

1 star -- the owner's response to a customer's concern was worse than the rental itself. Wish 0 was…read morepossible and want to warn anyone interested in enjoying their night to avoid this establishment. Sorry for the lengthy review, but there are so many varied reasons to avoid this business. I rarely leave reviews like this, but the way this company handled themselves was so unprofessional that I feel other customers should know. This rental was for my birthday. The experience itself had several issues, including difficulty locating the dock, a malfunctioning Bluetooth system, confusing parking information, and an overall lack of professionalism before departure. The bigger problem started afterward. We were accused of returning late and leaving the boat excessively dirty. We were one minute late, and threw our trash away and checked the boat before we left to make sure there was no mess. I repeatedly asked for photo evidence of the alleged mess. None was provided. The description then escalated from a cleaning issue to claims that we had "thrashed" the boat. The timing allegations also kept changing. We understood the return time to be 7:30 PM. Their own attendant later stated he called us at 7:31 PM, but management subsequently characterized us as about 15 minutes late and charged me 55$ for being 1 minute late. Throughout the exchange, I repeatedly asked that everything remain in writing. I was frustrated, so I actually used ChatGPT to help me keep every response professional, factual, and measured rather than responding emotionally. That effort was clearly not reciprocated. The owner's messages eventually included: "Your out of your mind if you think that's going to happen." When I asked to not be charged a late arrival fee for being 1 minute late. and "Next time go to Newport that's where your kind need to rent Duffy boats." I still do not know what "your kind" was intended to mean, but there is simply no professional context in which a business owner should speak to a customer that way. I was also told that if I posted what they considered a "false review," they would make sure it did not get posted and would make sure my card was charged for the disputed overtime. That was especially concerning. What is most disappointing is that I was not initially trying to attack this business. I asked for evidence, corrected disputed facts, requested written communication, and tried repeatedly to resolve the issue professionally. We could easily have become repeat customers. Instead, the situation escalated into unsupported accusations, threats of additional charges, refusal to provide requested evidence, and increasingly hostile messages from the owner. The lesson here is simple: problems happen. Good businesses resolve them professionally. This one did not. I would strongly recommend choosing another Duffy or electric-boat rental company, especially for a birthday or family event where you want the experience to remain enjoyable. And respectfully, the owner might benefit from using ChatGPT himself before sending messages like "you're out of your mind" and "your kind."

The Duffy we rented was top notch, boat was clean, had a fridge to keep our food cold. The entire…read moreexperience was perfect.

Been shopping here for 10 years and wouldn't take my business anywhere else. Always very kind and…read morehelpful with anyone that walks in. Affordable pricing and great quality gear.

OMG! I hafta laugh at those leaving dismal reviews. I've been shopping here for decades (since they…read moreopened) and never had a bad experience. If you are buying $3.99 in bait and cannot pull out cash or an ATM...that's no reason to leave a one star review loser. Maybe keep a $5. bill in your wallet. LOL Hogan and his family hire exceptionally well and if you leave a bad review because they greeted you within 45 seconds of entering the business...that's no reason to leave a negative review. It's called customer service pinhead! Jeez...this is what ya deal with when providing service to the General Public nowadays. Most people are alright but the General Public can be a general pain in the arse. Look...if you need fishing tackle, whatever it is, Hogan's has it. If you need your gear serviced, Hogan's does it quickly and properly. If you need four dollar bait, Hogan's has it. If you think four dollar bait is too expensive...you have serious issues and need to either make more money or see a shrink...maybe both. This is THE TACKLE SHOP for serious anglers. Need a special hook in a specific size, shape and color? They have it. A particular shape & weight sinker...they have it. It's a fully stocked store with so much stuff new customers struggle to locate what they are needing so the staff welcomes you upon entry and seeks to help you find whatever you are looking for. OMG...how audacious of them! LOL Normal fishermen & women love this place and always find the experience positive. Those who are broke, wearing invisible tiaras and generally despondent are the reason all the collective review score is a hair under 5 star. We all know these people...they are never happy and the harder you try to please them, the more miserable they act. Clearly they are not fishing often enough. Probably spool their coffee-grinders backwards and hold the thing upside-down. You know...the guy who won the jackpot on the cattleboat and stiffed the crew. Hogan's Tackle sets the customer care bar so high...other tackle shop staffers need to charter a plane just to see it. Zero room for improvement! Take it from a dedicated tackleho who has been coming here for decades. The majority of reviewers agree.

3rd year in a row with Chris and he never disappoints. Last year was the best trip to date, landing…read morea monster bluefin. This year was even better with 6 yellowtail and an epic day of fishing with the family. If you want a captain that knows how to fish and is focused on giving you the best experience possible Chris is your guy.

Captain Chris provides a safe and fun experience - I've done 2 all-day trips with him in the last…read moreyear and both were epic! Great time, great dude, and great fishing! Can't recommend highly enough!

Took great care of my fish. With ice and all while we were on board the Reel Fun half day. I…read moreappreciated the extra care very much.

We had an amazing morning out with Craig. He was great with both teenagers and was super motivated…read moreto help and instruct the whole 5 hours. The communication prior with Shane was great and provided all the needed info. The fish tacos and pan fried filets were delicious the next two days.

Went on a Monday with my son (11yrs) old for a 5 hour fishing trip. Eric and his deckhand (Jeremy)…read moreare awesome dudes who made our fishing experience really memorable. Between my son and I, we caught over 40+ fish each, mainly sandbass and Calico's. On the ride out the marina we even saw a few dolphins . The boat was very clean and spacious. The cabin area has two extra seats. Jeremy and Eric were helping us out by switching out gear and at times baiting our live bait. Jeremy fillet our fish for us as well . Eric was taking pictures and videos of my son and I. If you are looking for a great fishing experience, these dues are the BEST!!

Overall a good experience. Only stopped in one stop for bottom feeders. Not sure if that was just…read moreeasy for them or all that was available. Helpful crew

Amazing experience. Tons of fish. Nice boat. Super good guys. Know their stuff. Highly recommended.read more

Capt Anton Faicchio and deck mate Cole turned our fishing trip into a huge success, returning to…read moreDana Point Harbor with 5 trophy sized Yellowtails, 4 Bonitos, and 4 Bass fish. Anton and Cole were professional, very knowledgeable, experienced fisherman, and were happy to share their insights with us. We will return in June 2027 and look forward to fishing with them again. We remain fully satisfied with Pacific Mistress, as they became our Go To fishing charter operator. Thank you so much, Anton and Cole!

First-time visitor to this harbor…read more The harbor was beautiful, clean, and relaxing The walking and biking trails were well maintained, and the grassy areas were perfect for sunbathing and picnics. Free parking is available throughout the harbor, and clean restrooms are available as well

This is such a beautiful Harbor when are they ever going to get rid of the horrible old restaurants…read moreand rebuild this place already. There's tons of money floating away. Why is the Harbor project taking so long? So much money is being wasted.

Went out fishing with Allwater charters. Could not have had a better morning. My wife and I had…read moreonly been fishing deep sea once before. Captain was friendly and has been fishing these waters for over 25 years. He made sure we will all comfortable on the boat. Amazing to learn all that we did today. I don't think we could top our trip today. We got 5 nice yellowtail. All of them were over 20-30lbs. We filled our ice chest! Definitely a trip all of us will remember. Excited for the bbq!

We rented a boat for the day with another couple. We wanted to do some whale watching and have an…read moreafternoon on the water. It was a great time. Mark our captain was very knowledgable and was great to have take us out. Knew all of the areas to see along the coastline to Laguna. We saw 2 grey whales, and a breaching whale. It was unreal. We also saw tons of dolphins and other sea life. Well worth the money for a private trip. Next time when we don't bring the ladies we'll have to go fishing. They have several great boats/yachts to choose from which was nice to have options. We had a great time. Thanks again!

Jeff was very helpful. From original information so I could make a informed decision of which trip…read moreI wanted, to use detailed directions of where to meet him. He explained so many things when we were on the boat. What he was doing. what we were seeing. he encouraged us to help steer the boat or anything else we wanted to do. Our three hour sale was so relaxing. I highly recommend him.

August 10 sailing day. Weather was great, wind pretty calm, but made for a very relaxing day…read more Captain Bryan is an excellent people person and a very patient, calm teacher! Would absolutely recommend him and hope someday to sail with him again!