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Kayak Connection

4.4 (119 reviews)
Open 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago

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Rest time....phew! ‍
George E.

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**

Kayaking Outside
Sai G.

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.

Paddling away
Carla R.

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.

Santa Cruz Harbor
George L.

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.

Nani made it easy for my date and I to have an unforgettable time

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6 years ago

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

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6 years ago

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

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Kayak Connection Reviews in Other Languages

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Review Highlights - Kayak Connection

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.

Mentioned in 6 reviews

Read more highlights

Pacific Sail - ASA 101 sailing class returning after a fun and educational day on the water.

Pacific Sail

5.0(41 reviews)
0.2 mi

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!

Photos
Pacific Sail - Happy customers returning from a bareboat charter.

Happy customers returning from a bareboat charter.

Pacific Sail - Darrels beautiful 37 footer

Darrels beautiful 37 footer

Pacific Sail - Me about to go out to sail!

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Me about to go out to sail!

Lighthall Yacht Charters - captain and the two princess seats

Lighthall Yacht Charters

5.0(39 reviews)
0.2 mi

I texted Scott, Lighthall for Ash scattering of our mother. This is the second time I asked Scott…read moreand Krista to take us for the Ash scattering. I had to postpone our first attempt and rescheduled one week after. Scott or Krista sent us the detailed email message. It was very helpful. Mike was the skipper. He was very nice and polite. He did the Naval bell ringing. He brought some roses. First, I let go off the Urn while both of us scattered the roses we brought. He brought yellow roses. I took Red rose petals. After we scattered them, we were able to see and follow the Urn with the red rose petals and the bright yellow roses closer to the Urn. He navigated the boat very gently and able to see the Urn. The morning was quiet, sunny and calm. It was extremely calm during the entire time, he navigated around the Urn, getting closer to the floating Urn. It was calming me to see her floating surrounded by flowers. My mother was slowly but surely sinking. I watched her floating, while Mike took few photos and sent them to me. Mike also honored my mother with "Naval Bell Ringing". It was a very nice, beautiful, sunny and calm morning for my mom to be floating on the ocean water. Thank you, Mike, Scott and Krista for sailing my mother and me to the Sea and sharing the most precious moments in our lives. Lighthall Yacht Charters Licensed Cremated Remains Disposer# CRD627 (831) 429-1970

Krista's communication with me was impeccable from the start making the whole experience less…read morestressful. Jason our skipper was a joy. He made us feel so relaxed by his friendliness, his smiles and his stories about his sailing experiences. He even brought fresh rose petals for us to toss where the ashes were scattered. I just can't say enough wonderful things about the whole experience. Lighthall Yacht Charters are very reasonably priced. I really felt it wasn't all about the buck but about compassion and understanding the needs of their customers. Thank you all! The Billings family

Photos
Lighthall Yacht Charters - Ahoy!

Ahoy!

Lighthall Yacht Charters - Passing the lighthouse

Passing the lighthouse

Lighthall Yacht Charters - Dance party on the boat

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Dance party on the boat

California Classic Sail - End of a great 2 Hour Sunset Sail.

California Classic Sail

5.0(23 reviews)
0.2 mi

Thinking of something to do for my dad's 70th b-day & mom's b-day the same month. I came across…read moreCCSail on Google. We've done the Specialized Helicopters twice, did the O'Neill Catamaran Yacht with 20 other people on the boat. So why not try this smaller sailboat ride. 8/8/15 We took the 2 HOUR SHARED SUNSET SAIL Saturday night at 6:00 pm. Park in the Visitor Spaces and Pay at Parking Meter right outside of Dock F to the left. ((Give yourself time If you need to use the restroom under the overpass, there might be a line.)) Captain Forest came out from his boat the "Sarah" at Dock F to welcome us promptly at 6 pm. The three of us plus the captain and his 1st mate Amit, had the boat to ourselves. Four passengers max. We had our own private, intimate sailing yacht with no other people - parents Loved It!! I was happy just taking pictures (that's what I do.) Ocean Air, Quite & Peaceful, just the screams from The Boardwalk rides :) The Captain and Amit were friendly and sociable people. He taught and let my dad steer the boat for a long time. The ride was fun, a little breezy, not hot, not cold - smooth sailing. A 2-hour boat ride around Santa Cruz in the Monterey Bay for $53 (+ a tip, much deserved) per person is a really good deal. A Must Do in Santa Cruz + it gets ya away from the crowds. Had a great time aboard the sailing yacht "Sarah".

This was the best sailing experience EVER!…read more I usually only go yelp to leave bad reviews of crappy places but this was SO good I am yelping as I head to the car!! Capt Forrest is one of the coolest people ever and it was a total 5 star experience all the way through! Sorry Chardonnay, I'm only sailing on here from now on!!! Thank u Forrest we are all smiles!

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California Classic Sail - Enjoyed our late evening sail Recommend you give this small family run business a try. We will be back!

Enjoyed our late evening sail Recommend you give this small family run business a try. We will be back!

California Classic Sail
California Classic Sail

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Monterey Bay Charters - Codzilla!

Monterey Bay Charters

4.6(52 reviews)
0.2 mi

Wow, what a trip!…read more My son and I came to Santa Cruz for a beach weekend and a little fishing off of the wharf. When we arrived on a Friday night, I got a wild hair and started looking around to see if we could hop on a chartered boat to up our chances of catching anything. I am SO GLAD I found Monterey Bay Charters!!! I was lucky to find spots on Sunday morning for the two of us, and Tom called to confirm the trip on Saturday afternoon. Tom answered all my questions via text the night before, was prompt at the meeting spot the next morning, and was an amazing captain. He was affable, fun, and awesome with my kid. We caught over 15 fish and had a blast. The boat is very comfortable, with a proper bathroom and hot water for the sink. The indoor seating was great and plentiful, and on the deck we had plenty of room to move around and fish. My son and I enjoyed the views of the different seabirds as well as sea lions who rolled around behind the boat as we left the docks. We will definitely be back, and often. Tom and Tyler were superb in their patience, courtesy and support. Thank you both for making our vacation absolutely fantastic.

2023 is the first time in decades that the deepwater rockfish grounds have been open. Took the…read moreopportunity to charter a trip with Capt Tom Dolan and check out the "new" fishery. Leading up to the trip, Tom was very responsive, informative and flexible. This helped greatly with preparations. Definitely recommend renting one (or more) of the electric reels if you are going on a deepwater excursion. On our trip we had an 11 and 15 year old, neither who had ever fished before. The capt and crew are very friendly with kids. The boat is very well equipped from a navionics perspective. We caught plenty of deepwater rockfish and picked up pelagic rockfish on the way home and a bonus of multiple petrale sole in the box.

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Monterey Bay Charters
Monterey Bay Charters - My catch of the day!

My catch of the day!

Monterey Bay Charters

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Kayak Connection - boating - Updated May 2026

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