Experience a La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour

I love kayaking, so when I was travelling to La Jolla (near San Diego) for a business trip, I was excited to learn that I’d have an opportunity to kayak on the ocean. It was my first time kayaking in such a large body of water. I was used to places like Bear Lake in northern Utah or Sand Hollow State Park in southern Utah. I was excited for the adventure to experience a La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour and it did NOT disappoint.

Here’s a rundown on what you need to know to prepare for your experience, and what you can expect on the water.

How to Book Your La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour

As soon as you know you’ll be heading to San Diego – or southern California – you should book your sea caves kayak tour in La Jolla. If you’re planning to visit during Spring Break, late June through August, or during fall break, you’ll want to book as early as possible. Those times fill up quickly.

The best way to book is on the La Jolla Sea Caves Kayak Tour website. On the site, you can select the day you want to book your tour, then the time you want to begin your tour. Tour times may vary based on the season and day of the week, but they generally start at 9:20, 10:40, 11:20, 12:40, 1:20, 2:40, 3:20, 4:20 and 5 p.m.

The tours are roughly 1.5 hours, so allocate 2-3 hours from start to finish so you don’t get behind in your trip itinerary.

Once you have the date and time selected, you can pick which kayaks you want to book. Keep in mind that I didn’t write “number of people.” The price is actually based on the number of kayaks. For example, if you have three adults, you’d rent one single kayak and one tandem kayak. If your group of three is two adults and one child (age 6-10), you can rent a three-person kayak. NOTE: Three adults don’t fit in a three-person kayak.

Once you have everything selected, move on to the personal information and payment information and you’re good to go. Don’t forget to sign the waiver in advance of your visit.

What to Bring With You (and NOT Bring With You)

Prior to this trip, I’d never been kayaking in the ocean. I wasn’t entirely sure what to bring and what to not bring. So I ended up bringing a few more things than I needed. Luckily, La Jolla Sea Caves has free locker rentals so I could put the unnecessary items there and not worry about them.

Here’s a rundown of what you should bring with you:

• Clothing you can get wet with sea water (salt water). This can be a swimsuit. Be mindful of the weather for the day and the season and dress accordingly. I wore my Kuhl Renegade Cargo Convertible pants, a long-sleeved t-shirt and regular t-shirt since it was February.
• Sunscreen (and be sure to apply it before you start your tour)
• Hat (to protect your face and ears from the sun) – you can wear a baseball cap under your helmet.
• Sunglasses (because it can be bright on the water)
• Water bottle (kayaking is a workout and you don’t want to get dehydrated – especially in the summer months)
• Waterproof camera and a way to keep it floating. I used a waterproof pouch with some floaty thing so I could still take photos with my iPhone 14, but the camera wouldn’t sink if it fell in the water. I also recommend using an Olympus Tough TG-6 or an Insta360 X3 camera, with floatation devices attached.
• Water shoes (optional)
• Strap for your glasses (in case you fall into the water – you wouldn’t want to lose your glasses)
• Motion sickness medications (if needed)

I think it’s important to also share with you a few things you shouldn’t bring with you on the water. You can leave these things in your locker or in your car – but don’t bring them on the water.

• Wallet
• Unsecured phone or camera (if you drop it in the ocean, it’s nearly impossible to retrieve)
• Backpacks
• Dry change of clothes (leave that in your locker or car)
• Towel

Checking-in and Preparing to Kayak in the Ocean

You’ll want to arrive roughly 45 minutes before the start of your tour time. This gives you time to check in at the store, change into a swimsuit or rent a wetsuit, store your items in a locker, be fitted for a life jacket and helmet and walk the few blocks down to the beach. If you’ve got a big group, you may want to plan on closer to 60 minutes just to be sure you aren’t the one holding up the rest of the tour group.

You can wear your socks and shoes down to the beach. When you get there, the guides will have a few crates for you to use to place your shoes and socks in while you’re our kayaking. You’ll also have to leave flipflops in the creates because they can easily fall off in the water and cause recovery issues. Water shoes aren’t required. I went barefoot and it was just fine. But I think I would’ve appreciated water shoes.

Before heading out into the ocean, the guides will give you a safety briefing. It’s here where they talk to you about paddling and steering your kayak. They also talk to you about emergencies on the water, should they occur. Pay attention. Our guides were awesome and kept the learning entertaining.

After a briefing, you’ll head over to the water and one kayak at a time will be launched into the ocean.

What to Expect on the Water Near La Jolla Caves

The greatest chance of tipping your kayak will occur when launching or returning. It’s that sweet spot where the waves start to break closer to the shoreline. If you’ve paid attention to the guides during the briefing, you’ll know all the tricks to reduce your chances of tipping over. Once you get beyond that, you’ll hang out and wait for the rest of the group to launch.

You’ll want to try and stay within earshot of the guide. They’ll keep you going in the right direction, but also talk to you about the varying ecosystems you’ll be passing through. The group will head south toward the La Jolla Caves.

RELATED POST: Visit the San Diego Air and Space Museum to see the Apollo 9 capsule

When you book your tour, you’re probably hoping you’re going to be able to kayak into the caves. However, the safety of that is determined by the weather and conditions. Follow the directions from your guide, because they have your safety as the highest priority. As badly as I wanted to go into the caves, I didn’t want to do something that would injure me or my kayaking buddy.

While on the water, keep an eye out for wildlife. This may include sea lions, pelicans, harbor seals, garibaldi and many more. Don’t be afraid of the timid leopard sharks, should they appear during your tour. My daughter wouldn’t like a shark coming up to her kayak, but I think it would’ve been awesome to see.

The tour takes you through five ecological areas within the two-mile are you’ll be exploring, including a kelp forest. The guides will share lots of cool information with you about the area, so pay attention.

When Your Guided Sea Kayak Tour is Complete

Eventually, the tour will head back toward the launching point, but will stay farther out from shore. When you get directly out from the launching point, you’ll venture back in. About 100 yards off shore, the group will pause and one kayak at a time will venture in. This allows the guides on shore to help people should they tip as they cross over the breaking waves.

My kayak buddy and I tried to pick up as much speed as we could, and at some points it felt like we were riding the waves. That made steering a little tough, but we managed to stay afloat and in the kayak.

After landing your kayak, you’ll take your paddle back up to the place where you left your shoes. Find your socks and shoes and then head over to the bathroom area to shower off your feet and put your socks and shoes back on your rinsed-off feet.

After that, it’s a short walk back to the store where you can drop off your helmet and life jacket, grab your belongings and tip the tour guides. Don’t forget that last part. 😉

The Details

Address: 2164 Avenida de la Playa, La Jolla, CA 92037

Cost: The prices are per kayak – not per person. Prices also vary based on the season. A single kayak ranges from $79-$120. Tandem kayaks (fits 2 people) ranges from $99-$120. A three-person kayak (two adults and one child) ranges from $169-$220.

How Long: The tour is about 1.5 hours long, but you’ll want to allocate about 2-2.5 hours to ensure adequate time pre and post the tour.

Hours: Tour times are generally 9:20, 10:40, 11:20, 12:40, 1:20, 2:40, 3:20, 4:20 and 5 p.m. Times may vary based on the season and day of the week.

Website: https://www.lajollaseacavekayaks.com/

Phone: (858) 454-0111

PIN THIS