Santa Barbara Adventure Company - Santa Barbara, California

Brielle B.

We tried to schedule an Adventure Sea Caves Kayak tour just a few days before the date of the trip on a holiday weekend. Tickets for the ferry were totally sold out even though tickets for the kayak tour were available. I called and left a VM to see if we could be put on a waitlist or something. Leslie called me, got us on the waitlist, and just a couple days later told us we were in!

Directions are very easy to follow. Once you’re on-island, the guides are also fantastic. Felt totally safe and prepared. They provided wetsuits, splash jackets, PFDs, and helmets. I HIGHLY recommend bringing water shoes of some kind ($20 from target) to make life a little easier and a hat for between your head and the helmet.

We tipped out of our kayak at the “boat wrecker” cave and Chuck didn’t even blink. Easily helped us back in and away we went. It was our favorite part of the trip!

They have places to store your things safely while you’re gone and changing rooms to get back into your dry clothes. If you do the longer trip starting at 1030 AM, note that you’ll probably only have time for the one quick hike (we packed a lunch and ate on the go).

We felt it was 100% worth the cost and time. Amazing memories! Would absolutely do it again and highly recommend.

Teresa B. L.

My girlfriends and I wanted to kayak in the Channel Islands as part of a girls weekend getaway. I made all the arrangements through the Santa Barbara Adventure Company. The process was easy and all the information we needed was provided. The follow up and communication was excellent in the days leading up to the trip. Once on Santa Cruz Island we were immediately greeted and escorted to the staging area where we had the option to wear wetsuits and jackets they provided. This was perfect since it was quite chilly out! Our very competent guides were John, a very seasoned pro and Gabe, a very capable young man. The kayaking experience was very memorable as we explored the waters and caves. John and Gabe shared interesting facts and stories and guided us through. I would highly recommend the trip for anyone seeking an escape to a remarkable, unique and biologically diverse island. Santa Barbara Adventure Company and Island Packers Ferry are a great combo! Be sure to leave time for hiking too!

Larry D.

Absolutely amazing tour. The guides Dustin and Dario were funny, engaging, and super-knowledgeable, showcasing the national park and being amazing guides. The boat tour was full of great details about the voyage and stopped to not only showcase the sea life but also explain the importance of how to interact with sea creatures and animals. Props to Parker for catching trash that was in the ocean - it instantly led to sea karma of the tour seeing humpbacks and dolphins up close! With park jobs being cut, every experience we had during our visit showcased the incredibly crucial role park guides play in keeping the best parts of America safe, beautiful, and fun for all to enjoy.

Jill C.

Our kayak/snorkel tour was amazing. Jo was the best guide! She was very safety conscious, knew a lot of information about sea life and was fun to spend time with. She was able to show us all this cool sea life. What a stellar day! It is definitely worth it to add snorkeling to your kayak tour. And we saw baby fox when we hiked around the island after our tour before getting the ferry back.

Sierra R.

This was an awesome kayak tour of the Channel Islands with our guide Jared! They find you at the dock and provide wetsuits, a windbreaker, and life vests. Because you are on the open ocean, it can definitely get a little more intense with 2 foot + swells but the guides are great at assessing safety and picking appropriate routes and timing. The sea caves are definitely the highlight, with some bird watching along the way. We were even able to kayak through more narrow sea caves and crevices which was definitely an adrenaline rush! Would highly recommend.

Dave N.

I've been on a lot adventure tours I'm 63. These guys are all world-class, professional knowledgeable couldn't recommend this group more. They were well equipped with all the proper gear you'll need to be comfortable plus great guidance and instruction. They got our whole group into really interesting caves that I couldn't even see from 100 feet away. Our guide, Marc had incredible local knowledge. The whole thing was outstanding.

MDub70

Been to Santa Cruz Island few times before for hiking, enjoying the views. This time decided to try kayaking since I had never done it before. Booking on website was fairly straightforward. We did the Discovery Tour. They provided A LOT of info, however, some of it may be outdated. Their video said they may provide water shoes, but then when I called the guy said they stopped doing that, so I went out and bought a pair. But then on the island they said they had some if you didn't have any. Their facility on the island provides a small store, but I didn't bother to check out what they offered. I think they said you could get some small snacks, waterproof bags for your phone, or lanyards for your glasses. They also have a changing area and storage bins for your belongings. They provide everything, including life vest, helmet, slicker jacket, wetsuit (optional), the paddle, and the kayak. The trek from this little facility to the beach was about 1/2 mile. The staff/guides were all very polite, helpful, and knowledgeable. They try to keep the groups small. Ours consisted of 6 people on 3 kayaks. Our guide, Cassie, was excellent and very skilled. She gave us very good instruction, and provided info about flora, fauna, geography, geology, biology throughout the excursion. We paddled through several caves and saw sea lions, baby sea lions, and Pigeon Guillemot. We were good and worn out by the end, which I believe was about 90 minutes on the water. We had a really fun time and got a great workout, too. One couple got a little too tired but Cassie was strong and able to help tow them in with no issue. I'm only dropping 1 star for the info on the website being a bit outdated and the 1/2 mile trek to the beach. Outside of that, I would absolutely recommend this. I attached some photos I took of other things you can encounter on the island or the boat ride to and from the island.

Ed S.

We had a fantastic experience kayaking through sea caves and seeing sea life:
a playful seal doing flips in front of us, sea urchins, non-stinging jellyfish and more.
Our guide Caco provided us into& educational info about the Channel Islands and its uniqueness.
Our group was only 4 boats, 7 people so we all stayed together easily while giving everyone “personal space” to maneuver through the sea caves.