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8 rental shops, real prices, the La Jolla sea caves paddle, and every launch spot in the county.
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Signature experience: La Jolla Kayak's sea cave tour ($74, 90 min, includes gear and free parking). Kids or first-timers: Aqua Adventures on Mission Bay ($25/hr, flat water). Cheapest: Bay City Rentals ($22/hr). Combine snorkel + paddle: Everyday California. Book morning slots — afternoon wind cancels tours regularly.
La Jolla Shores
$40 single/hr · $60 tandem/hr · $74 sea cave tour
Best for: The sea caves
The dominant operator at La Jolla. Sea cave tour is San Diego's #1 kayak experience — 90 minutes through 7 sandstone caves. Free parking with tour, gear, guide, and hot chocolate after. Book online, morning slot, 2 weeks out for summer weekends.
La Jolla Shores
$35 single/hr · $58 tandem/hr · $79 sea cave tour
Best for: Smaller tour groups
Slightly smaller company than La Jolla Kayak with a 6:1 ratio on tours vs 10:1. Same sea caves, more attention. Also runs a leopard shark tour July-October ($59).
La Jolla Shores
$35 single/hr · $60 tandem/hr · $95 kayak+snorkel combo
Best for: Combining kayak with snorkeling
Their signature 2-hour tour paddles to the caves, then everyone drops in and snorkels the reef. Best 'do everything' package in La Jolla. Includes all gear including wetsuit.
Mission Bay (Quivira Basin)
$25 single/hr · $40 tandem/hr
Best for: Calm-water paddling and lessons
The county's best kayak school. Mission Bay is flat and protected — perfect for kids, first-timers, and paddling lessons. They also run outrigger canoe classes and stand-up paddleboard rentals.
Coronado
$28 single/hr · $45 tandem/hr
Best for: Silver Strand paddle to Glorietta Bay
Right at Loews. Calm bay-side paddling toward Glorietta Bay and the Coronado Cays. Not ocean paddling — but the skyline views on the way back to the marina are among the best in the city.
Mission Bay Boardwalk
$22 single/hr · $38 tandem/hr
Best for: Cheapest Mission Bay rental
Cheapest rental in Mission Bay. Older fleet but perfectly fine. Great for a spontaneous 2-hour paddle around Fiesta Island. Cash discount.
Ocean Beach
$30 single/hr · $50 tandem/hr
Best for: Sunset River / harbor paddling
Rent from OB, paddle up the San Diego River estuary or into Mission Bay's back channels. Quieter and more wildlife (herons, egrets, occasional dolphin) than the main bay.
La Jolla Cove
$74 sea cave tour · $30/hr rental
Best for: Slower, more educational cave tours
Marine-biology-forward guides who spend more time explaining sea life. Great for older paddlers, first-time kayakers, or families with elementary-age kids.
The signature San Diego kayak trip. 7 sandstone sea caves at the north end of La Jolla Cove — only reachable by kayak. 90-minute guided is safest; solo requires calm conditions and skill.
The protected water off La Jolla Shores. Kayak out, spot leopard sharks in summer, snorkel over the side. Sea lions often surface next to kayaks.
Perfectly flat, protected water. 4-mile loop around Fiesta Island. Best for kids and beginners.
Small, protected inlet next to Hotel Del. Skyline views, calm water, great sunset paddle.
The birding paddle. Herons, egrets, kingfishers, and occasional dolphin from the OB entry. Best at high tide — the mud flats limit access at low tide.
Advanced ocean paddling only. Big swells and rock reefs. Not for beginners, but the cliff-line paddle is spectacular.
$22-$40 per hour for a single, $38-$60 for a tandem. Guided sea cave tours run $74-$95 including gear and instruction.
La Jolla Shores (sea caves and reserve), Mission Bay (flat protected), Coronado (Glorietta Bay and Silver Strand), Ocean Beach (river estuary), and Sunset Cliffs (advanced ocean only).
No permit for personal kayakers. Commercial tours have permits. Lifeguards may close the caves due to surf or dolphin/whale activity — check that morning.
90 minutes for most operators. Includes safety briefing, launch, paddle to the 7 caves, exploration of Sunny Jim's Cave from the water, and return.
Yes with a guided tour. La Jolla Kayak and Hike Bike Kayak take complete first-timers every day. Solo paddling to the caves requires kayak experience and calm conditions.
Yes — age 5+ on a tandem with an adult. Some operators require 8+ for the sea cave tour. Mission Bay is the better first-kayak choice for young kids.
Sea lions, garibaldi, kelp, seven sandstone sea caves, and — July-October — leopard sharks in the shallows. Occasional dolphin pods and (December-April) migrating gray whales.
Morning (7-11am) — calmer water, clearer visibility, less wind. July-October has the warmest water and leopard shark season. Winter has whale sightings but rougher conditions.
For 60 minutes in summer, a rashguard is fine. For sea cave tours with wetsuit-and-snorkel packages, yes — most operators include it.
Not on commercial tours. Personal rental sit-on-tops in Mission Bay: yes, most operators allow well-behaved dogs. Doggy life jacket recommended.
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Written and fact-checked by the Sandi Spots Editorial team — San Diego residents publishing under Sleep Coast LLC. Every place we recommend has been visited in person or verified against an official source, and no business can pay for inclusion or a higher ranking. Last updated .