You have a choice among companies for your business. If you’re shopping for the best deal, make sure you’ve read the fine print.
We don’t charge hidden 'service fees' or charge extra for locker rental to keep your belongings safe.
Most companies limit availability at peak times for discounts like Groupon so you may find yourself unable to take advantage of the advertised discounts.
We provide complimentary storage for your belongings. We secure our lockers with zipties, but please feel free to bring your own lock. We recommend bringing a towel and a set of dry clothes for after your tour as you will get wet!
We highly recommend it! Many tours sell out in advance, especially on summer weekends and holidays. If you have a flexible schedule, we may have some last-minute availability, but making a reservation 3-10 days in advance (depending on the time of year) will ensure you aren't disappointed! We require full payment at the time of reservation (see below for our cancelation [policy). Your tour can be reserved online or with your credit card over the phone.
Our tickets are changeable (based on space available) and refundable (minus a 3.5% fee) up to 24 hours before your tour. Within 24 hours of your tour, we are unable to make changes or provide refunds for any reason, even those that are beyond your control. Of course, if we cancel a tour for any reason you will have your choice to reschedule or a full refund.
It never rains in San Diego… except sometimes when it does! But because kayaking is a wet sport, a little rain certainly won't stop us! Of course, we will cancel a tour when we determine that conditions are unsafe to continue, at which point we will provide refunds. Please note that weather conditions in San Diego are very localized and vary over a short period of time, so expect a tour to run until a staff member informs you otherwise. During rainy or cool and overcast weather, we recommend bringing a light wind breaker or renting a wetsuit from us ($10) and bringing warm dry clothes for after your tour.
Well behaved dogs are welcome on our tours! Make sure to bring a life jacket for 'Fido', they deserve to be safe too and without it they won't be able to go kayaking with you. If you don't have one or forget to bring it, dog PFDs are available to rent for $10. Dogs oveer about 40lbs may challenge your balance in the kayak. If you have a big dog and you've never tried kayaking together, we reccommend trying calm water first! Dogs must be leashed.
Especially during the summer, finding parking near the beach can take a little extra time. We highly recommend using Uber or Lyft if possible during the busiest summer months. If you drive, leave yourself plenty of extra time to find parking. Parking spaces on Avenida de la Playa near the shop are limited to 90 minutes which is not enough time for your tour. Street parking in the surrounding residential neighborhoods is unlimited. There is a large parking lot on Camino Del Oro nearby, but this is often full by late morning. Underground parking is available on weekends for $20 in the large office building at the corner of Paseo del Ocaso and Avenida De La Playa. On the busiest days, we suggest putting "Lowry Terrace" in your navigation, or try Avenida De La Playa east of La Jolla Shores Dr. Keep your day relaxed and easy by arriving early! Enjoy the beach, a bit of shopping, or grab a bite or a beverage at one of the many excellent restaurants/cafes on the street! Keep in mind that check-in time is ONE FULL HOUR before your tour time.
No. Your safety is our highest priority. The Pacific Ocean can be wild and unpredictable and there is always some risk associated with entering the caves. Sometimes the risk is very high and we will never take unnecessary risks with your safety. The caves are super cool even at a distance and beauty and wildlife will be all around you. Most people don't realize that the Marine Protected Area is an extremely unique stretch of Pacific coast. Our launch zone is well protected from the unrelenting Pacific swell and this allows people of all skill levels access to the open coast. In just 1 square mile, a kayaker will experience 5 different marine habitats: the sandy flats, rocky reefs, sea cliffs, deep water canyons, and kelp forests. Each of these habitats supports it's own unique flora and fauna and they all collide in this small area, producing abundant and diverse wildlife viewing opportunities. In many ways, the caves are the least interesting part of your adventure!
Yes! If you've never kayaked before, please join us for a guided tour. You will receive dedicated instructional and safety information throughout the tour from professional guides. While no experience is necessary for our guided tours, a sense of adventure is! This is the Pacific Ocean, not Disneyland, and conditions are different every day. That's part of what makes it so exciting! Be prepared to enjoy the peaceful conditions on calm days, and to embrace a bit of challenge on rougher days.
If you have kayaking experience, you will still get a lot out of a guided tour, but you are also welcome to rent kayaks from us and enjoy the area on your own, without guides. Rental kayaks are not allowed to enter the caves by order of the San Diego Lifeguards.
Children over 6 years of age are welcome to join our guided tours! Children between 6 and 14 years must be accompanied by an adult on a tandem kayak. Children under 18 years must have a parent or guardian sign a liability release form on their behalf. Minors who wish to rent a kayak must be accompanied by an adult.
We understand that every child is different and what is fun and exciting to one, is terrifying to another. Your 6 year old may love every minute and your 12 year old may be in tears. Kayaks do capsize in the surf, especially when landing. While this is great fun for some kids and adults, it can be frightening to others. If your child (of any age) is a bit timid about the water or the ocean, please let your guide know so we can take extra precautions to ensure that their experience is a positive one that will foster a life-long love of water sports and our amazing oceans! Don't hesitate to call us if you have special concerns or questions.
For the same reason you wouldn't let your child or friend ride their bike without a helmet: because there's a chance they could fall off and hit their head on something hard. Well, if you're kayaking close to rocks and into sea caves, then there's a chance… a small chance… that you could fall off and hit your head on something hard. We simply can't take the risk, no matter how small, that your wife, or your brother, or your child, or YOU, could injure something as valuable as a head when the simple act of wearing a helmet can reduce the consequences of that risk. The ocean is an unforgiving and often unpredictable place and (as with every outdoor sport) there are risks associated with kayaking. We do our best to minimize those risks.
We believe that kayaking should be accessible to as many people as possible. Many disabilities can be accommodated without compromising safety. Read our Essential Eligibility Criteria for renters and tour participants on their corresponding pages. If you meet these criteria, we can accommodate you! If you are unsure about your ability to meet the criteria, please start in sheltered water like a swimming pool or Mission Bay. We can provide written, waterproof safety and tour information for hard-of-hearing and deaf guests (wearing expensive hearing aids on the water is not advised!); various adaptations to back and thigh support for low spinal cord injuries and amputations; grip enhancement for weak or painful hands; and a "beach" wheelchair to cross the sand for guests with mobility challenges. Kayaking in a tandem with a companion can be a tremendous benefit for guests with and without disabilities. Please call us to discuss any adaptations you may need.
Your “tour time” is the time we will be shoving off from the beach. This time is inflexible given the conditions of our permit with the City. In order to adhere to them, guests need about an hour to check in at the shop, complete liability waivers, change clothes, get fitted with life jackets, wetsuits, etc, and then head to the beach for an orientation and instructional/safety talk. Failure to check in an hour before your “tour time” may forfeit your spot on the tour. We will be unable to refund or reschedule guests arriving late. Be sure to allow plenty of time to find parking during busy summer months. Make your day relaxing and arrive extra early, then enjoy some tasty food or a beverage at one of the street dining venues on our block. Check out "Area Links" for cafes and restaurants within a few blocks of our shop.
Your confirmation email will contain lots of information to help you prepare, but we'll highlight a few things here: You will get wet! Please plan on wearing appropriate clothing like board shorts, bathing suits, rash guards, wet suits, etc and bring a set of dry clothes for after your tour! Heavy cotton clothing like jeans and sweat shirts is not allowed while kayaking. Wet suits are recommended on cool days in the fall through spring and can be rented for $10. A light windbreaker will keep you comfortable for most of the year. Nothing beats a change of warm dry clothes when you’re done! We have complimentary lockers and changing rooms in our shop for your convenience.
Although not compulsory, in the US, tips are an expected expression of your satisfaction with the people who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to your guides. We believe in paying fair wages for work and have considered including gratuities in the price of your tour; however, we feel that by leaving an amount discretionary, our guests can provide direct feedback to their guides on every tour and that this will result in better guides. If you feel that your guides did an adequate job, rest assured that they are adequately compensated for such a performance. If you feel that they did an above average to outstanding job, then a gratuity of $5-$10/guest will reflect the quality of their performance. Tips are shared among your guide team - no need to tip each guide individually. We accept cash, credit cards, apple pay, venmo, etc. for tips. The team @SeaLevel is constantly striving to improve and we embrace constructive criticism and suggestions for improvement. Please let us know if you feel that your guides fell short! If we could have made your experience better, please speak to your guide or shop staff; or contact management at LaJollaSeaCaveKayaks@gmail.com or (858) 454-0111.
There are 4 other companies that offer the same tour we do and we welcome you to explore your options. We are all regulated by the City of San Diego and the San Diego Lifeguards, but we believe we stand out from our competition for the following reasons:
1. Owner Jennifer Kleck is one of the most highly certified kayak guides and instructors in North America. Her passion for safe, empowering, and adventurous kayaking experiences, and high standards of professionalism are reflected in her staff selection and training. Her expertise is verified by her certifications: American Canoe Association Level 5 Sea Kayak Instructor, British Canoeing Level 5 Sea Kayak Coach and Advanced Sea Kayak Leader/Guide. In addition to holding these awards, British Canoeing recognizes Jen as a Trainer and Provider of their coaching and leadership awards. Jen is required to maintain these certifications through annual professional development and quality control programs.
2. As professional outdoor guides, every member of the team is dedicated to a great guest experience. There are many factors about the Pacific Ocean that we can't control, so we control what we can (like investing in quality life jackets and providing world class training), and then strive to match the level of challenge and support to each guest, each day.
3. We are dedicated to reducing the overwhelming impact of humans on our oceans and to fostering a love and appreciation of La Jolla's coastal beauty within our guests. We aim to stock our retail store with environmentally and socially responsible/sustainable products whenever we can find them, and we donate generously to not-for-profit organizations that support the health and beauty of our coastlines.
4. Value. At first glance, our tours may look more expensive, but we ask you to look more closely. Your tour price with us includes the most professional guides, plus all taxes and fees, AND complimentary lockers to store your belongings. We hate hidden costs. Here's a representative comparison chart of the competition. Prices for every company (including ours) vary widely with seasonal demand. On any given day, you might find a lower price elsewhere, so we've linked each company's website below:
| Company | taxes/fees | locker rental | wetsuit rental |
|---|---|---|---|
|
La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks (us!) |
included |
complimentary 36" tall |
$10 |
| EDCA | 12% + $5+ booking fee | $6-12 | ?? |
| SDBK | 17.5% | $8 | $24 |
| LJK | 14% | $6+ | $15 |
| HBK | 14% | $6+ | $15 |
9:00am-6:00pm
Winter hours vary due to weather and holidays.
Check the online calendar for your specific dates.
Please call (858)454-0111 if in doubt!
La Jolla Sea Cave Kayaks
2164 Avenida de la Playa
La Jolla, CA 92037