the sea caves

The sea caves of Santa Cruz island are really cool to see. We saw them by kayak. We arranged a guided kayak trip with Aquasports. We kayaked the sea caves for two days. Kayak is the only way to see the caves. My only cautions about the sea caves are to know what you are signing up for. WHen I was booking the trip, my impression was I would be on a sightseeing trip that included guided kayaking and self-guided hiking. The kayaking, however, is approached more as a sporting adventure by our Aquasports guide. It is sporting as in the people who like to do this enjoy challenging their kayak skills by getting into tight spaces, making quick turns, and navigating obstacles for the fun of it. These are things you do not need to do just for sightseeing, but are done for the joy of kayaking. This was a small but noticeable difference between my expectation and reality. Also relevant to the point is that the kayaking was extensive and fatiguing for two ladies who are not so fit in this regard. To have the best time, know what you are signing up for, and be ready to work hard. The caves are fabulous, and an experience not readily had elsewhere. Sea conditions are extremely variable, as is the wind, and we totally lucked out with quite calm weather. Highly recommended, but stay flexible.

We got very lucky and visited at a time when the water was crystal clear. We could see all the way to the ocean floor. Fish, kelp, seals in abundance. The cave exploration was easy to navigate and each was unique and interesting. Great way to spend the day!

This past weekend, Saturday / 8-29-14, we did a kayaking trip to Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands, 11 miles off of California's coast between Ventura and Santa Barbara, with the Santa Barbara Adventure Company; Adam Sachs was our SBAC guide and he was great. He explained the kayaking methods and the habitat, rock formations, history of the area, and he was a great kayaker and trainer. We ventured in and out of some incredible and beautiful caves, with blue water and incredible rock formations. We had done another kayaking trip with this adventure not too long ago and we came back because that experience was so pleasurable. We had a different guide this time, but the result was the same! We do kayak quite a bit, and this area is by far the best place that we have ever kayaked. We are planning on doing many others with SBAC again, and we will be back! Thanks again!! Bob & Theresa G. - Foothill Ranch, Southern California

This is a special adventure with some degree of technical difficulty and physical stamina needed but mostly just focus and appreciation. We loved being on the ocean and paddling through the caves. On the ocean we saw lots of critters--dolphins, sea lions, sun fish, cor,morants, ducks, pelicans and of course seagulls. Our guides were uber conscious of the environment and very skilled. All in all, we loved the trip and will be back.

We took a group of 6 Girl Scouts camping and kayaking this past weekend, and it was the most unique experience that the girls (and us leaders!) will remember forever!! First - the kayaking - i really don't know why I haven't heard more about this! Spectacular hardly seems the word! I read that this part of Santa Cruz Island has the largest concentration of sea caves in the world. Going in and out of the caves, the clear water, and it didn't hurt that it was a nice sunny day - all made for a wonderful experience. Our guides, Andy and Rachid were just perfect. They knew the sea, the tide, and the water conditions, even directing us around two harbor seals - a protected animal. They showed us a nesting bird feeding her babies, and helped us listen for the sound of a Peregrine Falcon. Awesome!! In addition to their knowledge of the caves, the sea, the island, the animals, they were great with our group!! At one point, two of our girls were getting a little queasy, so we stopped for a bit and then they directed us to a calmer part of the water. Their easy-going attitude, but knowledgeable manner help this to be the highlight of our trip!

Yes a kayak tour is expensive BUT so worth it! My suggestion for sea kayaking is Aquasports out of Ventura. I saw the other tours with 10+ people while Aquasports tour group was my husband and I with another couple. I'm not saying that this will always be the case, but check it out first. I have a slight fear of being in the open ocean so sea kayaking sounded pretty scary to me. Our tour guide, Tony, had a lot of experience (kayak and rescue) and knowledge (life and education). It felt like a private customized-tour instead of being with heaps of people. I felt safe while exploring caves and being exposed to the open sea. Got a tandem kayak which I would suggest if you're not an avid kayaker. Since we were such a small group, we were able to do caves that other tour groups weren't doing. Tony was patient and extremely skilled. I couldn't not have asked for a better guide. Tours usually last 2 1/2 hours, but ours went on for much longer.

I have to agree with the recent reviewers. The kayaking was at the top of my grand,daughter and my list of the adventures we had on a recent trip to the area. Money well spent. We went with Aqua Sports and would highly recommend them. We went in small groups with a very knowledgeable guide. We had high winds and some white caps so thankful for a tandem kayak and the strength of a 16 year old.

Visiting the sea caves with Channel Islands Charter will be the time of your life. We see tons of sea lions and well as harbor seals that beach themselves in the caves. Last trip we were surrounded in our kayaks by baby sea lions. Incredible!

Don't miss this out!!! You have to do this if you go to channel islands! Kayaking in the ocean is way different from kayaking on a lake and going through sea caves is challenging but exciting and gorgeous! Its the best 340$ I spent (for 2 people)

Spectacular!!!! I kept thinking I was thousands of miles away from home when we are right here in our very front yard.

Beautiful and scary to go into. I'm an unskilled kayaker and I was able to do it with guidance and it was beautiful. So glad I ventured out and did this.

When looking for things to do in Channel Islands, the sea caves on Santa Cruz Island often show up as a recommended activity. Having some experience kayaking, we rented a 2-person boat from Channel Islands Kayaks in Ventura and decided to give it a go.While it is certainly unique to be able to paddle through caves, we felt the trip would have been more rewarding with a guide. First, the maps they provide to renters are cartoony and not to scale. We don't really know if we saw all the good caves or not. Second, the rental rates are high enough that if you plan on camping on the islands, you're better off using a guide for one day so you don't have to rent overnight.High seas made it difficult to approach a couple of them, but the ones we saw were an interesting mix. Some are just recesses into the rock, while others are actually tunnels. The light can play interesting tricks creating strange color effects in the water. There are also seals and a number of sea birds all around. Nothing about the caves (that we saw) was worth a return trip, but we enjoyed the paddling.