Channel Islands Sea Caves
Santa Cruz Island (via Ventura Harbor) · near Ventura · Los Angeles / SoCal
Kayaking & SUP
At a glance
- Best season
- July-early October (calmest seas, clearest water; winter swell closes the caves)
What is here
- Wildlife
- Sea lions, harbor seals, dolphins, garibaldi & kelp-forest fish, brown pelicans; gray whales on the winter-spring crossing
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- No
Kayaking & SUP detail
- Nickname
- SoCal's Best Sea Kayaking
- Water types
- sea-cave · kelp-forest
- Exposure
- exposed
- Sup friendly
- No
- Wetsuit
- Cold ocean ~55-64F year-round - wetsuit essential; guided outfitters supply 3-4mm suits, spray tops & helmets
- Intl tip
- Book a guided trip (this is not a self-serve or SUP spot) and go July-September when the sea is calmest. Take the earliest Island Packers ferry from Ventura - the caves close to afternoon wind and swell almost daily.
The guide
The sea caves of Santa Cruz Island are the single best sea-kayaking experience in Southern California - a labyrinth of arches a…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Channel Islands Sea Caves — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 34.0489, -119.5528