Marina del Rey & Ballona Wetlands
Marina del Rey (Los Angeles) · near Los Angeles (Marina del Rey) · Los Angeles / SoCal
Kayaking & SUP
At a glance
- Best season
- Year-round · Calm harbor water most days · SoCal sun
Permits and booking
- Permit
- No permit. Launch from Mother's Beach (Marina Beach), a protected swimming-and-paddling lagoon. Marina del Rey is a public harbor. The adjacent Ballona Wetlands are a protected reserve — respect wildlife areas.
What is here
- Wildlife
- Snowy egrets · Great blue herons · Black phoebes · Sea lions (in the marina) · Waterfowl in the Ballona Wetlands
Worth knowing
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Kayaking & SUP detail
- Nickname
- LA's Calm Harbor Paddle
- Water types
- protected-bay
- Exposure
- sheltered
- Sup friendly
- Yes
- Wetsuit
- Usually not needed — the sheltered harbor is calm and SoCal-mild. A rash guard and sun protection suffice most of the year; a spring suit adds comfort in winter.
- Tidal note
- No significant hazard — Marina del Rey is one of the world's largest man-made small-craft harbors, with calm, protected water ideal for first-timers. The adjacent 600-acre Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve offers birdwatching. Watch for boat traffic in the main channels.
- Intl tip
- Marina del Rey sits between Venice Beach and Playa del Rey. The Ballona Wetlands and the nearby beaches make a full day; Venice's boardwalk and canals are minutes north. It's the most beginner-friendly water in LA — a great first paddle before tackling the Channel Islands or La Jolla (this guide).
The guide
Marina del Rey is Los Angeles's easiest, calmest paddle — one of the world's largest man-made small-craft harbors, its protecte…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Marina del Rey & Ballona Wetlands — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 33.98, -118.452