Channel Islands Expeditions - Oxnard, California, United States

5DJSGAS 5:00 PM May 9, 2011

Great way to spend the day!
It was a great day for our trip. It was warm with blue skies and calm seas. Our trip started with Kayaking tips and safety information, after which we boarded the Sunfish. Our trip to Anacapa Island took about an hour. Along the way we saw a huge school of Dolphins and many of them came to play by the bow of our boat! When we arrived at the Island we were helped into our Kayaks and our guide led us by cliff lined shores, through caves and through the famous arch. We saw lots of sea lions and birds. We then boarded the ship, ate our snacks and headed back. I would recommend this trip to anyone looking for some exercise, sun, and fun.

4Superplex 5:00 PM Jul 17, 2012

One of the best outdoor adventures in Los Angeles
This trip is one of my Top Ten favorite things to do in LA. It is a great adventure to paddle a kayak into a sea cave and under great stone arches. This place is majestic, beautiful, teeming with aquatic life and very very strange. In sum, it's a terrific adventure. If you are traveling to Los Angeles with kids, this is a much better way to spend a day than standing in line at Disneyland or Universal Studios. Also suitable for grownups of all ages. There are many outfitters who will take you kayaking in the Channel Islands, but Blue Ocean Kayaking is the best for several reasons: 1) The crew is very friendly and helpful 2) The price is right 3) Best of all, their boat, the Sunfish, will take you directly to the spot where you begin kayaking. You put your kayak right in the water and you begin exploring immediately. The Sunfish follows along from a distance, and when you are done kayaking, you simply paddle over to the boat, and they pick up your kayak and you are done. This is different from all of the other companies. The other outfitters require you to haul you equipment onto a big ferry which disembarks at a pier, and then you need to carry the kayak over to the water. Worse, you need to double back when you are done and carry everything back onto the ferry boat. What you will experience: incredible vistas that can only be seen from a boat. Floating just a few inches above the sea, your kayak will bob gently in the swell as you paddle through coves filled with sea birds, sea lions, and harbor seals. The sea below is crystal clear: you will see underwater kelp forests, fish and the occasional scuba diver. You will explore sea caves, some so narrow that you can touch both walls with your hands as you pass through. And you will paddle along the coastline behind the protection of rocks in narrow spaces that only a kayak will fit through. The trip ends as you paddle through the majestic arch at the very tip of Anacapa Island. It is breathtaking. Everyone should experience this trip once at least. Some logistics and info to help you prepare: How long to drive there? The drive to Oxnard's Channel Island Harbor from Hollywood takes at least 70 minutes and maybe longer depending upon the time of day. If you are departing on the morning trip, you should plan to be on the road driving by 6:45 so that you arrive on time for the departure of the Sunfish. What to wear: it can get very very cold when you are on the boat moving across the channel, especially in the morning. Low 60s temperature, but it felt colder because of the fog and wind in the early morning air. Leave your cotton clothing at home: the people wearing jeans and sweatshirts were miserable because the cotton clothing gets soaked and then you freeze. Better bet: bring a windproof shell and polar fleece. Layers are good because you will get warm as soon as you begin paddling. Quick dry sports TV shirt and board shorts are good for the boat. Also bring some sort of waterproof shoes (water shoes, river sandles) but not flip flops. You must wear shoes when you are on the kayak: if you need to step out of the kayak, you do not want to put your foot on the rocks without a shoe. The coral and shells are razor sharp. What to bring: sunscreen, sunglasses, a camera (but put it in a waterproof bag or ziplock bag so it doesn't get wet), waterproof shoes, a towel, a change of clothes for afterwards, baseball hat is good for sun (it fits under the helmet), power bars, water, and lunch for after the trip. Who's it for? This is a mildly athletic adventure for people who are willing to experience a strange and beautiful place that otherwise would never be seen. There were people of all ages on our trip: young couples, young families, older couples, some retirees. If you can ride a bike two miles you can kayak. No special skill required. Is it dangerous? I don't think so, if you don't do anything dumb and follow instructions. You will be on the open sea in a very small craft, but the water is generally calm and weather is clear. Everybody wears a lifevest and helmet. The helmet is necessary because sometimes inside the sea caves the waves will lift the boat up, and your head might touch the ceiling. How long is it? It takes about an hour on shore to get everyone organized and to teach them the basics of kayaking. Then it takes another hour to cross the channel by boat and reach the island. You will paddle for about 2.5 or 3 hours. Then it takes another hour to return. If you are on the morning trip, you can expect to depart from the pier around 8:30 or 9:00 and return to the dock at about 2:30 or 3:00 PM. Single or tandem? I'd recommend the tandem if you are traveling in pairs. It's a good way to save money, but more important you can rest once in a while in a tandem. I noticed that the people in the single kayaks got fatigued much faster. Makes sense: if you are on a tandem, one person can paddle and steer while the other person relaxes or takes photos. On a single, you need to do all the work yourself, so you will never stop paddling for long. That said, nobody got so tired that they could not finish the excursion. It's just not that demanding. Negatives: on our trip, it was unseasonably cold in mid July at 8:30 AM, so we were freezing on the way to the islands because we did not pack enough warm clothing. Also, the toilet on the ship broke during our trip, and that was a big bummer with 40 people on a 6 hour excursion. But those small inconveniences were not significant. Once you get into the kayak, you will be in heaven. It is thrilling and beautiful.