Let me start by saying that Coronado is the most wonderful place in the world and there are tons of activities and things to do without every having to cross the bridge. That being said, our family was looking for a ‘staycation’ San Diego activity and when we discovered the ‘Kayak Tour of the 7 Caves‘, we had to hop in the car and make our way up to La Jolla. If Coronado only had caves…
After arriving at San Diego Bike and Kayak Tours, we donned our helmets and life-jackets and walked about 3 blocks to the La Jolla Shores Beach. It was a bit overcast, but the sun was just starting to poke through the marine layer.
We got about 20 minutes of ‘kayak’ instruction that covered the basics of paddling, going through waves, getting back into your kayak should you ‘dump’ or ‘get rolled’ and some info about staying along side the two instructors.
Getting out was probably the hardest part of the adventure. I had a double kayak with my 7 year old daughter and we made it out just fine. My wife and 5 year old son had a harder time due to the larger set of waves coming in, but they eventually made it out (let’s just say that the 5 year old didn’t paddle that much). You can reserve a single or double kayak and the minimum age is 5 years old. It’s also important to mention that you should know how to swim.
Our guides were great and gave us loads of information about the sea life (above and below), rock formations and the history around the La Jolla shores and caves.
We finally made it to the 7 caves, but because the waves starting to build in size, one of the instructors hopped in the water to help guide in kayaks so we were less likely to capsize or hit the cave walls. It was beautiful and exhilarating at the same time. A highlight for me was seeing all the sea lions along the rocks. You could get right up next to them and listen to the loud sounds they would emit.
Another highlight from the day was getting to ride the waves back into shore. Our instructor gave us a briefing and sure enough, all kayak explorers were able to surf the waves right in on the first try – awesome!
I’d highly recommend this adventure right here in our San Diego backyard. Prices start at $40/person with coupons for booking ahead or online – get all the details on their website.
So, get out and enjoy this bridgeworthy activity.
eCoronado.com
ps. I spoke with the owner and they are expanding to Coronado in the near future!
