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EXPLORE ACTIVITIES

Kayak Connection is Monterey Bay’s favorite outfitter for sea kayaking and paddleboarding rentals, sales, lessons and tours.

single sit on top kayak

Rent a Kayak

Spend the day exploring with friends or relaxing on your own. From our private docks paddle the iconic Santa Cruz Harbor and Monterey Bay or explore the protected waters of the Elkhorn Slough with unparalleled wildlife encounters.

Elkhorn Slough
Santa Cruz
kayak tours in santa cruz and moss landing

Go on a Tour

Discover all the hidden wonders you might have paddled right by without our naturalist guides leading your adventure. Make the most of your experience by taking a guided tour customized for you and your group.

Elkhorn Slough
Santa Cruz
stand up paddle boarding

Rent a Paddleboard

This beginner friendly area has all the scenery to catch that Santa Cruz stoke, or provide a challenge for the experienced paddler who wants to venture out to sea. Views of the iconic yacht harbor will wow and re-energize you.

Santa Cruz

Take a Class

We offer quality sea kayaking instruction taught by highly trained ACA instructors. Let us prepare you for that multi-day kayak camping trip, or geek out on perfecting your forward stroke technique.

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As Seen On

Santa Cruz Harbor Location

Come to our Santa Cruz Harbor location to experience over a mile of calm protected waters – perfect for beginning kayakers or paddleboarding enthusiasts.

For the more adventurous, head out into the Monterey Bay for open ocean exploration. See the iconic Santa Cruz sights including the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the Santa Cruz Wharf and experience the surf stoke at Steamer Lane.

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Elkhorn Slough LOCATION

Elkhorn Slough is one of the top ten wildlife viewing destinations in North America. The Elkhorn Slough at Moss Landing boasts the largest remaining raft of southern sea otters on the planet.

Come paddle with these amazing endangered creatures, as well as sea lions, harbor seals, beautiful floating jelllies and migrating sea birds.

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WHAT WILDLIFE WILL YOU SEE TODAY?

Sea Lions
Sea Lions
Humpback Whales
Humpback Whales
California Southern Sea Otters
California Southern Sea Otters
Pacific Harbor Seals
Pacific Harbor Seals
Sea Anemones
Sea Anemones
Purple-Striped Jellyfish
Purple-Striped Jellyfish
Pacific White-Sided Dolphins
Pacific White-Sided Dolphins
Opalescent Nudibranchs
Opalescent Nudibranchs
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MEET YOUR TOUR GUIDES

Our team is our greatest asset. Kayak Connection is proud to introduce you to our extended family of kooky paddlers. We take no greater joy than kayaking together, and helping you discover the adventure and magic the ocean delivers.

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WHAT EVERYONE'S SAYING

We really enjoyed our tour of Elkhorn Slough with Chris. We don’t have ocean kayak experience and the protected bay was just right for adults and a 12 and 15 year old. We followed the FAQs so we arrived early and felt prepared by the introduction we got on site. We didn’t need the water and snacks that were in the FAQs so left them in the car. Also, there is a bathroom on site but it’s porta-potty if that matters to you.
Christina G
Christina G
03:38 21 Sep 23
Nuria Varela
Nuria V.
01:46 19 Sep 23
They go overboard making you feel comfortable going on an adventure
Sherri St.Martin
Sherri S.
07:21 07 Sep 23
Did the bioluminescence tour. Would definitely recommend!!
Michelle Zerbi
Michelle Z.
02:00 06 Sep 23
Ok this was a bucket list experience for me! The Elkhorn Slough was filled with wildlife! Our guide Ky was amazing. Full of knowledge as a marine biologist student and her enthusiasm for the slough, she made our experience exciting and adventurous It was worth it to go at 7 am. There was no wind and the wildlife was abundant. And the only way to go that early! Otters, birds, seals and even sea lions! All playful and curious. It was a must do! Thank you!
Karen Dearana
Karen D.
00:30 29 Aug 23
Ok this was a bucket list experience for me! The Elkhorn Slough was filled with wildlife! Our guide Ky was amazing. Full of knowledge as a marine biologist student and her enthusiasm for the slough, she made our experience exciting and adventurous It was worth it to go at 7 am. There was no wind and the wildlife was abundant. And the only way to go that early! Otters, birds, seals and even sea lions! All playful and curious. It was a must do! Thank you!
Karen Dearana
Karen D.
00:30 29 Aug 23
We had a wonderful time with our private tour guide, Jenna! She was super knowledgeable about the local wildlife and was happy to share with us! She was super patient and informative as we were both first-timers. Never made us feel any pressure or anxiety about being out there.We saw a lot of great wildlife including sea otters, harbor seals, Marine birds, nudibranch, and even a salp!!We will definitely be back!
Parina Patel Mosley
Parina Patel M.
16:59 28 Aug 23
We had a wonderful time with our private tour guide, Jenna! She was super knowledgeable about the local wildlife and was happy to share with us! She was super patient and informative as we were both first-timers. Never made us feel any pressure or anxiety about being out there.We saw a lot of great wildlife including sea otters, harbor seals, Marine birds, nudibranch, and even a salp!!We will definitely be back!
Parina Patel Mosley
Parina Patel M.
16:59 28 Aug 23
So much fun! We saw about a dozen otters!
Kaisa Young
Kaisa Y.
17:33 13 Aug 23
I went on a sunset kayak with a guide named Mark along with a friend, and he was really great (Mark was, my friend was fine). Knowledgeable and helpful, he had us paddle around while being respectful of the animals, and making sure we gave each animal the appropriate distance. We saw like 20 otters, and so many harbor seals including cute pups. Tons of birds too. Highly recommend Mark.
Zachary Shepard
Zachary S.
10:41 03 Aug 23
I went on a sunset kayak with a guide named Mark along with a friend, and he was really great (Mark was, my friend was fine). Knowledgeable and helpful, he had us paddle around while being respectful of the animals, and making sure we gave each animal the appropriate distance. We saw like 20 otters, and so many harbor seals including cute pups. Tons of birds too. Highly recommend Mark.
Zachary Shepard
Zachary S.
10:41 03 Aug 23
I was so focused on enjoying the experience I didn’t take any pictures. Our guide Cam was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic in sharing his love of the water and wildlife.We did a 5:30 am, 3 hour private tour on a Wednesday. It was so peaceful and we saw sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, and lots of birds. I thought 3 hours would be too much but it was perfect. We would paddle and then stop and observe the wildlife.My 18 year old and I shared a 2 person kayak and were very comfortable in the pants and life jackets provided to us. We wore our own rain jackets under the life vests.We’d completed the forms before we arrived and handed them to Cam making it that much easier to get started. Cam had gotten the kayaks ready for us so we were in the water within 10 minutes of arrival.We both wore hats but didn’t really need them that early in the morning. I brought a small dry bag that I clipped into the kayak with a borrowed carabiner to not lose my phone.Next time I’ll bring a waterproof camera so I can take pictures.The harbor seals were playful and came so close to us despite us wanting to give them distance for their protection.The birds were spectacular in both their behavior and quantity.We didn’t see anyone else until about 7:45 am which was amazing.I’ll be bringing my husband back to do this soon.
Terri Hanson Mead
Terri Hanson M.
14:55 28 Jul 23
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GALLERY

WHAT ADVENTURE WILL YOU GO ON TODAY?

Fall in love with kayaking the Central Coast. Rent a kayak or paddleboard, take a class, or book a tour with our local guides to experience a magical outdoor adventure.
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Elkhorn Slough Go There

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