Santa Barbara Sailing Center

I took my boyfriend on a sunset cruise during september for his birthday. We boarded a gorgeous catamaran with ample seating. I loved that the crew members had a very excited attitude and promoted an atmosphere of fun. We got some champagne at the mini bar and embarked on an absolutely gorgeous sunset cruise for about an hour and a half. I would definitely do this again! I noticed a group of girls who where having a bachelorette party and thought that would be a good idea for one too. it looked like they where having a lot of fun as well.

The staff are all very lovely people. The happy man who pushed us off into the ocean was very happy. I like him. Also kayak rental prices were decent… it ended up costing $ 20 for about 2 hours or so for a double kayak. Overall a great experience and if I were to kayak in SB I would definitely go through here.

We rented kayaks at the SB Sailing Center on a holiday weekend, so there were a lot of people in the harbor and by the wharf. Follow the directions on their website, and you’ll find the building easily (and you’ll get a dollar or two off of parking, so make sure to get your ticket validated). The Sailing Center itself was really easy and fast to rent from, and the price was decent.
We went out for about an hour and a half and actually went out pretty far into the ocean. I thought the harbor and area round the pier was a little scary to kayak in. I’m not used to so many boats all around me, and the jet skis freaked me out because I know those people are renting those and could possibly run into me! But no one actually got close to us, and were safe the whole time. The views are AMAZING from the kayak, so it’s worth it just to paddle out and hang out, enjoying the views of the harbor, wharf, ocean, Channel Islands, and Santa Barbara.

I booked a kayak tour for 6 for my bachelorette party on 9÷19÷15. I can’t believe I don’t remember our guides name, I made a point to remember it so I could leave her a great review. but forgot! It’s either Danielle or Rachel… anyways and this trip was seriously the highlight of our vacation.
We spent a while just going through the boats in the harbor, and I was kind of nervous that thats all we were going to do, and not go onto the «open water». She knew what she was doing, because as soon as we did get into the «open water» there was no way our arms would have lasted out there for 2 hours. It was nice to get our bearings in the calm water. She pointed out some cool boats as we rowed along.
We went to bouey that had seals on it, which was really cool, they gave us a little show. She took us to a good spot to jump out and swim around. I could tell she enjoying herself, and kept saying how much she loved her job, which only made our day more enjoyable. I also noticed her picking up beer cans and other garbage as she passed it, which were few, because the water was really clean and beautiful.
I will defiantly re-​book for a kayak tour the next time I am in Santa Barbara!

Our company did a team building event on the double dolphin catamaran and it was prefect! Everyone had a blast and the on deck bar is a plus! The boat ride up and down the coast was a smooth sailing. Great times!

Went on a coastal cruise with the hubby. 30 bucks a person and totally worth it. Bring a sweater! We got horrible wind burn but totally our fault. They actually supply blankets, if you ask, for no extra charge. There are drinks and beer (for a price) which is nice. We sat in the front and didn’t even think there was a possibility we could get wet but we did. Some people got soaked but it was still fun. (If you want a mellow ride I would suggest the cushioned seating area). We were lucky enough to get a friendly and fun crowd. Our captain Dana (I think) and his crew mate Colton were entertaining and helpful. The music selection was great! Basically, it was just a blast.
If you want to see sea lions I would suggest the sea lion cruise. We saw just one and it was sleeping. This cruise is more about seeing Santa Barbaras beauty from a distance.
If you want to choose your seat, show up 30 minutes in advance. Even an hour before because it WILL take you 30 minutes to find parking.
My only con was that the check in area was like a sorority house. I understand these are college kids but we saw a lot of people confused and needing help but the girls were too busy giggling and drunk.
I will be back though. Maybe kayaking next time!

First time kayaking!!! Loved it! Staff and service was great! Price was reasonable!
Definitely planning on returning soon!

Rented the Catalina sail boat for the afternoon. Had to take a small written test and they let us go on our way. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, the boat was clean and had everything working properly, and the rate for the boat rental was pretty reasonable. 65 bucks for about 2 hours of sail time. We would definitely rent from them again.

I paddleboard often and had a big family visiting last weekend. The Santa Barbara Sailing Center had PLENTY of paddleboards and accommodated all experience levels — for all 10 of us at once.
Location: Santa Barbara Sailing Center is located at the far south end of the marina, next to the landing and across from the SB Swimming Center.
Service: Everyone is SO nice! Service with a smile too. We had some beginners bump along the narrow exit to the marina. Instead of getting mad, staff were helpful and laughed with us.
Paddleboards: Beginner, intermediate and advanced level boards are available. So are paddles at a variety of heights. Getting off/​on was easy — they have a low dock with hand rails.
Kayaks: Couldn’t be much easier! They had a dock with rollers to hold the kayaks. Get in, get a push, and you’re off. We rented single and double kayaks.
We were more than welcome to take the gear around the marina, by the harbor and pier, and out to the open ocean to explore. We saw sea lions, dolphins and a grey whale!

First off the girls at the ticket center were drinking vodka out of Coca Cola cans when we went to sign in for the cruise — very unprofessional. They immediately took the vodka bottle off the counter when we walked in and one of the girls was slurring her words and almost fell in the water… really?
Anyways, we purchased our tickets for the family sunset dinner cruise in advance and the boat could probably hold 30 people comfortably. We shared the boat with 2 other families, so it was a tight fit. After taxes it came to $ 70 a person, which included a dinner buffet either fajitas or italian and 2 hours of cruising. The food was average and we weren’t too impressed. There was a plate shortage (third party catering company fault). Our captain was a younger college guy who was cool but I don’t know I would necessarily trust him with my life if we got stranded in the middle of the sea. They were accepting song requests but otherwise some Nickelback type of music was playing by default. Next time I’ll try just the sailing for half the cost on a smaller sail boat with no food and a more intimate group. The upside is that we got to see some sea lions and the guy taking drink orders was really friendly.