One early morning in September, our family was invited to experience then share about a guided kayaking expedition on Santa Catalina Island in Avalon, California with Descanso Beach Ocean Sports. It was the perfect morning island vacation adventure as the waters were calm and clear. It was a short 15 minute walk from our hotel as we walked past the Catalina Casino to get to Descanso Beach. As they instructed beforehand, we dressed in our wet suits because we will be sitting in water, but they wanted us to be comfortable, so they also offered us water shoes, life jackets, and water pants. (Our kayaking tour was for 1.5 to 2 hours.)
Our instructor, Scott, was a nice fellow who has been teaching and guiding the tour for a long while. He seemed very knowledgeable about the area we were exploring. First, he gave us a short paddle lesson in the calm areas, and he waited patiently until we were all ready. The kids did great! It was really cute to see them excited to be on the water and them trying to paddle with the adults. They rested when they got tired, ate snacks, and enjoyed looking for brightly colored fish in the water.
Scott made sure we rested a lot, and he never rushed us. At any point, we could have told him we were done, and he would have been ready to take us back. We also had the option to land to walk around.
“Journey to Frog Rock”
When we reached “Frog Rock”, we spotted Leopard Sharks. Scott told us if we weren’t too tired and had time, we could go up a little further to Fox Canyon and see plenty more in the shallow waters. They were huge! It was the highlight of our tour and so glad that we made it.
Is our time up already? That was fast. Parts of the tour were relaxing as we looked for sea animals, and at other times, we worked out our arms so that we could reach another part of the island (our choice). The tour was flexible which was great. BONUS: At the end of our tour, our kids received certificates for completing the tour. They were so proud.
It was a gorgeous day to be out on the water, and we felt extremely blessed to have great conditions for island kayaking. I think if the waters were rough and if it was our first time, we may have not lasted that long. It was totally kid-friendly, we went at our own pace, and we felt safe the whole time. Next time we’re going to make time to snorkel! Thanks, Descanso Beach Ocean Sports, for a wonderful island adventure our family will remember for years to come!
Descanso Beach Ocean Sports offer various guided tours, snorkeling, and kayak camping. For more information or to make a reservation, please visit their website.
Pack sunblock, snacks, water bottles, and a towel. You’ll need to arrive early to fill out paperwork. Changing rooms, restrooms, and lockers are conveniently around the corner.
