Santa Barbara Harbor Kayak | SUP | Surf Rentals

Paddle Sports is open 7 days a week (including holidays)  in the Santa Barbara Harbor at 8am. We close at 6pm in the Summer and 5pm in the Winter. The last rentals go out 1 hour before closing and must return by close.

We use RFID wristbands to keep track of your time once you leave the shop for your rental. We have 1 hour, 90 minute, and 2 hour routes that we recommend. You can stay out for as long as you are having fun, the first hour is a flat rate. We give you a 5-10 minute buffer from when you leave the shop.

We are operating with some COVID precaution to keep our staff and paddlers healthy and happy.

• If you are not feeling well stay home and get better, do not visit us please!
• Tandem renters must be in the same family.
• Social Distancing- A 6 foot minimum is required when checking equipment in and out.
• Please sign a waiver before you arrive Sign Waiver Here
• We sanitize all paddles and PFDs after each use.
• We let the sun and salt wash our kayaks after each use.
• Our changing rooms are closed for now to avoid extra time spent in the shop.
• We do not have wet suits for use at this time.
• Yep, masks are still a thing and you must have one per person over age 2. Please don’t make us enforce this rule, arrive with your mask already on, Thank you in advance for your consideration of our happiness, we see you smiling underneath!

Walk-ins are welcome at anytime, but reservations move much faster and we give priority to reservations in the line.

We have made it easy for you to make reservations and sign our digital waiver online here on the website.

Please have everyone over 18 yrs old complete a waiver before arriving at Paddle Sports.

If you are paddling with younger kids, please add them to your adult waiver.

If you are currently paying Fitness Dues, or have prepaid, you do not need to make a reservation. If you are a PSC Member and are not paying dues, you can make a reservation online and if you have a lifetime membership, you will get the 25% discount online.

No, please do not make a reservation if  you have a coupon, promotional offer, local discount card, Axxess or Groupon… you will need to bring it with you so we can redeem it before charging you. If you make a reservation and want to redeem a coupon when you arrive, we will have to refund the reservation and start all over again. Thanks!

Here are our age policies.

• You must be 14 years old OR over 5’ tall to paddle on a Stand up paddleboard.
• We do not allow more than one paddle on an SUP, sorry.
• Kids 12 and over may paddle by themselves in a single kayak.
• Kids 2 and younger may paddle with an adult in a tandem
• We do not allow 3 paddlers in tandem kayaks.
• We reserve the right to change these age policies based on the current conditions at any time. We have the policies for your protection, thank you for being considerate and understanding.

Yes, you will get wet and you must know how to swim! Treat kayaking like going to a waterpark. It depends on the ride, but you have a very good chance of going swimming and getting soaking wet. 90% of people don’t get more than their butts wet, but the chance exists so dress for it!

You can bring whatever you like with you, but if it doesn’t float, it may not stand a chance of coming home with you if you drop it in the ocean…

You should be reading… you can bring your cell phone with you if you like, but if you drop it you’ll lose it!

So we have lockers outside for use, they are $2 per locker.

We will hold onto your car keys for free.

We also sell 5L dry bags for $10 if you want to bring those special items with you and keep them dry. We do not rent dry bags.

We are located next to the Fish Market and Brophy’s restaurant in the Santa Barbara Harbor complex.

There is free 90 minute parking around the shop and paid parking in both directions before you cross the bike path. 90 minute parking is just shorter than 91 minute parking and a tiny bit longer than 89 minute parking.

Yes, they are $2 per locker.

Normally yes, but to limit the amount of time people spend in the shop we have closed our changing rooms until future COVID things change.

You can change or cancel your reservation time up until the day prior to your rental. So if your reservation is for Saturday, you can cancel or reschedule up until close on Friday. Your reservation is confirmed if you make it the day of or don’t contact us prior to the day of your reservation. If you are more than 60 minutes late for your rental, your equipment may be gone… please try to arrive on time.

Paddle out to the 1/2 mile green buoy where you’ll find sea lions resting. On your way out to the buoy you’ll pass the Sandspit where marine birds rest and feed. Once you’ve had your fill of Sea Lions, you’ll head back and under the historic Stearns Wharf and then along West Beach past the bait dock where Seals haul out to warm up. Then you’ll kayak under the iconic “Channel Cat” and then along the outside of the harbor and back to our shop.

Everything you get in the 60 minute route by paddle a little further out to the 1 mile buoy where you’ll have a better chance of encountering Coastal Bottlenose Dolphins as they cruise the coast.

For the more adventurous paddlers, cruise up the coast to Santa Barbara Point (Leadbetter) where you’ll have excellent views of the Waterfront and Riviera and an excellent chance of seeing more wildlife. The paddle to the point is into the wind, on the way back you’ll have the wind at your back.