Kayaking and paddleboarding in Laguna Beach

What the coast offers a paddler

The Laguna Beach shoreline is rock, kelp and cove, and the water belongs to a state marine reserve. CDFW lists surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, whale watching, snorkeling, scuba diving and freediving as popular activities in the area. It describes rocky reefs, shallow kelp-filled water and surfgrass meadows below, and sea lions, harbor seals and migrating whales passing through.

South of Table Rock, in the Dana Point conservation area, CDFW lists kayaking, whale watching, diving and fishing as popular.

What the marine reserve allows

CDFW says that unless a rule specifically prohibits it, non-extractive uses such as swimming, wading, boating, diving and surfing are allowed inside a marine protected area. For a paddler that means you can cross the reserve. You cannot fish, and you cannot take or possess any living, geological or cultural marine resource there. The city’s beach pages say taking or collecting rocks, shells or marine life is prohibited. The marine reserves page has the boundaries and the exact wording.

Wildlife distances

Three distances apply near Laguna’s animals.

• Seal Rock. A large rock about 120 yards off the north point of Crescent Bay shelters seals and sea lions. The city says swimmers and kayakers are not allowed on the rock and should stay away from marine mammals in the area.
• Harbor seals on the shore. Laguna Ocean Foundation tells visitors to stay back at least 150 feet from a harbor seal sunbathing near Goff Island, at the edge of Goff Cove.
• Whales. NOAA Fisheries recommends watching large whales from at least 100 yards away by sea or land, and keeping an observation to 30 minutes or less. The whale watching page covers seasons and viewing.

Launching and surf zones

For a launch you plan yourself, ask the Marine Safety Department at (949) 497-0310 before you load a board, and read the signs at the beach.

Surf zones matter to anyone with a hard board in the water. The city names Agate, Brooks, Rockpile and Thalia Street as the beaches where surfing is allowed. Its Rockpile page calls the cove one of Laguna’s three designated surfing areas and says swimming and body boarding are not permitted there. At Oak Street it says swimmers may not enter the surfing area because of skim and surf boards. Keep your craft out of marked surf areas unless you are there to surf, and see the surfing page for the beaches.

City beaches north of Aliso Creek close from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m., so a dawn launch starts after 5 a.m. The city bans alcohol on its beaches, and it warns that the rocks that make the coast scenic are dangerous and that waves have swept people off them. Not every beach has a lifeguard at all times, so check at the tower and obey posted flags.

Go with a guide

Two companies list guided kayak and stand-up paddle tours on their own sites, and Visit Laguna Beach carries a listing for each.

• La Vida Laguna lists kayak tours, stand-up paddle board tours and surf lessons as daily offerings at 1121 Glenneyre Street. Its site also lists tide pool tours and outrigger canoeing for group and corporate outings.
• Laguna Ethos lists ocean kayak tours, stand-up paddle tours and surf lessons at 763 S Coast Highway, along with e-bike and hiking tours. Its site shows prices, which change, so read the current ones there.

Questions worth asking when you book: where the tour starts, how it handles the Seal Rock and whale distances above, and what happens when surf or wind rises.

Before you go

The city’s Marine Safety Department publishes surf reports and real-time weather on its pages, and its beach tips tell you to check with the lifeguards and follow posted signs and flags. Its phone line is (949) 497-0310.

If you want the same reefs from underwater, see snorkeling and diving.