Kayak Connection

No complaints. $ 55 for a two person kayak for 4 hours. Probably could’ve gone a bit farther out (for whatever reason, getting back only took us a little bit longer than getting out). Closed kayaks with rudders, rather than the open kayaks I’m used to at other places.
During late May, there was a lot less wildlife than I saw previously around October. Still some, though, and tons of seals near the boating area when you first set out.

This is a great place to take your mother and grandmothers for a memorable outing. My friend and I are in our 70s and we had a great time. Our guide Ryan was informative and patient. We even saw a mama otter with her baby on her tummy pop up right in front of our kayak!
We went on the afternoon tour (1:30) but next time will aim for the morning one (9:00 a.m.). The return trip after two hours exploring the slough was a bit rough and difficult paddling against the wind and the incoming tide. James, who worked with Ryan, hooked onto our kayak and gave us a tow during the choppy patches.
The kayaks have peddle-​operated rudders, so it’s okay if you don’t know how to steer.

We had a really great experience kayaking here. The guy at the front who helped us and set us on our way, gave us enough information to prepare us. Furthermore, all the employees were personable, friendly, and patient.
I would suggest you to call earlier and ask them about the tides. We happened to go at a time when the current wasn’t as strong. Trust me, your arms and body will thank you for choosing an opportune time when you are trying to return & fight against the water. I would also suggest you not to workout your upper body the day (or even 2 days beforehand LOL).
5 stars cause nature is awesome & seeing otters hugging their mates/​babies and swimming together gives you all kinds of fuzzy feelings. You also get to see so many fat seals sunbathing. ahh, must be nice to be a fat seal

Appreciate the integrity of their staff! Showed up today to rent paddle boards, since having positive experiences with this company in the past, and the dude at the counter said, «While I would love to take your money, it’s too windy out there today. You should check out our other location [Santa Cruz Harbor].» Glad to not throw money to the wind!

We went kayaking on Sunday, 2/​21, in the morning and it was a wonderful experience. A Facebook post by Santa Cruz visitors had let us know that there were many sea otter babies and we decided to go although we are not experienced kayakers at all and were a bit nervous about the experience. The staff at Kayak Connection was awesome: they outfitted us, gave us great advice on the area, how to get the most out of our trip to the slough, super instructions on how to kayak and then helped us to get into the kayaks. Thanks to them we felt super at ease and really enjoyed the beautiful area and seeing all the wildlife. What a peaceful and beautiful place — we will be back for sure!

Had a great experience here! Super helpful staff, good quality equipment, and lots of wildlife encounters out in Elkhorn Slough. Made me want to buy my own kayak!

We took the whole family (5 of us total) to Elkhorn Slough and used Kayak Connection for our rentals. Our kids had no kayaking experience but we buddied-​up and took a triple kayak as well as a double kayak. The company did a great job preparing us for getting on the water — we watched a short video, then got our gear with a short lesson about the slough and how to paddle. We did not opt to go with an organized tour, and we were fine without the extra expense since we could set our own pace and decide what we wanted to do since there was plenty of wildlife to enjoy without needing a guide to point it out. We were so pleased with our entire experience. It didn’t hurt that the weather was EXCEPTIONAL!

A well-​run, somewhat hidden little shop in a marina in Moss Landing. Fantastic and helpful employees make sure all of your questions are answered and, most importantly, that the wildlife is protected. Lots of adorable critters (sea lions, otters, seals, tons of birds) greet you at every turn in Elkhorn Slough (pronounced «slew»). Ask about the current before you go out and plan accordingly– it took us about 3 hours to do 3 miles (2 hours out and 1 hour back), although a lot of it was spent cooing at marine wildlife… Thanks for the great day, Kayak Connectiom!

Took my wife and daughter here and we had a great time! The staff was very kind and very helpful. They do a brief instructional on how to paddle, how to turn, etc. which was awesome. Paddling into the slough is a little tough if the tide is going out, but if you are in relatively good shape should not be an issue. We had a three seater sit on top kayak, if you choose this option be prepared to get a little wet. Next time I won’t wear shoes on board! Kayak connection also provides water proof pants and jacket that can go over your clothing to keep you dry, a big plus!
This was a wonderful experience and we will definitely be back. Seeing the marine life from the water like that was amazing! We saw seals and dozens of sea otters. The sea otters are really cool, and very playful and curious. We even saw a mother sea otter with her pup!
I highly recommend Kayak Connection, these guys are awesome!

What a great experience! I went to Kayak Connection yesterday and spent several hours kayaking in a single person kayak. The people in the office were so nice and friendly and got me set up with gear and a lesson and into the water in a short period of time. Once on the water, I had a blast. There were otters everywhere, a big group of sunning seals (or sea lions?), and birds.
I was cautioned to stay at least 100 feet away from the animals, but even so I got to see so much. Kayak Connection has a dock (meaning no beach entry to get you wet) and the kayak is covered, so you stay pretty much completely dry. I was into and out of the water without a problem. I had so much fun that I’ll definitely be going back!

I went kayaking over the weekend with my friend and we had a blast. We arrived kind of late in the day (2pm) for a kayak trip, especially since the kayaks had to be back by 4:30pm. But we were making this our second activity of the day so we were fine with a shorter period of time on the water.
They were all too happy to allow us a couple hours on the bay. It was gorgeous. The sun was at the perfect temperature and the otters and sealions were peppered throughout our experience on the water.
I highly recommend this spot — right on the Pacific Coastline north of Monterey.

My husband and I took the 3 hour group tour in the Moss Landing Estuary and it was awesome. Our tour guides, Lauren and Helena were friendly, informative and fun. It’s nice when a tour company hires tour guides with such outgoing personalities.
We saw otters, seals and sea lions. The pace was slow and easy, not strenuous at all.
We will go back and rent kayaks on our own now. The tour is $ 60 per person for 3 hours but you can rent a kayak for $ 45 for half a day.
It’s a beautiful place to test the waters.

I went kayaking here for a team outing, and we had reserved 5 double kayaks. Upon our arrival, we watched a video about kayaking in the slough, and the video had a heavy emphasis on the wildlife there. Then, we put everything valuable that we didn’t want to get wet in the car and went to get our spray skirts, paddles, and life jackets. We were also told the route to go, and we had a brief lesson about how to paddle. I think the pre-​kayaking part could have been a lot more efficient, but that might have been due to our large group size. We then had a brief lesson about how to paddle, and then we set off to our kayaks! The kayaks were pretty comfortable, and it was pretty easy to paddle them. We saw a bunch of wildlife, like seals, otters, and birds! The waves aren’t too bad so there’s pretty much no chance of tipping over due to the waves, and apparently doubles are easy to tip in the first place. We had good weather, and it was great. Nobody was there to get us off our kayaks though; we had to figure it out ourselves, which wasn’t too bad. We also helped other people get off. I thought it was somewhat strange to not have people help us get off our kayaks. But anyway, okay experience with okay prices; double kayaks are $ 55 for 4 hours. Might come again?

I have been kayaking before but nothing compares to the whale kayak I went on today. I was a bit nervous given I had never gone kayaking in the ocean before but our group had an excellent guide named Riley who made sure everyone was safe. There were over two dozen whales that came very close to our kayaks. Seeing the whales took my breath away. They are beautiful! This will be a day to remember and I hope they continue to do this trip even though a whale almost landed on a kayak. This company made sure everyone stayed close together and was not left alone. Five stars and thank you again to Riley!!!

Amazing!!!
My family and I booked a tour for the Elkhorn Slough, and it was so great. Our guide, Ryan, was so friendly, and patient when some of us got stuck in the muddy/​shallow areas. He took us into the Slough, where we were able to observe all the wildlife. We saw sea otters, harbor seals, and many types of birds. He was well — informed, and was able to answer all of the tourees’ questions. We were even able to see a pair of sea-​otters mating!
Overall, a great experience! Would do this again!

Rented two paddleboards and went out on the water for 2 hours. Staff was friendly. The amount of wildlife we saw was amazing and I am so glad we rented our boards here rather than near fisherman’s wharf in Monterey which has bigger crowds and more boat traffic. The only reason I’m leaving one star off is because once we returned to the dock we had to carry our own boards back up the dock to the shop which is maybe about 100 meters. My husband and I were fine carrying them only because we have experience from owning our own boards here on the east coast, however if I never carried one before I would have been nervous. Walking back up the dock you pass by people’s private boats that they live on and there are a few tight squeezes which can easily result in the paddleboards banging into them. Other than that, glad we rented here.

Had a beautiful day on Elkhorn Slough with our tour guide Franco, saw sea otters, harbor seals, terns, and learned so much about the ecosystem of the area. Can’t wait to do it again!

My friends and I took a private Sunset Kayaking tour. It was fantastic. The staff were responsive and welcoming during the reservation process, helpful as needed, and very friendly. Our tour guide, Matt, added so much to our experience. He shared information about the animals that we saw (birds, otters, and seals), the stars in the sky, and history of the area. We had an amazing time… will definitely do this again!

Awesome staff. Genuinely passionate about their sport, and interested in seeing that everyone, beginners included, have a good time. And we did! It’s definitely not a 5-​star resort or country club kind of experience, but then again, this is kayaking, not the Princess Cruise.
I just wish that we had not over-​estimated ourselves and heeded the warnings about the wind and turning around early for the return trip. I wasn’t sure I would live to write this review. But here I am, alive and well.
Don’t feed the animals.

First off, if you haven’t been to Elkhorn Slough, it’s amazing; go here. I was very impressed by this rental company; high quality kayaks, friendly and fast customer service, very good experience.
They offer guided tours, but I don’t think they’re needed; it’s a very easy kayak and it’s impossible to get lost.
Next time I’m back here, I’ll rent from them again.