Huntington Harbor, the Best Kayaking Spot for Beginners

Even before we bought our kayaks, we loved kayaking at the Huntington Harbor which we nicknamed “Bolsa Chica”. I’m not sure why. We had always called it that way and the name is kind of stuck. Huntington Harbor in Huntington Beach, CA is such a cool spot for kayaking or paddleboarding, especially for beginners. You will be kayaking along the small canals where you can admire beautiful houses, and badass yachts as well as go under some low-clearance bridges. The water here is usually calm since it is mostly sheltered between the small canals. There are many intersections, nooks, and crannies, so you can easily tailor the route according to your ability or how you feel that day. Therefore, whether you owe or need to rent your kayak, whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced kayaker, Huntington Harbor is the perfect spot!

Stats

To Launch Your Kayak

11th Street Beach
16884 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
33.717006, -118.068919

Seabridge Park
16252 Countess Dr, Huntington Beach, CA 92649
33.726693, -118.070970

To Rent Your Kayak

OEX Sunset Beach
16910 CA-1, Sunset Beach, CA 90742
Website: www.oexsunsetbeach.com

OC Paddlesports
16862 E Pacific Coast Hwy, Sunset Beach, CA 90742
Website: www.ocpaddlesports.com

Parking

Street parking for 11th Beach
A small, paved parking lot for Seabridge Park

Restroom

We can use the restroom at OEX if you ask nicely. Otherwise, there are restrooms at Seabridge Park.

Fee

Free to launch, if you want to rent, please check with the company that you prefer to rent with.

Distance

The route that we usually take is around 3.1 miles round trip.

Level

Beginner to moderate

Time:

2-3 hours

Pet-friendly

You can bring your pups but for their safety and yours, please put a life jacket on them.

Ideal Time

You can do this year-round, however, we recommend getting there early, especially if you want to launch out of 11th Street Beach. Parking there can be a bit of a challenge. Also, going early gives you the best conditions. It tends to get windier in the afternoon.

Weather

Video

Where Can I Launch or Rent My Kayak?

To launch your kayak or paddleboard for Huntington Harbor, there are a couple of options. You can either launch at Seabridge Park or 11th Street Beach. We listed the addresses for both locations above. Seabridge Park will have more parking. 11th Street Beach is located along the Pacific Coast Highway, so you’ll have to park along the busy road. However, if you’re going with a split group of half-own, half-rent, 11th Street Beach will be the best option. There are two kayak rental places located right next to 11th Street Beach. We usually launch out of 11th Street Beach.

To rent, you can go to either OEX Sunset Beach or OC Paddlesports. They are located to the left and right of 11th Street Beach. We rented with OEX Sunset Beach before and they were always wonderful. We haven’t rented with OC Paddlesports yet. However, you can choose whichever options that work best for you.

What Should I Bring?

You won’t need much to have a fun and safe kayaking adventure at Huntington Harbor. We listed some of our favorite gear below though, just in case.

Dry bags – whether you’re renting or bringing your own kayaks, we recommend bringing dry bags. They help keep your belongings dry
Waterproof phone pouch with lanyard- to keep your phone dry. This way, you can keep your phone out to take photos and checking on your map, to make sure that you find your way back.
Hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen – it’s mostly sunny out there. These items will keep you safe from the sun and protect your eyes against glare from the water. For sunscreens, we use eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen, Stream2Sea SPF 30. and tinted, organic All Good Organic Sunscreen Butter.
Swimsuits or easy-to-dry clothing – You will get somewhat wet, especially the lower half, from getting on and off of the kayak and from water splashing.
A light jacket – It can be brisk on the water. We love the packable Patagonia Women’s Houdini® Jacket and Patagonia Men’s Houdini® Jacket
Towel and change of clothes – for changing after the adventure
Life jacket – it is required to have one on board per person. If you’re under 18, you’ll need to wear it. If you rent, they should provide you with one.
Water and snacks – to keep you hydrating and keep your energy up for that paddle back.
Waterproof Speaker (optional) – we like a good kayak tune so we usually brought our little waterproof speaker.
Watershoes (Optional) – to get on the boat easier.

The Adventure

As we mentioned above, our favorite place to launch our kayaks is 11th Street Beach. If you come early enough, there usually parking along the Pacific Coast Highway. Depending on where you park, you will need to carry your kayak along the sidewalk for a short distance to the beach. If you rent, they have the kayaks ready right on the beach for you. If you park along the road, please keep an eye out for traffic. It is a very busy street.

The Route

After launching our kayaks, we usually go left. You can also go straight. There are many canals and intersections here so it’s easy to tailor the route to what you want. If you like going under the bridges, there are a few of those as well. Our favorite bridge is the one near Humboldt Park. Depending on the water level, the clearance level of this bridge can change drastically. One time, we had to lay flat on our kayaks to scoot our way under it. It was pretty fun, for us at least. If you need to use a restroom along the way, Seabridge Park has a nice beach, swim areas, playground, and restrooms.

We recommend bringing a tracking device, even a cellphone with a map on it would work. This way, if you get lost, you can easily find your way back. Trust me, it’s easy to get a bit confused here. All the canals ended up looking very similar after a while. For some reason, Dustin is quite good and remembering the route, but I’m not. If you’re lucky, you can see fish and jellyfish floating in the water. It’s pretty neat!

If you haven’t already, we recommend kayaking at Huntington Harbor. We know that you’ll love it as much as we do. If you’re looking for unique kayak adventures, check out Shoshone Falls or Mono Lake!

These are the gear that we personally use and find them helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.