Santa Barbara Sailing Center
Santa Barbara Sailing Center
4.5
Multi-day ToursBoat ToursBoat RentalsStand Up PaddleboardingKayaking & Canoeing
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Full view
About
We are Santa Barbara’s premier destination for on-the-water fun! Learn to sail, charter a sailboat with a captain, rent a variety of sail and power boats or enroll in a Liveaboard Instructional Vacation to the world-famous Channel Islands National Park. If you're looking for a little adventure, rent your own kayak or stand-up paddle board or go on your own private excursion with one of our guides. We also offer a wide variety of public sailing cruises in which you'll experience an array of marine life as well as spectacular views of the coastline. We will see you on the water!
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Santa Barbara Sailing Center
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(12 reviews)
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
145 reviews
Excellent
96
Very good
25
Average
8
Poor
6
Terrible
10
wilson4allaround
Naperville, IL206 contributions
Jul 2021
Last Friday evening we did the Music on the Water cruise and it was perfect! Konrad Kono played the keyboard all evening as we sipped wine and enjoyed the beautiful sunset. The crew could not have been more professional and kind. I was there with my daughter and her friend who attend UCSB. All three of us agree that it was a magical evening.
Written July 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John M
Scottsdale, AZ7 contributions
Sep 2021
We chartered a 36' sailboat with Captain for 3 hrs and had an excellent time. In fact, we were upgraded to a 42' and our Captain Larry provided a great tour of the coast and then taught the fine art of sailing a boat this size, allowing us to share captain and mate duties in rigging sails and reading the wind conditions. It was a lot of fun and highly recommend, especially if you can get Captain Larry.
Written September 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cdamicoinla
Los Angeles, CA4 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
We chartered Heather Jean, a 32ft Catalina sailboat for a three hour sunset cruise and it was the highlight of our trip to Santa Barbara. The booking process could not of been more simple and straightforward. The check in process was equally efficient and so easy. Our captain, Dana, was an excellent sailor and very knowledgeable about the harbor, animal life, history of Santa Barbara and nearby islands. We will definitely return for many more cruises.
Written June 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
balmeetsingh
Bakersfield, CA3 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
The guy told us to grab a lifejacket (and told us we don't need to put it on) and then pushed us off on the kayak. No introduction, no instructions, no questions.
We had a great time teaching ourselves to kayak.
When we got back, the girl told us to get ourselves off (she didn't help even when my wife almost fell in the water) and then walked away.
When we went to inform the front office girl about our customer service issues, she basically told us that everyone knows how to kayak and told us to have a nice day, with an attitude of not listening or wanting to acknowledge the rudeness of staff.
My wife and I understand CoVID-19 precautions working in healthcare, but this level of unsafe behavior and rudeness is inexcusable and not attributable to any CoVID-19 related restrictions.
This is simply terrible customer service and inability to listen to feedback.
Would highly recommend re-training staff or hiring staff who care about customer experience.
We had a great time teaching ourselves to kayak.
When we got back, the girl told us to get ourselves off (she didn't help even when my wife almost fell in the water) and then walked away.
When we went to inform the front office girl about our customer service issues, she basically told us that everyone knows how to kayak and told us to have a nice day, with an attitude of not listening or wanting to acknowledge the rudeness of staff.
My wife and I understand CoVID-19 precautions working in healthcare, but this level of unsafe behavior and rudeness is inexcusable and not attributable to any CoVID-19 related restrictions.
This is simply terrible customer service and inability to listen to feedback.
Would highly recommend re-training staff or hiring staff who care about customer experience.
Written August 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacob T
3 contributions
May 2021
We celebrated my company's 20th year in business and brought a nice group of our team and their guests on the water. We used the recommended catering service and crew from the SB Sailing Center. Everyone had the best time! The first portion was calm eating time around the harbor, and then we went out on the open water to cruise at higher and bumpier speeds. Both halves of the trip was just perfect, especially with a gorgeous sunset and nice temperatures. The crew was incredibly accommodating before, during and after the event. They helped us hand out gifts to everyone as they boarded, and took great group photos at the end. I highly recommend this for any sort of team building, or group activities. We all had a very positive experience, and it will go down as one of our best memories for the company. Thank you SB Sailing Center!
Written May 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joann5090
Medina, WA47 contributions
Aug 2022
Very good experience for people who DO NOT get motion sick. I was prepared and took my motion sick pills, along with ginger chews and I was sick as a dog!!! Throwing up over the side of the boat the last hour was definitely not fun. It ruined my entire evening. Lesson learned for me. No more boats ever. A women gave me a band to wear but to no avail. Nothing worked!
Staff were so incredibly kind to me and the Captain was such a sweetheart. If you don't get motion sick, it will be an amazing experience. We did the Music on the Water one and everyone seem to be having an awesome time. They apparently saw some dolphins so I highly recommend for "non motion sick" people. Even if you take something, you will get sick!
Staff were so incredibly kind to me and the Captain was such a sweetheart. If you don't get motion sick, it will be an amazing experience. We did the Music on the Water one and everyone seem to be having an awesome time. They apparently saw some dolphins so I highly recommend for "non motion sick" people. Even if you take something, you will get sick!
Written August 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KG_TXtraveler
Houston, TX551 contributions
Mar 2022
We sailed on the Double Dolphin for a morning whale watching cruise. The crew was great, explaining things about the harbor and helping families. We saw harbor seals and sea lions, but unfortunately a number on the boat got seasick so we were not able to sail all the way to where the whales were in seek of calmer waters. However, other boats at the harbor that morning said that they say plenty of whales. The crew gave us vouchers to return for another shot at the experience. It was a nice, large boat with plenty of seating and a bar.
Written March 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
free-heelinUT
Salt Lake City, UT242 contributions
Nov 2021 • Family
We booked a sunset cruise. Unfortunately the ocean was socked in with thick fog. Despite extremely poor visibility (<50 yards) the company did not offer an option to reschedule the cruise as stated when booking. This company is not interested in the safety of its passengers. We cruised in circles for 2 hours at the harbor entrance. We saw some seals on a buoy. Although the boat is named Double dolphin according to a staff member on a good day dolphins are only sighted <10% of the time.
The company needs to re-evaluate their cancellation policy and offer an option to rebook for future date rather than take customers out in extremely poor conditions.
The company needs to re-evaluate their cancellation policy and offer an option to rebook for future date rather than take customers out in extremely poor conditions.
Written November 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MidwestLiketoTravel
Midwest434 contributions
Feb 2022
Spent Valentine's afternoon on SB bay with the Double Dolphin and crew. Started out foggy but that lifted and we were able to see frolicking dolphins for better part of an hour. They were fun to watch and got really close to the boat Also saw the sea lions and harbor seals. Alas, no whales but it was a long shot that early in the migration season. Company was kind to give us passes for later use since we didn't see whales. Cash bar on board and also had sea sickness items (ginger etc) and a couple people needed those, even when the bay was relatively calm. And, bring a jacket. Even if you don't think you need it as you are waiting on the departure. It might very well come in handy!
Written March 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
martinlauder
Beirut, Lebanon2 contributions
Apr 2022
I booked a whale watching cruise with The Santa Barbara Sailing Center. When the cruise was canceled, they informed me an hour before and told me there would be another cruise later that day. It was only after floating around Santa Barbara's marina for half an hour that I realized - what they hadn't told me was that the later cruise was not a whale watching cruise but a "waterfront cruise", which was of no interest to me or my family. The Santa Barbara Sailing Center refused to give me a refund; when I tried to complain in person, they kept me waiting behind a rope, outside their office, trying to talk to a person I couldn't see and who didn't move from her desk. Their business model seems to involve misleading people about what they are being offered, then refusing to give them their money back. Would not advise anyone to use this company for whale watching, there are other, well reviewed, services in Santa Barbara and at other places on the coast.
Written May 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
videomom3
Las Vegas, NV32 contributions
Is the sunset cruise narrated?
KelseaMike
Atx91 contributions
Yes, it is a group activity on one of the bigger sail boats with a professional guide/team running it. But you could rent your own boat to go solo if you wanted.
Santa Barbara Sailing Center - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Santa Barbara Sailing Center Information
Excellent Reviews | 96 |
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Very Good Reviews | 25 |
Santa Barbara Sailing Center Photos | 127 |