About Paddle Sports Center
Paddle Sports Center is Santa Barbara's longest-running paddlesports outfitter, operating from a dock-side shop inside Santa Barbara Harbor on Harbor Way. The business has been family owned since 1991 and trades as Channel Islands Outfitters, putting first-time paddlers and experienced sea kayakers onto the same protected stretch of water between the harbor mouth and Stearns Wharf.
The rental fleet covers single and tandem sit-on-top kayaks, touring kayaks and a wide range of stand up paddleboards, with paddles, leashes and PFDs included. They run the only 90-minute rental option in town alongside half-day and all-day rates, plus a membership program for repeat paddlers. Guided trips include harbor paddles, sunset and full-moon tours, SUP instruction, and sea cave expeditions out to the Channel Islands for stronger paddlers.
Three decades on the same waterfront gives their guides a real read on conditions, which matters on a coast where afternoon wind can turn a flat morning choppy. They also run Ocean Explorer youth camps through the summer, and the harbor launch means renters are on the water within a couple of minutes of signing the waiver rather than hauling boards across a parking lot.
