Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Kayaks, paddleboards, surfboards and snorkeling turn a week at Ocean Explorers into a hands-on introduction to Santa Barbara’s marine environment. Campers spend five days moving between the harbor, nearby beaches and the water while counselors blend ocean sports with marine education, conservation and exploration. The program is organized in two age tracks: Keiki for ages 5–7 and Humpback for ages 8–14. Both run Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Keiki campers build comfort in the water through kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, boogie boarding, surfing, body surfing, snorkeling, beach play, art and ocean learning. The younger group uses life jackets throughout water activities, completes a first-day swim test with a PFD, and works with counselors under the camp’s Keiki supervision structure. Humpback campers take on more exploratory and instructional mornings, then spend afternoons practicing and playing with camp equipment at Sandspit under counselor guidance.
Across both tracks, activities connect campers with the local waterfront through beach cleanups, marine-life observation and ecology themes. Wetsuits and life jackets are provided. Counselors hold CPR for the Professional Rescuer and complete the camp’s internal ocean water-safety training. The program is based at Paddle Sports Center in Santa Barbara Harbor, with age-specific drop-off and pickup points described for each track.
| Ages: | 5–14 |
| Type: | Day |
| Gender: | Co-Ed |
| Setting: | Coast |
| Water: | Water, Boating, Kayaking, Paddleboarding, Swimming, Snorkeling, Surfing |
| Adventure: | Adventure, Nature, Conservation |
| Academics: | Academics, Science, Marine Science |
| Arts: | Arts, Fine Arts, Arts & Crafts |
| Time: | 09:00 AM - 03:00 PM |
You won’t be charged yet. The camp will contact you to confirm all terms first.
You can still submit a quick request to let the camp know you’re interested.
Ocean Explorers is divided into two five-day summer-camp tracks. Keiki serves ages 5–7 and is built around ocean play, basic paddling and surfing skills, art, beach time and experiential ocean learning. Campers kayak, stand-up paddleboard, boogie board, surf, body surf, snorkel and take part in beach cleanups, museum visits, journal drawing and marine-education activities. The program is designed to help younger campers strengthen existing swimming comfort and build confidence using ocean craft and life jackets.
Humpback serves ages 8–14 with a stronger emphasis on exploration, instruction and skill development. Mornings are described as exploratory and instructional journeys that challenge campers within their skill level. Afternoons shift to supervised practice and play at Sandspit, where campers use camp equipment with counselor guidance and room to learn at their own pace. Kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, surfing, body surfing, snorkeling, beach play, art, beach cleanups and ocean education are woven through the week.
Both tracks run Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Conservation and local marine ecology are integrated into activities, connecting ocean sports with the wildlife and environment around Santa Barbara Harbor.
Water-safety procedures differ by age group. Keiki campers complete a first-day swim test while wearing a PFD, and the camp asks that children have previous swimming lessons and be comfortable floating in a life jacket. Keiki campers must wear a life jacket at all times while in the water. Humpback campers also complete a swim test; PFDs are required on kayaks and paddleboards, and campers who struggle during the test may be asked to wear one at all times.
The camp provides wetsuits and life jackets. Counselors hold CPR for the Professional Rescuer and complete an internal two-day ocean water-safety leadership course. The published camp pages also describe separate counselor-to-camper ratios for the Keiki and Humpback groups.
Ocean Explorers is led by counselors trained for work around the water. The Keiki and Humpback pages state that counselors hold CPR for the Professional Rescuer and complete the camp’s internal two-day Ocean Water Safety Leadership Training course. The camp also publishes separate supervision ratios for its two age tracks: 5 campers to 1 counselor for Keiki and 6 campers to 1 counselor for Humpback. Activities are guided by counselors while giving campers age-appropriate opportunities to practice ocean skills throughout the week.
Camp runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Keiki drop-off and pickup takes place at Leadbetter Beach next to the catamarans on the harbor side of the beach. Humpback drop-off and pickup is in the alley behind the Fish Market and Paddle Sports Center. The camp provides wetsuits and life jackets. For water readiness, the program asks campers to have previous swimming lessons and to be comfortable floating in a life jacket; each age group completes a swim test on the first day.
Payment in full is required to reserve Ocean Explorers Camp. Cancellations made 30 days or more before the camp start date are eligible for a full refund; cancellations are not accepted within 30 days of the start date.
