Surfing & Water in San Diego

Nine San Diego sportfishing boats and landings for first casts, private groups, and long-range adventures, with rules that can make or break departure.

Seven exact zones, in the order you are ready for them — from sand-bottom whitewater at La Jolla Shores to a long right over a shallow Cardiff reef.

Seven San Diego surf schools that will get a first-timer standing, with what each lesson costs, how big the group gets, and what comes with the board.

Four sea-cave kayak operators working the same two blocks of Avenida de la Playa — who to book, what the launch actually asks of you, and why nobody can promise you the caves.

The whale trips worth the ticket in San Diego County, from a specialist boat out of Mission Bay to a 6-passenger photo boat and a sail that cuts the engine.