Our Tour Guides and Instructors
If you’re looking for something fun to do in Santa Barbara, like epic bike tour or an invigorating surf lesson, you are in the right place. From high-end rentals to some of the best instruction and tours available we’re here to make your experience in Santa Barbara as fun and amazing as it can be! Home of the best bike tour in Santa Barbara, our team of local guides will show you the most scenic and interesting sites in town.
We’ll typically pick you up and bring you to the best location for your activity in town or meet you at that location depending on availability.
That being said we can often do road bike tours right from your hotel/house or do stand up paddle lessons, kayak tours, and rentals for all beach related activities on the beach across from any of the beach front properties in Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Goleta.
We’d love to show you the Santa Barbara many don’t see!
Meet our Team of Bike Tour Guides, Surf Instructors, Kayak/SUP Guides, and Mechanics
Mitch Hawkins
Manager, SUP, Kayak, and Mountain Bike Guide
I was a collegiate baseball player and a biology student at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. This place is one of the most beautiful locations I’ve ever been to let alone lived in. I decided a few years back I’d love to be involved in helping others see some of the true beauties Santa Barbara has to offer.
From those visiting to the many locals that have lived here for years and never ventured out on the ocean or hiked one of the trails overlooking the city, SB Channel, and Channel Islands.
I hold a personal training certification from NASM and will do just about anything from mountain biking to stand up paddling to kite boarding. Myself and anyone at Cal Coast Adventures would love to take you on any one of the activities we offer.
Connor King
Manager / Media / Sales / Bike Guide
After growing up in Santa Barbara I wanted to explore life in a city that also offered access to the outdoors, which led me to live in Seattle for 4 years. After completing my BA at Seattle Pacific University I found myself craving travel-related work in my hometown of SB.
Since joining the Cal Coast team I’ve found a love for helping travelers indulge in Santa Barbara’s treasures.
Whether it's by promoting our services, designing new ways to improve operations or leading a group on a Bike and Beverage Tour around SB’s booming beer and wine scene - I’ve been happy to help people see Santa Barbara in a new and active way!
Colin Sininger Banales
Guide for Bike, SUP, and Kayak
No place in the world feels more like home to me than SB. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, I want to show you the many beauties the town has to offer! From the amazing food to the booming culture that makes this town special. If you see me outside of work, I'm most likely biking with friends, trying new foods with my girl Steph, gaming online, or at 10th Planet Santa Barbara Jiu Jitsu rolling around. Biking, Kayaking, or Stand up Paddleboarding i'm here to show you what makes Santa Barbara one of a kind.
Bike Guide
I grew up in Colorado roaming the dirt roads of our small town by bike and spending family stay-cations mountain biking in the Rockies. After moving to Santa Barbara for college, I lived the car-free life for 10 years. This was an awesome chance for me to learn about safe city routes and to realize the fun that can be had on different types of bikes. I fell in love with road biking and have had the opportunity to travel on several long-distance bike tours including the Trans American Bike Race. At Cal Coast Adventures we get to share our love for Santa Barbara while biking around the city- I could not ask for a better way to spend the day!
Tyler Young
Manager, Surf & SUP & Kayak Instructor
Born and raised as a Ventura local has given me the ocean and year round waves as my playground since I was old enough to paddle myself around. I did junior lifeguards for 7 years growing up, learning all about our coastline and how to become a certified waterman. Since then, I’ve thrived in the 805 community living in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Carpinteria. On this 805 coast I’ve explored just about every break and every water sport possible to improve my skills as a surfer. From the first time surfer who has been wanting to give it a try, to the more advanced surfer that is looking to improve what they can do on a wave, I love helping people catch waves and spreading the stoke out in the water. Yeewww!!
Brody Weiss
Manager, Surf Instructor
My name is Brody Weiss and I am a recent graduate from Westmont College, located here in Santa Barbara, California. I am originally from Denver, Colorado where I spent most of my free time hiking and snowboarding throughout the Rocky Mountains. Growing up, I was blessed to have a family beach vacation home in Sanibel Island Florida, that we would visit 5 to 6 times a year. It was through this beach house where my passion for the ocean started. At age 12, I took a family vacation to Costa Rica, where I took my first surf lesson and stood up on my first wave. It was from that point on where surfing became my deepest interest. Being from Colorado, I knew I wanted to get to the Coast of California where I could continue to grow my passion for surfing. It was then a dream come true as I received a scholarship to play baseball at the University of California Santa Barbara. I then moved out to Santa Barbara in 2011, and from that point on, surfing has become the biggest part of my life. For me, the ocean/surfing is the one thing that seems to keep my life in balance. For the time I've been out here, I have had the opportunity to travel up and down the coastline of California, surfing with friends and getting to experience all the adventures this state holds. The Ocean has so much to offer us, and it has become my passion teaching and sharing these amazing experiences with others in the water. I look forward to seeing you out there!
Carson Young
Surf Instructor & Shop Tech
Hi, my name is Carson Young, I grew up in Santa Cruz California and quickly developed a love for the outdoors. Growing up in Santa Cruz has shaped me into who I am today. I’m always either surfing, camping, fishing or hiking. My dad put me on a surfboard at the age of 5 and I never looked back. Luckily enough for me I lived about 5 minutes away from the beach, so everyday after school my friends and I would bike down to the beach and surf till dark, wake up and do it all again the next day. In middle school and high school, I would surf competitively during our monthly contests. Being a part of a surf team introduced me to a lot of people that share the same interests as me and are still some of my best friends to this day. Surfing has brought me to several different places around the world where I’ve met some amazing people, such as, Hawaii, Salina Cruz, Mexico, and up and down the coast of California. I started kayaking and fishing around Santa Cruz and was able to learn a lot about marine life and what goes on under the surface and that really grew my appreciation for the ocean. About 1 year ago I moved to the beautiful Santa Barbara where I get to continue to do the things I love but now get to call it my job. Santa Barbara is such a unique place that everybody should come visit. Hope to see you out in the water soon!
Nathan Weber
Manager, Surf & SUP Instructor
As a young surfer growing up on the central coast, I hadn't really grasped how incredibly lucky I was to be experiencing the coastline of California as my own back yard. It wasn't until I moved to Europe out of high school to travel that I began to truly realize where my home was. To me, surfing California wasn't just a place of exercise or an opportunity for sports.
Although it was a place for those things as well, it was the place I felt most connected with nature. I remember so many times running into the house to tell my parents about the waves I had caught that day, and about the way it felt, only to have words fail me and a lot of sound effects come out instead. the ocean isn't something you can experience through someone else.
The only way is to suit up and board up. Surfing makes me a better person, and I know now that the water is where I belong. My goal is to share my passion for the ocean as not only an instructor but as a friend giving back to the sports that made me who I am today. I know with the skills I've learned, and the situations I've experienced, I can help provide the tools necessary to get you started on your own path of exercise, adventure and indescribable beauty.
Whether its furthering your technic in paddle boarding, kayaking or surfing, or simply your first time in the water, I'm confident that either myself, or anyone else in the Cal Coast Adventures team can make your experience an unforgettable one!
Sergio Alvarez
Lead Bike Guide and Bike Mechanic
Born and raised Santa Barbara local boy. I grew up riding a bike and I was always enthused with how far i could go as a young kid. I got into bmx freestyle in the 80s, did competitions and shows while traveling around the world. After retiring from bmx i got into mountain bike racing.
I did cross country racing for about 15 years. I’ve done a lot of off road bike touring in the local santa ynez mountains, which has helped my knowledge of the trails as well as learning the rich history of santa barbara.
I’m excited to meet you and can’t wait to take you out on a ride. Whether it’s mountain biking or road biking I hope you're ready to hurt a little, but in a good and encouraging way 🙂
Scott Davis King
Service Manager
True blond and blue native of Southern California. Born in Santa Monica with sand in my toes. I grew up in Thousand Oaks. Living in Ventura County offered a lot of opportunity in recreation. Surfing, cycling, mountain climbing and more. I followed the North Star to Alaska. I spent ten years exploring and growing. The U.S. Coast Guard, City of Kodiak Fire Department, Search and Rescue Team, all provided an abundance of life experiences. Returning to California I practiced Real Estate Sales, Partner in an Industrial Safety Company serving our local Oil Platforms, and finally opening up my own Non-profit Bicycle Service. With a forever growing passion of all things-bicycle, I received Factory Training from leading bicycle companies. Received training certificates from Fox, RockShok, Shimano, SRAM, and more. I am expert in Mountain Bike Suspension. Soon, I found Cal Coast Adventures and was instantly at home! This magic-shop of people and toys is the destination to the ultimate on-going adventure summer. As the Service Department Manager and Lead Mechanic I ensure the experience you have is nothing short of amazing. I continue to Mountain bike, surf, and play a number of musical instruments. I will forever live the lifestyle of ADVENTURE!
Sean Lappi
Surf Instructor and Kayak Guide
Hi, my name is Sean Lappi. I’m a Pacific Northwest native who was born and raised on Bainbridge Island, Washington just outside of Seattle. My father was born and raised in Santa Cruz and introduced me to surfing at a young age, and I’ve been hooked ever since!
After growing tired of the rain and the cold water, I made the move to Santa Barbara in June 2008, and have resided here ever since. My surfing and kayaking adventures have taken me throughout Washington, Oregon, California, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. When I’m not in the water surfing or teaching, I enjoy exploring our awesome local hiking trails or various National Parks throughout the U.S.
I also occasionally moonlight as a student majoring in Political Science with a minor in Geography who will finally graduate in 2019 after a 10 year academic journey!
Sean Tran
Manager, Surf & Kayak Instructor
My name is Sean Tran, I am a graduate of UCSB. Being born and raised in California, board sports have been in my life for many years. I started out skateboarding as a young child, which then led me to my main passion, surfing. I have been surfing for about 10 years and am still obsessed with the sport till this day. Surfing has brought me many amazing opportunities in my life like making new friends, traveling, and appreciating our ocean/environment. Surfing has brought me to Indonesia, Nicaragua, Hawaii, Mexico, and many of the amazing waves on the coast of California. Through this experience, I have met many amazing people from different backgrounds and learned to appreciate the different cultures each country has to offer. Surfing has also taught me the importance of health and mental health because it improves both. Surfing is very therapeutic and keeps me very happy. There is no better feeling than catching and riding a wave and I am excited to share this experience with you!
Elias Jordan
Manager, Lead Instructor for Surf, SUP, & Kayak
I am a born and raised Central Coast local, and nothing will take me away. While growing up in the foothills of San Luis Obispo County, I was raised in the outdoors. I have done just about everything fun under the sun; BMX racing, skateboarding, dirt bike racing, tennis, snowboarding, and last but certainly not least, SURFING.
The ocean has truly taken over my life over the past 10 years in such an incredible way. My dad introduced my entire family to the ocean at a very young age. Surfing the cooler waters in Morro Bay gave me a lot of appreciation for the more mild temperatures in Santa Barbara when I moved here in 2014 to obtain my Bachelors in Psychology from UCSB.
Surfing has taken me from Lincoln City, Oregon to Sayulita, Mexico, and even Cloudbreak in Fiji. I have met incredibly diverse people through surfing around the world. If surfing has given me anything, it is the appreciation for other cultures and finding unity in the simple (but sometimes difficult) pleasure of riding a wave.
After work and on my days off you will often find me hiking to the local hot springs, surfing with my friends, and often right back here at Cal Coast Adventures. This place has become a home away from home for me and being able to share paddleboarding, biking, and kayaking with my friends and family has given me so much joy over the past 4 years.
John Calforda
Surf & SUP & Kayak Instructor
As a native Californian, I have always had a passion for the outdoors and action sports. Growing up I learned to snowboard and skateboard first before moving to the coast and picking up surfing soon after.
I quickly realized that surfing, as an experience, is on a higher order than most other sports because of the inevitable connection to the ocean that comes with it.
I have found that teaching others to surf, whether they pick it up right away or need a slower pace, is an immensely rewarding experience in which I get to watch people step out of their comfort zone and form a connection with nature that they may not have realized was coming their way.
Plus, it is SUPER FUN!! Let’s get out there and catch some waves, share some stories, and collect a few more to tell some other time!
Surf Instructors and Bike Tour Guides Dedicated to 5-Star Service
Our team is committed to providing noteworthy customer service and focuses on safety first for all our adventures. We hope to help you explore the great outdoors of Santa Barbara in an active way. Whether we are renting you gear or guiding you on one of our tours, we strive for excellency. Check out some of our customer testimonial posted as reviews on Tripadvisor and Google. And if you had a tour/rental experience with us that you were pleased with, we highly value your words of affirmation on these platforms!