Long Beach has more shoreline than most people realize, and many of its best days happen on the water. Here is a local guide to things to do on the water in Long Beach, from calm bay paddles and gondola rides to whale watching.
Start with the right water
Alamitos Bay and the Naples Island canals are flat and protected, so they stay calm even when the ocean is not: the place for beginners and families. The open ocean and the harbor are for trips with licensed captains, like whale watching, sportfishing and sailing charters.
1. Pedal a hydrobike on Alamitos Bay
A hydrobike floats on two pontoons: you sit up high and pedal, and a propeller does the rest. It is a stable, drier alternative to kayaking or paddle boarding, open all year and beginner-friendly, with two cup holders and a storage cubby on every hydrobike. Day, sunset and glow rides are one hour on Alamitos Bay.
The 2-Hour ride gives you time for the Naples Island canals, and Christmas Lights rides loop the Naples Island canals on December nights. Plan your visit for parking and food nearby, and see the FAQ for ages and what to wear.
2. Take a gondola ride through the Naples canals
If one boat says Naples, it is the gondola. Gondola Getaway has been rowing guests through the Naples Island canals since 1982, when founder Michael O’Toole started it as a project while attending USC (Long Beach Business Journal). It calls itself the oldest and largest fleet of gondolas in America, and Visit Long Beach has called its gondolas second only to the Queen Mary as the city’s most recognizable water attraction, with well over 5,000 proposals on board.
O’Toole soon brought in his childhood friend and surfing buddy David Black, and together they added boats, hired a bigger crew and built Gondola Getaway into the Naples institution it is today, even traveling to Venice in 1984 to learn traditional rowing from Venetian gondoliers (Gondola Getaway). David sold his share in 2010, and he has now told the whole story in a new book, The American Gondolier: Inspired by True Events, which follows the journey from a borrowed fishing boat to a thriving gondola business (Flavor of Italy).
Fun fact: our owners, Melissa and Mike, met at Gondola Getaway, rowing guests through these same canals as gondoliers.
A traditional cruise lasts 50 minutes for up to four people, with a gondolier rowing you past waterfront homes, under the Naples bridges and along the moored boats. For bigger groups, the Grand Venetian carries up to 14 guests with two gondoliers, and pizza cruises set a table on board. In December, Holiday Lights Gondola Cruises glide past the decorated homes of Naples (Gondola Getaway). December is their busiest month, so book early, and plan ahead for Valentine’s Day too. The gondolas leave from 5437 E Ocean Blvd.
3. Kayak or stand up paddleboard the bay
Alamitos Bay is one of the calmest places in Southern California to try a kayak or paddleboard, and the rental shops around the bay are great neighbors on the water. If you want lessons, the city’s Leeway Sailing and Aquatics Center on Alamitos Bay has taught sailing since 1929 and also teaches kayaking and canoeing.
4. Go sailing with Jolly Sailing
For a small-group sail, Jolly Sailing runs private charters with a USCG licensed captain for up to six guests, leaving from Shoreline Village downtown. Two-hour charters cruise the Long Beach coastline, and three-hour charters can sail over to Alamitos Bay, so you might wave to each other on the water. You can bring your own food and drinks, and there are life jackets, a Bluetooth speaker, blankets and a bathroom on board. The boat is a 32-foot Ericson sailboat (Visit Long Beach).
5. Rent an electric boat with friends
Small electric boats, the kind locals call Duffy boats, rent by the hour for a relaxed afternoon or evening around Naples. A good fit when not everyone wants to pedal or paddle. London Boat Rentals on N. Marina Drive rents Duffy boats for up to 12 people (dogs welcome) to cruise Alamitos Bay and the Naples Island canals. The idea goes back to 1966, when Marshall “Duffy” Duffield put the motor from a secondhand golf cart into an old motorboat hull (Duffy Electric Boats).
6. Go whale and dolphin watching
Harbor Breeze Cruises runs whale watching trips with Aquarium of the Pacific naturalists from Dock 2 in Rainbow Harbor, next to the Aquarium. According to Visit Long Beach, gray and humpback whales are best from January to April, blue and fin whales from May through September, and close encounters with dolphins are almost guaranteed. If you get seasick, take something before you board.
7. Ride the AquaLink water taxi
In summer, Long Beach Transit’s AquaLink water taxi connects downtown (the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Queen Mary) with Alamitos Bay Landing, about a 40-minute trip, and the smaller AquaBus has looped Rainbow Harbor (Longbeachize). Regular service has ended for 2026 and returns in 2027, AquaLink still runs special trips on F&M Bank Amphitheater concert days, and AquaBus is out of service until further notice, so check Long Beach Transit before you plan around it.
8. Swim on the bay side of the Alamitos Peninsula
Ask a local where to swim and you will hear the same answer: the Alamitos Peninsula. The bay side of the Peninsula has soft sand and calm, shallow water sheltered from the open ocean, with views across to Naples and the marina. It is a great spot to wade, float and watch the boats go by. Walk across to the ocean side for a wide, quieter beach with small waves. Street parking on the Peninsula is tight in summer, so come early or ride a bike down Ocean Boulevard. If you want lifeguards and restrooms close by, Mother’s Beach, inside the bay near Marine Stadium, has a shallow swim area with lifeguards during peak periods.
9. Dive boats, sportfishing and harbor cruises
Scuba divers can leave right from our side of town. The Sundiver dive boats tie up at Alamitos Bay Landing and head out to the kelp forests of Catalina and the Channel Islands (California Diving News). Downtown, the Cee Ray has run dive charters to the Southern Channel Islands since 1989 from Berth 55 in the Port of Long Beach.
Pierpoint Landing on the downtown waterfront and Long Beach Sportfishing in the Port of Long Beach book half-day, full-day and overnight fishing trips and private charters. Catches change with the season, from rockfish and bass to yellowtail and bluefin tuna (Visit Long Beach). For something slower, Spirit Cruises runs harbor and dinner cruises from Shoreline Village. Book with a licensed operator and check the weather the day before.
10. Snorkel or dive at Catalina Island
The best snorkeling and diving near Long Beach is at Catalina Island. Catalina Express ferries leave Long Beach daily and reach Avalon in about an hour, and you can rent snorkel gear on the island to explore the kelp forests around it (Visit Long Beach).
Ideas by occasion
Date night in Long Beach
A sunset or glow hydrobike ride, then dinner at Alamitos Bay Landing or on 2nd Street in Belmont Shore. For a classic Long Beach date, add a gondola cruise in Naples or a private sail from Shoreline Village.
Unique birthday ideas in Long Beach and Los Angeles
Get everyone on the water: a glow ride makes great photos, an electric boat works when the group wants to sit and talk, and whale watching is a big day out. Hydrobike departures take up to 20 guests, with back to back departures for larger groups.
Holiday things to do in Long Beach
In December the homes of Naples Island light up for the Naples Island Christmas lights contest, and seeing them from the water is a Long Beach tradition, whether from a gondola on a Holiday Lights cruise or from a hydrobike on a Christmas Lights ride with hot cocoa included. There are no hydrobike rides on the Naples boat parade night.
Questions about water activities in Long Beach
What are the best things to do on the water in Long Beach?
Hydrobiking on Alamitos Bay, gondola rides through the Naples canals, kayaking and paddleboarding, private sailing charters, electric boat rentals, whale and dolphin watching, the AquaLink water taxi in summer, sportfishing, harbor and dinner cruises, and snorkeling or diving at Catalina Island.
Where is the calmest water in Long Beach?
Alamitos Bay and the Naples Island canals are flat and protected, so they stay calm even when the ocean is not. They are the best places for beginners and families.
Are there beginner-friendly water activities in Long Beach?
Yes. Hydrobiking, kayaking and paddleboarding on Alamitos Bay need little or no experience, and on a gondola ride, a captained sailing charter or the summer water taxi someone else does the steering. Hydrobiking is a dry sport, and you sit up high and pedal your own.
Can you do water activities in Long Beach all year?
Yes, weather permitting. Hydrobike rides run all year on Alamitos Bay. Whale watching changes with the seasons: gray and humpback whales are best from January to April, blue and fin whales from May through September, and dolphins are around all year.
Tips for any day on the water
- Reserve ahead. Weekends, sunsets and December nights fill up.
- Wear sunscreen and a hat, even when it is cloudy.
- Dress in layers. It is cooler on the water, especially after dark.
- Check the wind. Afternoons are usually breezier than mornings.
Sources: details about other businesses come from their own websites (Gondola Getaway, Jolly Sailing, London Boat Rentals, Duffy Electric Boats, Harbor Breeze Cruises, Long Beach Transit), the City of Long Beach, Visit Long Beach, the Aquarium of the Pacific, Longbeachize and the Long Beach Business Journal, linked above. Checked September 2026; schedules and offerings change, so confirm with each operator before you go. Photos are credited in each caption. Feature image: Long Beach Waterbikes.
