FREEDIVING ONLY  ·  CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Freediving & Spearfishing.

Freediving trips built for divers who know the drill. Every trip is labeled. Hunt days go after the day's target, kelp days are for photographers working the forest. Anacapa or Santa Cruz, conditions and the day's plan decide.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT SEE WHAT'S ONBOARD
PICK A DATE

Reserve your spot.

Pick a date and your trip type. Hunt days and photo days are listed separately on the calendar. Booking confirms instantly.

See full trip details
THE TRIP

One boat, every day labeled.

The Spectre runs freediving trips into Channel Islands National Park out of Ventura Harbor. Every trip is labeled. Hunt days go after the day's target in open zones. Kelp days are camera-only photo runs, often inside Marine Protected Areas where no take is allowed. Hunters and photographers are welcome either day. The boat runs the labeled plan. You dive, warm up, eat, dive again.

BBQ lunch is served between sessions. Tri tip, chicken or veggie burger. Back at the harbor around four, weather depending.

Experienced freedivers Hunt or kelp days Rentals available BBQ lunch No scuba diving National Park
Reserve now See the itinerary
WHAT'S INCLUDED

Everything but your rig.

$199 covers the day, boat, food and crew. The boat departs Ventura Harbor at 7 AM and returns around four, weather depending. Rental gear is available separately. Show up at the dock and we handle the rest.

GEAR

Rentals available

Rentals are an add-on, not part of the ticket. 7mm wetsuit with hood, gloves, boots, mask, snorkel, fins and a weight belt. Bring your own spearfishing gear. We don't rent guns or polespears.

FOOD

Breakfast, lunch & snacks

Coffee, hot breakfast sandwiches, fresh fruit and pastries on departure. BBQ lunch onboard. Tri tip, chicken or veggie burger. Snacks and drinks all day.

BOAT

Indoor seating & hot tub

Comfortable booth seating in the cabin. Hot showers and hot tub on deck for between dive sessions. Starlink Wi-Fi onboard.

CREW

In-water safety & deck crew

Experienced crew on deck all day and a dedicated dive station. We run a one-up, one-down standard and brief the plan before every drop.

WHAT YOU’LL LIKELY SEE

Kelp forest, lobster, halibut and more.

The Channel Islands sit where the cold California current meets warmer water, which is why the marine life runs so thick.

The crew will brief you on what’s in season.

  • California lobster Bug season, roughly October into March
  • Halibut Sand flats and edges, year-round
  • Sheephead Rocky reef, a Channel Islands staple
  • Kelp forest Some of California’s densest stands
  • Calico bass Reef and kelp structure
WHAT THE DAY LOOKS LIKE

Hour by hour.

A full day on the water at your own pace. Timings shift with the destination and the plan, but a typical day runs like this.

  1. 6:00 AM
    Dock

    Arrive at Ventura Harbor

    Load your gear at your station and grab a hot breakfast sandwich, fruit or a pastry. Check-in opens 60 minutes before departure.

  2. 7:00 AM
    Crossing

    Cast off for the islands

    About an hour and a half across the channel. Finish breakfast, explore the boat, and rig up on the ride out.

  3. 8:30 AM
    Session 1

    Anchor and jump in

    The captain sets the anchor on the day's structure. Crew briefs the plan, buddy pairs sort out, and you're in the water. Each session is 2 hours.

  4. 12:00 PM
    Galley

    BBQ lunch onboard

    Tri tip, chicken, or veggie burger off the grill, served on deck while the boat anchors at the second location.

  5. 12:30 PM
    Session 2

    Back in the water

    Second round, same easy pace. Dive more, warm up in the hot tub or reset on deck.

  6. 2:30 PM
    Crossing

    Cruise back to Ventura

    Settle in for one of Spectre's famous brownie sundaes on the ride home.

  7. ~4:00 PM
    Dock

    Back at the harbor

    Tie up at Ventura. The crew helps you off-load gear. Weather depending.

GETTING HERE

Ventura Harbor Village, Dock D.

About an hour from LAX, 90 minutes from downtown LA, 30 minutes from Santa Barbara.

Illustrated parking map of Ventura Harbor Village showing the Whale lot and Dock D Departure
BOAT SLIP

Dock D, Slip 25

Ventura Harbor Village
1591 Spinnaker Dr
Ventura, CA 93001

Open in maps
PARKING

Whale Lot

Park in the lot marked “Whale.” Free for guests Monday through Thursday, $10 all day Friday through Sunday and holidays. Free parking along Spinnaker before the Whale lot.

CHECK-IN 6:00 AM at the gangway
DAY-OF TIPS

How to show up.

  • Rig the night before.
    Check your gun, fins and weights so load-in is quick.
  • Arrive at 6:00 AM
    The crew needs the hour to load the boat before we cast off around 7.
  • Layer up for the ride
    It gets breezy on the channel. A hoodie packs down small.
  • Take a Dramamine the night before
    If you tend to get seasick. The channel is calmest before noon.
  • Bring your license.
    Hunt days need a valid California fishing license with ocean enhancement stamp. If you plan on catching lobster, you must also have a lobster card.
READY WHEN YOU ARE

Let's go (Spear) Fishing.

Bring your rig. We've got the rest — gear, breakfast, BBQ, and brownie sundaes on the ride home.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT
freediving only photographers welcomed fishing license required