Information not accurate?
Help us improve by making a suggestion.
Paddlers cross thirty-two ocean miles from Catalina
Elite prone paddlers cross the open channel from Two Harbors to Manhattan Beach during one of the world’s oldest and most demanding paddle races.
Event details
The Catalina Classic begins at Two Harbors and sends prone paddlers 32 open-ocean miles toward Manhattan Beach, with escort boats, shifting currents, and long hours on the board making it a genuinely serious channel crossing rather than a casual paddle each summer. Radio updates from escort boats keep shore-based families informed of a paddler’s progress throughout the crossing.
Families can follow the start from Catalina Island itself or gather for the pier finish in Manhattan Beach, two very different vantage points on the same demanding crossing, each offering its own way to appreciate the scale of what paddlers are attempting.
Athletes and crews need island, boat, and mainland logistics, creating genuine overnight demand on both sides of the course. Reserve a Stay near Two Harbors or Manhattan Beach depending on which end the family plans to watch, pack sun protection for a long day outdoors, and plan the crossing to a mainland pier-finish celebration. It is one of the world’s oldest and most demanding paddle races, a genuine test of endurance across open ocean water. Ocean conditions can shift the finish time by hours, so treat any published estimate as approximate.
Information not accurate?
Help us improve by making a suggestion.
