Extreme Cave Kayaking in Pismo Beach California

I started Monica Goes because I find my greatest life moments come from pushing out of my comfort zone. In whatever way that means for you! For a long time, for me it was simply going out to eat by myself, or trying a new hike, or moving states. So, an adventure show seemed like a perfect excuse to try the things I've always wanted to try and push myself further than I've gone before.

I've been afraid of almost everything I've done on this show which has made it all such an epic adventure and helped me grow so much as a person. I try to stick within my safety limits and hover right between exhilarating and scary. Little did I know a place like Pismo Beach would push me right to that edge!

In my mind, I'd been kayaking a couple of times so it couldn't possibly be that scary this time right? Wrong! Cave kayaking is a whole other beast! When asked where we stand on the adventure scale from 1-10, on-camera I said "10! Why not?" Again, if I were not filming the show I probably would have wanted to hover around a 6 or 7 but that's EXACTLY why I do what I do!

We started out pretty calm and getting basic instruction from our awesome guide John and then he took us to our first adrenaline rush. We kayaked up to a big group of rocks where the high tide was rushing over them and dropping out on our side. We got as close as we could and feeling the water drop below you as the tide fills back up was really exciting.

From here we continued weaving in and out of beautiful caves and enjoying the view. We took a quick break on a tiny beach and then John asked if we still felt like a 10…We had a choice. There in front of us was barely a cave and rushing waves that sometimes covered the cave and hit the ceiling. Our mission was to time the waves and kayak through. Um…At this point I started shaking and getting scared but again, camera on means going for it!

The first two attempts did not go as planned. I started kayaking into the waves when John cued me and the tide rushed so high I was immediately pushed back out. The third time was the charm. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the speed that John did to get through it in one wave so I started getting bumped into the sides and began freaking out and screaming “I CAN’T!” But at this point it was too late and I had to keep going. I made it! I did it! And boy, the rush after thinking you can’t do something and then realizing you can is unbeatable!

This was such an incredible adventure for me for so many reasons. I still surprise myself with the things I've done and the things I plan to do. I still find it hard to believe that someone as nervous and scared as me has managed to continue pushing past that fear and trying new things. I wanted to inspire others to try new things and push out of their own comfort zones, but I never could have imagined how much I would learn from doing the same. With each new episode I surprise myself and am reminded how much I love what I do and want so badly for others to try these things too. Through pushing past our fears we truly begin to see how strong and capable we are.  And every single adventure is worth it.

So now with the next adventure I say, bring it on!

Check out the full episode below!