[tevake]

You could look into a sailing club. They offer a variety of boats, possibly instruction.
The Hobie cat is a very fun type of boat, But quite difficult to learn on. Light weight, lots of windage make for challenging tacks. A small monohull dingy is a good way to start. Tiller in one hand, sheet in the other, and your positioning in the boat critical to trim. Instant and direct feed back.
There in So Cal there should be lots of sailing clubs to choose from. You may find that you don't need to own a boat yourself.

Cheers Richard