Paddle away to escape it all
All it takes is a few paddle strokes — or turns of a footpowered propeller — and your small craft is propelled across the water.
With a kayak, stand-up paddleboard or a canoe, you can gain entry to a world where you inevitably have something to look forward to — like, for instance, a threeday holiday.
The premise for a kayak owner, of course, is that at any time, he or she can pop the kayak on a rig and take off for the water. It’s a secret escape hatch from the world.
If you want to try the sport, the greater Bay Area has 20 rental sites: 11 on the bay and coast, nine at lakes. Most also rent SUPS.
For those who own a kayak, you are limited only by your imagination and effort. It doesn’t matter your age or your experience. You don’t need a big truck for transport. Kayaks are easy to stow at home. They don’t cost a fortune and the upkeep is minimal.
The key is to find the right fit. I’ve tried more than 20 kayaks and canoes, and found there is no reason to settle for anything but the perfect fit. This is where you sit in the pocket in perfect comfort, and then paddle or pedal ahead with a near effortless sense of euphoria.
Some kayaks that didn’t fit me felt like an alligator was chomping my lower back.
That’s why it makes sense to rent kayaks and go for a test paddle before buying. Make sure the fit is perfect for your body and that the hull is designed for the use you have planned. Don’t settle. There are too many right choices out there.
Variety of choices
During the past 10 years, kayak sales have been the beacon in a dimly lit boating market. Kayaks used to be a cult market for high-end river runners. Now more than 20 companies market kayaks, SUPs and canoes, with hulls designed for a variety of activities. Hobie, Ocean Kayak, Wilderness Systems, Malibu and Jackson are the biggest players.
The designs span the spectrum of imagination. The prices vary just as much, new or used. The lightest kayaks (such as the Eddyline Caribbean) are about 45 pounds. The heaviest is the Hobie 17, a twin tandem with pedals, built like a tank and ready for anything. It goes about 240 pounds and needs a trailer.
And then there is everything in between. At the sport shows this winter, the most popular kayaks featured pedal-drive systems. That leaves your hands free to fish, watch wildlife or birds with binoculars, or have a picnic. Kayaks with pedal drivers tend to weigh between 75 and 120 pounds, and most owners use a tow dolly to wheel the heavier boats to and from the water.
The sport has become so popular that the NorCal Kayak Anglers at www.norcalkayak anglers.com is pushing 5,000 members. Last weekend, the organization held a fishing tournament at Clear Lake, and seeing how members set up their boats for comfort and convenience was as compelling as the fishing, even with a great crappie bite at the slough at Clear Lake State Park.
But for each member, you could see how kayaking works because it represents that instant escape hatch.
You could drop your boat into Richardson Bay and on a calm day, paddle across to Angel Island — or during benign tides, right under the Golden Gate Bridge. Out of Moss Landing, you could paddle Elkhorn Slough, and near the mouth of the harbor, have sea otters swim right up. At Mendocino, you could play in the tidal currents in the protected cove on the south side of the Mendocino Headlands. Or you could venture to hundreds of lakes across the Bay Area and Northern California, and in an instant, be on the water, casting for trout or bass.
What are you doing this weekend? With a kayak, you could launch through that escape hatch. You are limited only by what you can think of.