A couple of weeks ago my husband stumbled across a great SteepAndCheap.com deal – Wilderness Systems Tsunami 145 kayaks for a killer price and only four available. He could ship free to his loading dock at work so before I knew it we became kayak owners.
I’ve done a bunch of paddling in the past but I’m a casual paddler, happy with renting most of the time. But I’d always been interested in getting our own gear so that we would have the freedom to go where we wanted, when we wanted, with minimal fuss. Well, after a trip to REI for the peripheral supplies (rack for my Outback, PFDs, drybags, etc) and the arrival of the kayaks last week, that’s exactly what we did. It was off to Elkhorn Slough for our inaugural paddle, one of the country’s premier kayaking destinations (have I ever mentioned how lucky I am to live in California?)
The Tsunamis have lots of internal storage so I am really looking forward to some overnight outings on the water. It will be an exciting new approach to ‘backpacking’!
I clipped my GoPro Hero 2 camera to my kayak and quickly put together this movie of our outing. The wildlife at Elkhorn Slough is incredible – otters, harbor seals, sea lions, jellyfish, bat rays, pelicans, etc. I only captured a tiny bit of it on camera!
Kayaks on the Outback
Our team occasionally does outings there, maybe once every couple of years. Such a beautiful place.
Check out the local sea kayaking clubs:
WSK (South bay, smaller)
BASK (N bay, bigger)
Paddling is a skill based sport … and there is safety in numbers. Clubs are a good way to increase your skill and try more challenging spots with a reasonable level of safety.
Blue skies,
Brian