Kayaking on the Bay

After a few false starts over the years, I've finally managed to go sea kayaking. It was great fun.

We went to Elkhorn Slough, about halfway up the side of Monterey Bay and rented kayaks from there. You rent the kayak and all the gear (wet suit, paddle jacket, life vest etc.) and are given about a 10 minute lesson in how to get in and out, how to paddle, where you can and can't go and a few gotchas.


The main gotcha they warned us about was that going into the slough, we'd have the wind behind us and the tide pushing us in, so we needed to remember it'd be harder coming back out when the wind and tide were against us. This turned out to be true, but with that warning, it was not a problem.

There is tonnes of wildlife in the slough, so we got up close and personal with sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, pelicans and lots of other shore birds. The wildlife is used to kayaks being around, and they're quite inquisitive, so frequently were popping up around us as we paddled. In the photo below, you can see a harbor seal just off the bow (yes, technical term!) of my kayak as I paddled along.


A great way to enjoy the bay.