Wow,  40 bucks  to launch !   Ouch.     I'd go out of my way to avoid supporting that.     
    Seems to me if he wanted to increase bait sales, that might be the place to start.

Loch Lomond Bait House doesn't own the marina and set the prices for the boat launch. That's a different company. Loch Lomond Bait House is the smallest of small businesses, that is being negatively impacted by the increase in boat launch fees

Anyone have success launching out of LL? I've never been there. It looks like mud flats just a few feet deep until you get out to the shipping channel in the middle of the bay.

Live bait sounds attractive but not if you're in a kayak and there is no halibut habitat nearby.

You don't have to be in a boat to get the live bait. You can drive there, walk up the dock and get what you need. Then you can launch from wherever you want, either there or drive to a new spot. I'm not aware of any other live bait shops in the area - please let us know if there are other options. The other ones I know of are in SF.

I went to Loch Lomond Live Bait House yesterday to check it out. They need customer support, so consider them if you are in the area. Apparently after the marina was purchased by the new owners, they increased the boat launch fee to $40, which significantly cut down on boat traffic and customers for the Bait House. 

They also sell both live and freshly cooked Dungeness crab.

It's a relic from the past, in a good way. I don't know how much longer they'll be able to survive. I believe they are the only place to get live bait in Marin (if I'm wrong, please let me know where else one can go). And support a small, local business that's been in the community for something like 60 or 70 years!

What you should probably do is take your kayak, nothing but the seat, paddle, pfd and dress for immersion, and go out there an play in the surf.  One of our wisest members always said, may he rest in peace, "Be a kayaker first, and be a kayak fisherman second."

Yes good idea - that's on my to do list too!

Great stuff all! I've been wanting to take a surf zone class and will put in on the "to do" list! I have lots to learn!

I keep on wiping out when I'm trying to land at the beach. I saw some more advanced videos that say one should purposefully go perpendicular to the wave and do a "bracing" technique. Does anyone actually do that? If so, it seems like thigh straps would be mandatory.

Or do most people just get close enough to the shore where they can jump out and stand (like knee to waist high water), and then direct the boat in while standing? I'm wipeing out at the end where I could be standing, so that seems like an easy adjustment to make.

But if people really do the bracing technique with thigh straps, I bet that would open up a lot more beaches to launch from. But...it seems pretty advanced / hectic for a fishing kayak.

I have a 2022 hobie compass with mirage drive 180. I want to get upgraded turbo fins. The hobie brand seems pretty expensive, but I now they will work. Is there an equally good aftermarket version of the turbo fins?

I just bought the YakAttack TowNStow Scupper Kayak with Sand Tires for my Hobie Compass. It looks pretty good. It has some nice features that the Hobie alternative doesn't have, like
1. two "kickstands" so it stands up for easy loading / unloading
2. scupper poles that come out to make it easier to dismount
3. a platform the hull rests on to reduce strain on the scupper holes and provide more balance
4. you can easily change the sand tires with their regular tires, and they sell the regular ties separately
5. the top of the scupper poles have a "barb" thing that extends so it won't go through the scupper holes, so you can attach the cart to the kayak when it is elevated, like on the bed of a tuck or in my case hopefully when I'm taking it off the top of my car (we'll see).

I was trying to buy the hobie version, but the store was sold out so they suggested this one instead. It's 10% cheaper, so $300 vs $330, which is nice (...although it is so expensive I don't really care about $30, I just want to get the one that I will enjoy more).

I'll try to post again after I use it. I didn't see a lot of review online, but what I did see, it looked like a good cart. Just sharing in case this is helpful to others.