Newbie kayaker level 27 angler :)

Hello everyone !

User name : KEYSTRIKE1
Name : Jose

Pretty much a newbie to kayaking but fast to learn in the water. I've been seeing people out in the water fishing off a kayak and I was amazed that it was possible to land big fish. I got to try my fist demo of the wilderness ride 115 and fell in love same day I preordered myself a 2013 Ride 115  from kayak city.com I will soon hit the waters at Lake Del Valle this Thursday to break it in and hopefully stain it with some fish blood. It would be great to get any feedback on what I should expect from my kayak and a top 10 safety items  to have.

Welcome!

There are lots of items to buy now that you have the kayak.  Search the forum.  There are lots of topics that cover this very question.

Top 3 to me:  life jacket, VHF radio & my ff/gps

Welcome, Jose!   

I think that, in general, the more you get in to this sport the more you want a longer boat for covering miles, better stability, and storage.  The tradeoff is more weight, harder to transport and store, more expensive...etc.  Depending on what your desired activities will be, you may be content for many years with an 11'6" boat - I had fun on 9' boats for a few years before discovering the versatility and advantages of longer boats, and I still use a 12' boat quite often, but my best boats now (X-Factor) are 14'4".  Anyway, a WS boat is quality stuff, so you'll have a blast - just giving you food for thought since you asked. 

As for safety, there are some dedicated threads that you can search up, but in general...

- PFD that fits well and hopefully has some utility function like pockets and places to conscientiously attach gear;
- dress for immersion - that means always wear gear on your body that will keep you alive in the water if your kayak is no longer with you or you are incapacitated;
- flotation for your yak is something to consider - especially on the ocean;
- sunglasses, hat, sunscreen, waterproof container such as drybag...  this kind of stuff should be a given for anyone who's serious about the sport;
- VHF radio - many of us here went years without one - once you get one you realize how vital it is - even on fresh water;
- water must always be with you, IMO;
- compass is a must, and GPS is good;
- there's lots to add to the list:  flares, whistle, reflective device, first aid kit, extra paddle, extra radio... 

Once you get serious enough it will become clearer because you'll need something and figure, "I could throw that in my drybag".  Take items like duct tape, string, a pen...etc.  It's getting away from safety, but if you focus on safety and being thorough you'll end up with a good all around gear kit.

Best of luck - see you around.   

Welcome Santa Clara neighbor. 

Eric covered most of the initial safety items you will need to get you started.  As FishingForTheCure mentioned, search the forums, there's a lot of good info on here. 

Don't hesitate to ask if you need help with anything.  Hope to see you on the water sometime.