Rec kayaking with the wives

I'm getting my prowler this week and my wife will be getting a yak soon, also a SOT. She is not crazy into fishing like me.

Was wondering if some of you get together at times for some easy, lazy, rec kayaking with the wives.

 

where are you located?

Aquan Sports has a group paddle every Thursday nights at the Aquatic Park in San Mateo. It's free and the kayak rentals are also free - (you can bring your own boats too)  but you need to register with Aquan - call 'em at (650) 593.6060

Mooch,

Live in Novato. Could probably make it to the south bay if it was a weekend. Does anyone in the group have a Tarpon 16i?

Would like to have my wife try it.

Check out Outback Adventures in Larkspur.  Click the ad on this site!  It would be a great place for you to demo a bunch of different yaks as well.  Welcome!

My wife isn't into fishing but has a T140 that she paddles with me sometimes. We're just across the bay in Vallejo and if you want to get together for some recreational paddling we would be up for it. 

Smokie,
This is a great topic! My wife also is not into fishing, but is a great outdoors, adventure type. She will often come along and paddle her kayak, along with my 15 year old daughter while my son and I fish. When they come I try to go to someplace that they will also find interesting, like MBK area or Capitola, not a place like the mile buoy off the Santa Cruz Harbor were there is nothing for them to explore. I also pay attention to how they are doing and if they seem to be tiring out I will come in earlier rather than later.
You are a long way from me (santa cruz) but if you wanted to come on down we have a T140, T160i, and a couple of Necky Spikes your wife could try out.
Rocketman

Rocketman,

Our daughter attends UC Santa Cruz and we are there often. Capitola looks like a great place to kayak. I'll talk to my wife and get back to you.

She is just starting out, so she needs to build up the confidence to go out in the ocean.

Fishin-Jay, thank you for your reply as well. Love the Delta maybe we can meet up there this fall.

 

Sounds good to me! Just shoot me a message or post here whenever you would like to get together. 

Does anyone in the group have a Tarpon 16i?
Would like to have my wife try it.

Smokie... that sounds like a win-win deal for you if you can get her to like the 160i.  Then you would own two of the best fishing kayaks made.

She is just starting out, so she needs to build up the confidence to go out in the ocean.

capitola is a great place to get her salt water confidence as the condition are generally good as long as you dont have a lot of south swell.  lots of sea life, kelp and if you feel like paddling, pleasure point and the surfers are to the right as you head out and the cement ship to the left.

My wife and I like to kayak on Tomales Bay.  We will sometimes start at the Chicken Ranch and paddle to Hearts Desire Beach and back.  About 5 1/2 miles.  We go out on the outgoing tide, have a picnic lunch, and come back in on the slack/flood with the wind at our backs.  Hearts Desire has restrooms, picnic tables etc. If you wear polorized glasses you might see small bat rays swimming in the shallows. I also found the folks at Blue Waters Kayaking to be good people.  My wife didn't have a wetsuit and she was able to rent one for the day.  At $10.00 it wasn't a bargain but it did keep her happy.

We have also paddled most of the Russian River.

Smokie lake Del Valle has a 160i in there rental fleet I just demoed it on Sunday nice yak to paddle real fast and comfortable, but the luggage area is a bit small for me but it has a lot of space up front. they are planning on selling their rental fleet in September hope it helps.

Pat R 

Marin Schoolie, thanks for the info. I visited Outback Adventures, nice people. They did not have a 160i to demo.

Pat, thanks for the info. Sep at Del Valle may work out if she is not ready to try Capitola by then. I'd like to have the two kayaks by mid Oct. We have reserved a cabin for 4 days at Twin Lakes. Four days to hunt giant browns! Life is good.

ssgbart, Tomales Bay is on my list. Have you  and your wife tried Drakes Estero?

ChuckE, after ordering the P15, the 160i looked perrrty good.

 

Marin Schoolie, thanks for the info. I visited Outback Adventures, nice people. They did not have a 160i to demo.

Pat, thanks for the info. Sep at Del Valle may work out if she is not ready to try Capitola by then. I'd like to have the two kayaks by mid Oct. We have reserved a cabin for 4 days at Twin Lakes. Four days to hunt giant browns! Life is good.

ssgbart, Tomales Bay is on my list. Have you  and your wife tried Drakes Estero?

ChuckE, after ordering the P15, the 160i looked perrrty good.

 

If the conditions are rough, I would recommend that your wife paddles the P15 and you paddle the 160i. I have both boats and always choose the 160i, but the P15 is more stable.

If you launch at Capitola and don't paddle out too far, it is unlikely to be rough. The kelp beds are very calm and are full of seals. I also saw some dolphins off Rio Del Mar when I was out there yesterday.

Smokie,
Send me a pm to set something up for when you can come over to Santa Cruz. Glad to see your daughter is at UCSC, we live up the the road a bit from the University. It is my alma mater and my older son's also. I would recommend trying the Tarpon 140 in addition to the 160i, we have both and there are a few points in favor of the 140 over the 160i and the same for the 160i over the 140. If you have not made a decsion before we get a chance to connect she could paddle each to compare side by side in the same water. Anyway, the offer is out there.
Steve