Kayak Dreams

 've been lifeguarding for almost ten years of summers- it's great to be out in the sun, helping people, on the water- but, leaving guarding means there is a gap between what I'd like to do, and what I have gear for. I actually already got kicking around in the bay with a piece of foam from the hardware store out of my system, so now I begin the wonderful trial and error of figuring out what I want in a personal vessel. 

SUPER fortunately I have a folding kayak already, the Tucktec. I have no complaints as a way to get out on the water. It's not meant for use in the ocean and I have found it risks flooding in the bay. I thought this wouldn't bother me and it's true that I am quite happy to tow a kayak around while I swim, but the thing about being a distressed boater is the other water users have to check on you. I haven't experimented too much lately because the dog loves to lounge in the sun in the kayak so we've just been taking it to flat water. 

This all means that I have no way to get out into and past the surf except to run out there. From a previous abalone dive I learned that getting past the kelp at Jenner is a ton of work on a normal dive float, which otherwise would seem like nearly the perfect thing. 

I do also have a surf board made of foam in the poor man's fiberglass/foamies method. I used a chart to calculate the size and should be floating me but it doesn't. So it's kind of just hanging around. I think it would make a good table or shelf since it is 8 feet long and something like 18" wide. Potentially, it could be the base of a kayak. One issue is that it is two feet shorter than the tucktec, shorter is slower, and the other problem with the tucktec besides surf is that it is so much work to paddle. 

Casting a kind of wide research net, I found the origami paddler takes another approach to most of the same problems- portability, speed, cost- and uses a very different approach to arrive at a similar outcome. 

Before beginning this research of seriously getting a kayak I thought a sit-on-top is inferior. And it isn't what you are crossing the Bering Strait in probably. But as a place to rest between snorkeling and paddling in to shore- the safety and utility of a watertight, floating lump is incredible. I am not sure if this Perception Kayak is fully enclosed- the ads show kids hanging on the little decks while an adult paddles. 

The Royak is another solution to this problem. It looks ideal. I was only discouraged by transportation. Honestly even if you lived a few blocks from the beach, or a flight of stairs from the beach, this seems like a lot. And I live far enough from the beach to take the freeway. 

Although the perfect kayak has not turned up in the trunk of my car yet, I feel confident that when the right one comes along, I will recognize it.