We hope to provide readers with places to paddle around San Diego. Fortunately the list is long. Unfortunately we have to write it up and enter it. Do us a favor and send us your favorite paddle and we'll try to get it entered. Just drop a note to webmaster@sdkc.org. You may also want to check out our Trip Reports section for more descriptions of places to paddle.

Lakes

Lake Morena - About 60 miles east of San Diego off of I-8 near Campo and Morena Village. A medium size (9+ miles of shoreline) lake with very little boat traffic as skiing and personal watercraft are not allowed. This is very rural lake paddling with plenty of shoreline to explore. The water is very warm during the summer although swimming is not allowed, if you happen to fall out of your boat it can feel great on those summer days. The only drawbacks are the strong winds that sometimes come up and the cold during the winter. Launching is $4. boat with a $2. vehicle charge for parking. Controlled by San Diego County.

Lake Hodges - About 30 miles north of San Diego off of I-15 near Escondido. A large size (15+ miles of shoreline) lake with a fair amount of boat traffic mainly high powered fishing boats. Most of the lake is rural lake paddling with plenty of shoreline to explore. The water is very warm during the summer although swimming is not allowed. The only drawbacks are the strong winds that sometimes come up and sometimes rude boaters so be on the lookout. Launching is $4. boat with a $2. vehicle charge for parking. Controlled by San Diego County.

Mission Bay - Usually fairly calm waters as most bays tend to be, but a large volume of boating (including personal watercraft and water skiers) sometimes take a bit of the fun out of it. A paddle past Sea World will let you see some of their water show. Further down you can see the outside penguin beach (keep back, don't disturb the birds plus the Sea World staff sometimes gets a little disturbed themselves). The bay is lined with beautiful shallow beaches for picnics or just a good snooze. Several marinas line the bay for interesting paddles, checking out the larger boats.

A channel links the bay to the ocean. This can be a good paddle, but sometimes the channel can be crowded with power and sail boats (keep to the side near the jetty). Also, the end of the channel sometimes can be quite rough, even breaking waves, so be careful and paddle with a friend.

Overall the Mission Bay can be a fun paddle with 15+ miles of shore suitable to beginners, but watch out for traffic.

Circumnavigation of Coronado (San Diego Bay) - This 15.6 mile paddle begins at the sandy beach west of the boat launch on Shelter Island. Proceed out the bay, around the breakwater, past North Island, to the Hotel Del Coronado. A surf landing is required. Carry your kayak over the berm to the road south of the Hotel Del. A portage of about 1/4 mile is required to cross Silver Strand Way and launch in Glorietta Bay. There are some grassy/landscape areas along the if you need to rest your arms. However, they are not equally spaced along the entire route. Traffic is heavy on Silver Strand, so you need to wait for the pedestrian signal. There is a small stretch of beach between the Chart House and yacht club to put in. However, you have to negotiate some irregular terrain to get there. Once in Glorietta Bay, it is a scenic paddle past the golf course, under the Coronado Bridge and Downtown area on the way back to Shelter Island. Incoming tides and winds make the last stretch seem a bit longer. The route is described in Robert Mohle's Adventure Kayaking: Trips from Big Sur to San Diego. He classifies it as an advanced trip probably because of the surf landing and portage. He estimates a time of 6-7 hours but we did it in 4 going at a moderate pace.

La Jolla Cove - A great place for general kayaking, the water is clear and warm most of the year and the surf at the launch spot is usually gentle. Small sea caves beckon the more adventurous kayaks (caution should be taken due to the swell). The beach is long and wide although take out is limited to the beach launch toward to south of the beach. Care must be taken to swimmers and divers in the cove and waders and surfers nearer to shore.

Mexico - Really to many places to name. Todos Santos, San Quintin, Los Arboitos, LA Bay, Punta Cabras. Mexico has numerous places to go. Most of them are reality unspoiled and with a beauty that is unique to Mexico. It is recommended that you take a Spanish speaker with you and that you go with a group. For your first trips I strongly recommend a trip put on by one of the local outfitters.

Links

• NavRules.com