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Destinations In and Around San Diego
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.
Bays
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.
Beaches
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.
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