Saturday, 1/17/26 – 10 AM – Noon at the San Diego River Estuary
The popular Annual Kayak and Shoreline Cleanup is coming up!
There are a couple of spots left for the first kayak shift. Please email Rachel at rachel@sandiegoriver.org if interested!
Author Archives: ChrisGriffith
Looking Back At Ed Gillet’s 63-Day Solo Kayak Odyssey
In 1987, Ed Gillet undertook a harrowing solo paddle to Hawaii that has only grown more famous in retrospect. That same year Michael Jackson released Bad and babies were being born who would become today’s millennials. This was a time before corporate sponsorships and Internet updates. When his bow finally cut a furrow into the sand on Maui, the only person there to greet him was a local drunk staggering along the beach. It was the same fanfare he received when he’d left San Diego 63 days and 2,200 miles earlier: none.
There were beautiful days when blue and gold mahi-mahi frolicked around his kayak like puppies, when the sea was a perfect royal blue, and trade winds surfed him to 80-mile days. Other times Gillet popped painkillers to dull the pain of saltwater sores on his hands so he could hold his paddle. He ran out of food and began eating toothpaste. Waves crashing into the cockpit made it impossible to sleep. When Mauna Kea finally appeared in the viewfinder of his sextant—yes, he used a sextant—he was so addled he cursed it for obstructing the horizon he needed to fix his position.
Gillet didn’t use the sextant out of nautical nostalgia: Loran and Omega, the navigation systems of the time, wouldn’t survive a kayak trip. He used an off-the-shelf yellow Necky Tofino—a 20-foot tandem sea kayak that carried more than 600 pounds of essentials to keep Gillet alive. His progress was slower than planned—he envisioned 40 days, ran out of food on day 60, and landed on day 64. People thought he’d most certainly died. Relatives contacted the United States Coast Guard, the Commandant of the U.S. Navy, and even the current President at the time, Ronald Reagan, to try and find him in the vast Pacific.
Ed Gillet’s California-to-Hawaii journey was the first of the modern kayak megacrossings. It was a fundamentally different type of paddling than even the most rugged coastal expeditions or island circumnavigations. It was a journey far harder for most sea kayakers to understand. Only a handful of paddlers would know: Gillet, R.W. Hand, who tried twice and failed to repeat Gillet’s journey, Aleksander Doba on the Atlantic in 2014, Sarah Outen on her worldwide journey, Scott Donaldson, James Castrission, Justin Jones and the late Andrew McAuley on the Tasman Sea.
It’s easy to dream of paddling the Inside Passage to Alaska, around Sardinia, Iceland, or any other coastline or island chain in the world, because those trips are expansions in time, distance, and difficulty from what we do on weekends. When I’m on a two-week trip I can easily imagine how fun it would be to just keep going; I’d bring more food, train more, and see what’s around the next point and the next and the next. But crossing a featureless void? Perhaps not.
Continue reading: https://bit.ly/3CcwByY
✍️: Neil Schulman
📷: Robert Zaleski
San Diego River Cleanup
Do not miss this special opportunity to attend our Annual Kayak Cleanup and paddle through the beautiful San Diego River Estuary to help remove trash and debris. For those who prefer to stay on land, a simultaneous shore cleanup will take place where volunteers will also play a vital role in removing litter from critical habitats.
Sign up for either today!
We want to extend a huge thank you to our sponsors Think Blue San Diego and the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians for making this event possible and empowering the community to take meaningful action for this ecological hotspot of the San Diego River. And thank you to Aqua Adventures for donating kayaks for the event.
Kayak & River Cleanup Opportunity
Kayak & River Cleanup Opportunity: Do you want to make an immense difference for the San Diego River before the rainy season starts? Join us for the Great River Cleanup on Saturday, Nov. 9th from 9 am- 12 pm! Come out for a beautiful fall morning outdoors to help clean trash from the riverbed before it washes into the ocean and harms wildlife during/after winter storms. There are 9 spots left for the kayak portion of the cleanup, do not miss this rare opportunity to kayak the river in Mission Valley! If you are interested email Rachel at rachel@sandiegoriver.org.
If you would like to stay on land and help clean the riverbed, sign up here: https://sandiegoriver.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/…
Together, we can help restore the river, an immense natural, cultural, and recreational treasure in our region!
Help Jake Stachovak
Those of us who have been kayaking San Diego for some time will remember Jake Stachovak. He worked at Aqua Adventures for a number of years before returning back to Wausau, Wi. You also might remember him from his epic 5,000-mile kayaking trip, that he chronicled back in 2010. Unfortunately, Jake has been fighting cancer for the past few years. Jake’s cancer has become very aggressive and he is dying. His liver is overrun and it is spreading all over. Some folks have asked how they can help Jake. There is a GoFundMe that was set up for him by his students and staff at the high school he teaches at.
New Year’s Day Paddle
Let’s start the New Year off on the water as we’ve done for about 15 years.
You’re welcome to join us if you’ve attended some of the skills practices and can keep up with the group’s 3-4 knot pace.
As a reminder, you’re responsible for your own safety so all attendees need to be capable of self-rescuing.
DATE: Saturday, January 1
RALLY TIME: 8:30 am
LAUNCH TIME: 9:00 am
DURATION: 1 – 2 hours
LAUNCH SITE: La Jolla Shores Boat Ramp
VENUE: Paddle north towards Black’s Beach, or perhaps paddle west to check out the caves
RECOMMENDED: Depending on the weather, Mid-weight paddling clothes with a splash jacket
PLEASE NOTE: These paddles are not sanctioned San Diego Kayak Club or Aqua Adventures events. The announcer of this event is not the leader of such, merely a “coordinator.”
Disclaimer: We will have experienced paddlers on this trip, but they will not be responsible for telling you what is or is not safe for you to do. We watch out for one another and assist one another, but all individuals are responsible for, and manage their own safety. This responsibility includes assessing your gear, skill level, and physical conditioning relative to conditions and location, as well as making decisions about what you will or will not do. Participants acknowledge that kayaking on the open sea or bay is inherently dangerous and can lead to physical injury including death as well as property damage. Participants, on their behalf and on behalf of their heirs and assignees, agree to hold the announcers and other participants blameless in the event of such injury, damage or death. Please join us if you want to mildly stretch your capabilities, but please stay home if you would be wildly stretching them. Participants should have bracing skills, be able to self-rescue and assist in the rescue of others. They should be able to launch and/or land in small surf.
Upcoming Paddles
After spending a lot of Saturday mornings in Mariner’s Basin practicing our rescue and rolling skills, some of us are going to venture out the next two Saturdays.
Saturday, Oct. 2 – La Jolla coastal paddle -north or south and return
Drop boats off at the launch ramp by 8:30 before parking; launch at 9. Will probably paddle a couple of hours and then find a spot for lunch. We may encounter some surf so please assess your skills before RSVPing. This is an intermediate paddle.
Saturday, Oct. 9 – Newport Beach Coast Guard Station paddle.
1911 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar
It’s a good hour and a half drive–5N to 405N to Jamboree, then head W; need to leave here about 7 in hopes of launching by 9. There’s a small parking lot but plenty of street parking–it’s in a neighborhood. Sandy beach launch; bring wheels; bathrooms and boat wash facilities. Very pretty coastal paddle, appropriate for those intermediate paddlers comfortable in open water; similar to here, depending on the day.
As a reminder, you’re responsible for your own safety.
RSVP to Jane Hardy (janehardy@cox.net) for each session
Kayak Cleanup
Once a year, the San Diego River Park Foundation gets special permission to enter the San Diego River Estuary on kayaks and pull trash out of the water in this sensitive habitat. Join us on Saturday, January 11th for this unique opportunity to see the San Diego River from a new angle while helping out!
The San Diego River Estuary is a critically important 330-acre wildlife area with habitat for many sensitive species, including endangered birds that nest in the estuary, like the Ridgway’s Rail and the California Least Tern. Over 100 different species of birds use this area as a rest area along the Pacific Flyway during their yearly migrations between Alaska and Mexico.
We will have kayaks available for volunteers to borrow, but you are welcome to bring your own.
While boats are in the water, shore volunteers will remove trash along the banks of the estuary and the adjacent San Diego River Trail.
Kayaks will be sent out in two shifts: 7:00 am-8:45 am and 9:00 am-10:45 am.
Please indicate which shift you would prefer when you RSVP.
Details:
- This event is open to volunteers ages 13+, but volunteers under the age of 16 must come with an adult.
- No experience necessary.
- Closed-toed shoes are required.
- Sun protection, water, and a snack are highly recommended.
- Community service hours can be verified.
RSVP REQUIRED. Limited volunteer spots are available. To sign-up for the interest list and receive full details, please email volunteer@sandiegoriver.org or call (619) 297-7380.
THE “TURTLE PADDLE” AND PICNIC
We are going to paddle the south bay and check out the giant Green Turtles and many birds there. We will meet at the small park at the east end of Grand Caribe, in the Coronado Cays. If you have a bird identification chart, bring it. Please note the disclaimer below.
This paddle is ideal for bringing kids. They must wear life jackets, and paddle/stay close to a parent or other designated adult at all times.
DATE: March 30
LOCATION:Coronado Cays (see map below)
LAUNCH TIME: Be there by 8:30 to get your boat to the beach. We will launch at 9 am. The sandy beach has a gentle slope for easy launching.
ALL BOAT TYPES AND PADDLE BOARDS WELCOME
This is a calm water, easy paddle for beginners on those, or any boat type, so come join in the fun. We will be moving at a slow 2 to 2.5 knots.
BOAT RENTALS AVAILABLE AT AQUA ADVENTURES:
Reserve your boat and pick it up the day before the paddle: (619) 523-9577
PICNIC AFTER THE PADDLE:
Bring your own food and drink. This is not a potluck.
WHAT TO BRING:
A life jacket (required, and must be worn), hat, boat and paddle, map and compass, GPS if you have one, sunscreen, sunglasses, camera, water and towel to clean your boat, drinking water, snack, VHF radio if you have one, sack lunch and chair for the picnic after the paddle.
DIRECTIONS
Turn in to the Cays off of Silver Strand Blvd. Look for the sign, and then the guard house, but you do not need to stop for the guard. Turn right just past that guardhouse, and go until you see Grand Caribe Causeway. There is a public restroom at the Coronado Cays Park to the west of the Causeway.
This is not a sanctioned San Diego Kayak Club or Aqua Adventures event. The announcer of this event is not the leader of such, merely a “coordinator”.
Disclaimer: We will have experienced paddlers on this trip, but they will not be responsible for telling you what is or is not safe for you to do. We watch out for one another and assist one another, but all individuals are responsible for, and manage their own safety. This responsibility includes assessing your gear, skill level, and physical conditioning relative to conditions and location, as well as making decisions about what you will or will not do. Participants acknowledge that kayaking on the open sea or bay is inherently dangerous and can lead to physical injury including death as well as property damage. Participants, on their behalf and on behalf of their heirs and assignees, agree to hold the announcers and other participants blameless in the event of such injury, damage or death. Please join us if you want to mildly stretch your capabilities, but please stay home if you would be wildly stretching them. Participants should have bracing skills, be able to self-
WHALE WATCH PADDLE OUT OF MISSION BAY
The third weekend in January is historically when the highest number of grey whales are sighted off San Diego, so let’s go try our luck. This is an open ocean paddle for intermediate and beyond kayakers. Because of safety reasons (staying together as a group), decked kayaks and fast SOTS (able to paddle 2.5 knots/hr) only please. Here are the details:
DATE: January 27, 2015
LAUNCH TIME: 8:30 (be there at 8 am please)
PLACE: Aqua Adventures dock (best place to launch, without going through the surf)
ALL BOAT TYPES ARE WELCOME: SOT’s, Decked Kayaks, Inflatables (if rigid skin, fabric reinforced)
BOAT RENTALS AVAILABLE: If you have open ocean paddling experience, you can rent a boat at the launch site. Call Aqua Adventures in advance to reserve equipment. You must have prior experience in a decked kayak, or check with them if they have a fast SOT. Their number is 619 523-9577.
OUR PLAN: The round trip is approx 8 statute miles (unless we decide to also paddle further south along the kelp), and will take 3.5 to 4.5 hours. Our average moving speed will be about 2.5 knots/hr. The whales move down the coast along the kelp beds, so if you are anywhere near the 164 ft depth line (give or take 40 ft of depth), you may see them to the west or east, possibly within 500 ft of you. We have found that it is more likely to see whales near the kelp beds for some reason, and this is why the paddle out of AA has a good probability of a sighting. The Lat/Lon of the “Whale 1” waypoint on the map is: N32 44.445 W117 17.390
EQUIPMENT: All safety equipment is required. If you have them, carry a VHF and GPS, with batteries fully charged. And, always wear your life jacket (required). Remember to bring your water, food, hat, sunglasses, and camera. Please read the disclaimer at the bottom of this email message.
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Check your email Friday night after 6 pm if the weather looks bad. We will give an update if the paddle is still on.
Hope you can join us.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a sanctioned San Diego Kayak Club or Aqua Adventures event. The announcer of this event is not the leader of such, merely a “coordinator”.
Disclaimer: We will have experienced paddlers on this trip, but they will not be responsible for telling you what is or is not safe for you to do. We watch out for one another and assist one another, but all individuals are responsible for, and manage their own safety. This responsibility includes assessing your gear, skill level, and physical conditioning relative to conditions and location, as well as making decisions about what you will or will not do. Participants acknowledge that kayaking on the open sea or bay is inherently dangerous and can lead to physical injury including death as well as property damage. Participants, on their behalf and on behalf of their heirs and assignees, agree to hold the announcers and other participants blameless in the event of such injury, damage or death. Please join us if you want to mildly stretch your capabilities, but please stay home if you would be wildly stretching them. Participants should have bracing skills, be able to self-rescue and assist in the rescue of others. They should be able to launch and/or land along the rocky bay front.