BRT Insights - WW Kayaking & Hiking

Kayaking, Rafting & Canoeing Paddleboating Guide - California, USA.

The greater San Francisco Bay Area comprises San Pablo Bay in the north and San Francisco Bay in the south.

Jump down to: Petaluma River, Napa River, Alameda Creek, Coyote Creek, Guadalupe River.

SF Bay Area North - San Pablo Bay - Petaluma River, Napa River Whitewater Boating access locations.

A. Petaluma River. (class I, 14 miles) Sonoma County, California, USA. (See map below.)
       N 38.23599 W 122.64030 - Washington St Bridge put-in (A)
       N 38.23468 W 122.63724 - Petaluma River Turning Basin put-in.
       N 38.22861 W 122.61390 - Petaluma Marina put-in.
       N 38.11511 W 122.50683 - Port Sonoma put-in.
       N 38.11038 W 122.49872 - Black Point take-out.

    The Petaluma River is entirely a tidal estuary, so the flow reverses with the ebb and flow of the tide.
    • Petaluma River at Petaluma - USGS Real-Time Flow Data. N 38.23833 W 122.63917
    • Tide chart for San Pablo Bay should be consulted before paddling on the Petaluma River.

B. Napa River Upper Run. (class II, very brushy, 18 miles) (See Napa River Boating Guide.)
    • http://brt-insights.blogspot.com/2007/11/napa-river-st-helena-run.html
    • Napa River nr St Helena - USGS Real-Time Flow Data. N 38.51139 W 122.45473
    • Napa River nr Napa - USGS Real-Time Flow Data. N 38.36833 W 122.30223

   Napa River Lower Run. (class I, 10.5 miles) Napa County, California, USA. (See map below.)
       N 38.32494 W 122.28390 - Trancas Street bridge put-in (B)
       N 38.22476 W 122.30873 - Cuttings Wharf take-out.

    Napa River is a tidal estuary from City of Napa to the bay.
    • Tide chart for San Pablo Bay should be consulted before paddling on the lower Napa River.

SF Bay Area South - San Francisco Bay - Alameda Creek, Coyote Creek, Guadalupe River Whitewater Boating access locations.

C. Alameda Creek. (class III, 5 miles) Alameda County, California, USA. (See map below.)
       N 37.59514 W 121.90340 - Sunol railroad bridge put-in (C)
       N 37.58701 W 121.96101 - Flow Data for Alameda Creek nr Niles CA.
       N 37.57832 W 121.96858 - Old Canyon Rd Bridge take-out. (elevation ~100 ft)

D. Coyote Creek. (class III, 12 miles) Santa Clara County, California, USA. (See map below.)
       N 37.18094 W 121.50235 - MF Coyote Ck, Poverty Flat put-in for 12 mile class III run (D)
       N 37.10215 W 121.47291 - Gilroy Hot Springs Rd put-in for 5 mile class II run.
       N 37.07778 W 121.49334 - Flow Data for Coyote Creek nr Gilroy CA.
       N 37.07668 W 121.51274 - Coyote Lake take-out.

    Coyote Creek. (class I, ~6 miles) Santa Clara County, California, USA.
       N 37.33229 W 121.86602 - William Street Park put-in.
       N 37.35597 W 121.87408 - Watson Park 2.3 mile take-out.
       N 37.42362 W 121.92545 - Milpitas Alviso Road take-out and gauge.

       N 37.42222 W 121.92639 - Flow Data for Coyote Creek ab Hwy 237 at Milpitas CA.
       N 37.46566 W 121.94447 - Dixon Landing Rd take-out.
    This lower run ends within the tidal estuary, so consult the tide chart for the ebb and flow of tide.
    • Tide chart for San Francisco Bay.

E. Guadalupe River. (class II, 12 miles) Santa Clara County, California, USA. (See map below.)
       N 37.25076 W 121.87039 - put-in Blossom Hill Road bridge (E)
       N 37.28396 W 121.88220 - Flow Data for Guadalupe River ab Almaden Expressway.
       N 37.37389 W 121.93195 - Flow Data for Guadalupe River abv Hwy 101.
       N 37.39614 W 121.94103 - Montague Expressway bridge take-out.

SF Bay Area River Map for paddleboaters.

• Instructions for online interactive topographic river maps & road maps.
• Point or DoubleClick on the red markers to see the names of landmarks displayed below (A, B, etc.).
• Full-Screen River Map & Road Map - landmarks on SF Bay Area Rivers.

Driving Directions, Map, Distance, Estimated Time & Road Conditions.

Mapquest provides directions, distance & time from your house to the river.
• For example: Davis, CA to San Francisco, CA - driving time 1 hour 21 mins - 73 miles.

California Road Conditions (Delays or closures due to weather, construction, etc.)
• California Travel Information - highwayconditions.com.
• Road Conditions - California Dept Transportation.

Local weather in San Francisco, CA (elevation 49 feet).

SF Bay Area River Guides for Whitewater Boating.

• West Coast River Touring - Rogue River Canyon and South, 1974. (pg. 182-184 Napa River)
• Ann Dwyer's Easy Waters of California North, 2000. (pg. 40-41 Napa River, pg. 44-45 Petaluma River)
• Online guides & river flow data: Petaluma River Directory, Napa River Directory, Alameda Creek Directory, Coyote Creek Directory, Guadalupe River Directory. (Sort alphabetically - see section 1.)

SF Bay Area River paddleboating reports NEEDED !!

• Please send your trip reports from SF Bay Area River & Creek white water boating trips. Stories, pictures & videos from boating trips will be linked here.
• Coyote Creek - Western Waters Canoe Club.
• Guadalupe River - Western Waters Canoe Club.

Outdoor Activities & Environmental Protection in our Beautiful River Valley Watersheds.

• Petaluma River Directory, Napa River Directory, Alameda Creek Directory, Coyote Creek Directory, Guadalupe River Directory. Websites for SF Bay Area Rivers & Creeks. (1&2=kayaking-rafting-canoeing-paddlesports, 3=conservation-environment, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=other-websites)

Additional Information on California Rivers & Creeks:
• Nearby rivers: Central & South Coast California River Paddleboating Guides.
• Rivers statewide: Whitewater River Guides for California Kayaking, Canoeing & Rafting.

IceRocket Tags: kayaking, river map.
Tags: Petaluma River, Napa River, Alameda Creek, Coyote Creek, Guadalupe River, California, canoeing, paddle boating, kayaking, paddlesport, whitewater, river.

Labels: guide

Kayakers, rafters, inner tubers and canoeists will find summer boating opportunites even in a drought year. In summer, California rivers & creeks provide lots of opportunities for playboating, training new boaters, & river rescue classes for advanced boaters.

Dreamflows California and Nevada River Flows provides recent flow data or flow estimates for many whitewater rivers & creeks. The color-coding system shows at a glance which rivers have sufficient flows for paddlesports and which do not ( green = okay, yellow = too low). Here are some whitewater rivers in California that are running now:
• North Coast: Klamath River, Trinity River.
• Central & South Coast: none.
• Sacramento Valley: McCloud River, Lower Sacramento River, Cache Ck, Putah Ck.
• Sierra - West Slope - Northern: Fordyce Ck, Main Yuba River, American River MF SF Main, Mokelumne River.
• Sierra - West Slope - Southern: Cherry Ck, Tuolumne River, San Joaquin River, Kings River, Kern River.
• Sierra - East Slope: Truckee River.

American Whitewater - Scheduled Releases provides a calendar of information about future dam releases that provide additional opportunities for whitewater paddleboating.

Whitewater River Boating Guides for California - BRT Insights provides river maps and information about the whitewater difficulty ratings for most of the California whitewater rivers and creeks listed above. When planning your boating trips be sure to check the maps carefully to match up the runnable flows reported by Dreamflows with the various river sections described in the Boating Guides.

Ocean Surf Kayaking Guide for the California Coast describes another summertime whitewater paddleboating opportunity. Be sure to check the surf reports before you go. Although the ocean never runs out of water there is no guarantee that there will be good waves on the beaches.

More about boating trip plans and trip reports:
• Whitewater River Kayaking Trip Reports - BRT Insights.

IceRocket Tags: kayaking, river tubing, float tube.
Tags: playboating, California, kayaking, river, whitewater, paddle boating, rafting, canoeing, paddlesports.

Labels: trip

Kayaking, Rafting, River-tubing, Canoeing & Paddlesports Guide - Shasta County & Tehama County, California, USA.

Whitewater boating in the Cottonwood Creek canyon - put-in locations.

Cottonwood Creek Middle Fork.
AA. Cottonwood Creek MF 1) Knob Gulch confluence Run. (class IV, 11.1 Miles)
      N 40.40670 W 122.88689 - Knob Gulch Confluence put-in (A)
      Where to take-out ?? (see comment below)

B. Cottonwood Creek MF 2) MF to North Fork Confluence Run. (class III, 23.5 Miles)
      Where to put-in ?? (see comment below)
      N 40.39477 W 122.52578 - MF confluence with NF Cottonwood Creek - where to take-out?? (B)

C. Cottonwood Creek MF 3) North Fork to Main St (class ??, miles ??)
      N 40.39477 W 122.52578 - confluence with NF Cottonwood Ckk - put-in?? (B)
      N 40.37687 W 122.28363 - Main Street Bridge take-out
      N 40.37781 W 122.20024 - confluence with Sacramento River

Cottonwood Creek North Fork.
D. Cottonwood Creek NF 1) Sunny Hill Rd to Platina Road bridge near Ono. (class IV-V, 4 Miles)
      N 40.47568 W 122.70575 - Sunny Hill Rd bridge put-in (C)
      N 40.47016 W 122.62244 - Platina Rd bridge near Ono take-out (D)

E. Cottonwood Creek NF 2) Ono to Gas Point Road. (class II-IV, 8 Miles)
      N 40.47016 W 122.62244 - Platina Rd bridge near Ono put-in (D)
      N 40.41493 W 122.53223 - Lower Gas Point Rd bridge take-out
      N 40.39707 W 122.52820 - Foster Rd bridge take-out

Cottonwood Creek South Fork.
F. Cottonwood Creek SF Pettyjohn Road to Highway 36. (class II, 9.5 Miles)
      N 40.18589 W 122.55107 - Pettyjohn Rd bridge put-in (E)
      N 40.25791 W 122.47456 - Hwy36 at SF Cottonwood Creek take-out (F)

G. Cottonwood Creek SF Highway 36 to Route A5 Bowman Rd. (class I, 6.7 Miles)
      N 40.25791 W 122.47456 - Hwy36 at SF Cottonwood Creek put-in (F)
      N 40.31622 W 122.44941 - Bowman Rd bridge takeout (G)

H. Cottonwood Creek SF Route A5 Bowman Rd to Main St bridge. (class I ?, miles ??)
      N 40.31622 W 122.44941 - Bowman Rd bridge put-in (G)
      N 40.37687 W 122.28363 - Main Street Bridge take-out

Cottonwood Creek road map & topographic map for paddleboaters.

• Instructions for online interactive topographic river maps & road maps.
• Full-Screen River Map - landmarks on Cottonwood Creek.
• Point or DoubleClick on the red markers to see the names of landmarks (A, B, etc.).

Cottonwood Creek Guides, Maps & River Flow Data for White Water Boating.

• West Coast River Touring - Rogue River Canyon and South, 1974. (pg. 189-194)
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.
• Online guides & river flow data: Cottonwood Creek Paddlesports Directory.

Cottonwood Creek valley paddleboating reports NEEDED !!

• Please send your trip reports from Cottonwood Creek white water paddlesports boating trips. Stories, pictures & videos from boating trips will be linked here.

Outdoor Activities & Environmental Protection & in our River Canyons.

• Cottonwood Creek Watershed Directory - Conservation & Recreation. Websites for the Cottonwood Creek Valley. (Display options alphabetical 100. Section 1&2=kayaking-rafting-canoeing-paddlesports, 3=conservation-environment, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=other-websites)

Additional Information on California Rivers & Creeks:
• Nearby streams: Clear Creek, Elder Creek, Sacramento River Valley Region.
• Whitewater River Guides for California Kayaking, River-tubing, Canoeing & Rafting Paddlesports, Geographical List - BRT Insights.
• Using these whitewater river paddleboating guides - BRT Kayaking.

IceRocket Tags: kayaking, river map.
Tags: Cottonwood Creek, California, rafting, canoeing, paddle boating, kayaking, paddlesports, whitewater, river.

Labels: guide

"Life is a metaphor for boating."

A quote from Ellen DeCuir in the video 'Essential Boat Control.'

No matter what type of boat they paddle (rafts, canoes or kayaks) many people quickly recognize how whitewater river boating can be a metaphor for life. Ellen and many others who become really fascinated with paddlesports eventually reverse the saying.

More about:
• Whitewater River Paddleboaters' Philosophy & Quotes - BRT Insights.

Tags: kayaking, rafting, canoeing, whitewater, river, river quotes, paddle boating, paddlesports.

Labels: philosophy

Play Daze [VHS video] "Recognizing that instructional techniques should evolve with boat designs, Play Daze introduces the skills needed to take full advantage of today's playboats. You'll learn how to front and back surf more effectively, spin on smaller waves, link endless cartwheels, and stun your friends with wave wheels or kick flips."

"Play Daze, by Ken Whiting and Chris Emerick. Playboating is all the rage these days, but despite how easy the pros make it look learning the moves takes time, dedication, proper technique and a flood of freestyle trial and error. Former World Rodeo Champion Ken Whiting’s instructional video, Play Daze, provides all that and more, taking paddlers from front surfing to kickflips and all points in between. Play Daze won the prestigious “Professional Instruction/Safety” class award at this year’s National Paddling Film Festival in Kentucky. It provides rodeo instruction for all levels of playboaters, starting with the basics of front surfing and balance, before moving on to advanced techniques. Play Daze offers the chance to learn from some of the best playboating instructors in the world. - Nate Johnson" (Paddler Magazine, june2000)

Three Golden Rules of Whitewater Kayak Playboating Technique.

The video explains three golden rules for kayaking: power the paddle via torso rotation, upper body and lower body work independently to control paddle and kayak, and control the kayak with an active paddle blade in the water. Then these important basic rules are applied to all of the kayak surfing and playboating skills.

Basic Moves for Kayak Freestyle Playboating.

The video describes front surfing, back surfing, stern squirts, side surfing, 360's, flat spins, and back desk roll.

Advanced Moves for Freestyle Kayaking in a Playboat.

The video describes cartwheels, splitwheels, flatwater cartwheels, wathunck, wavewheels, blunts, back stab, and kick flips.

The video does a good job of introducing many different playboating moves for whitewater river kayaking. A little more explanation of the progression of moves needed to complete some of these maneuvers would be helpful. The maneuvers zip by too fast when viewed at normal speed in the video. It would have been nice if the video replayed the maneuvers in slow motion with more narration. To get the most out of this video you need a video player that can run the video in slow motion so you can do your own detailed analysis of these maneuvers. I rate this video as good (*** 3 stars out of 5).

More about:
• Critical reviews of books and videos for whitewater river kayaking - BRT Insights.
• Skills & Techniques for Whitewater River Kayaking - Freestyle Playboating.

IceRocket Tags: kayaking.
Tags: kayaking, whitewater, river, paddle boating, paddlesports, playboating.

Labels: technique, video

SOAR - Skills On All Rivers: Intermediate and Advanced Kayaking Technique [VHS video] describes techniques for whitewater river kayaking with the modern short boat style of kayaks. "Just as kayak designs have evolved, so have the paddling techniques needed to take advantage of them. 'SOAR' follows some of the best paddlers in the world on a breathtaking journey to the Zambezi River in Africa and to the magical creeks of New Zealand while introducing the skills needed for intermediate and advanced kayakers to excel. Learn 'The Golden Rules of Kayaking', optimize your strokes, improve your creek boating, and polish your big water paddling."

Three golden rules for whitewater river kayaking paddling technique.

1. Separate the movements of upper and lower body. It is critical to be able to paddle with the upper body while independently using the lower body to steer and edge the boat with knee and hip action.

2. Torso rotation.
a.) Power paddle strokes with torso rotation. Torso rotation muscles provide your best power and endurance to power your paddle.
b.) Turn your kayak with torso rotation. With the new short kayak designs first look where you want to go as you wind up your torso. Second plant your paddle blade on the inside of the desired turn as a pivot. Third unwind your torso back to a neutral position while using torso muscles to pull the kayak into the desired direction. This is opposite of the old methods for long kayaks where we used the paddle on the outside of the turn to push the kayak into the desired direction!!

3. Keep an active paddle blade in the water at all times to maintain control of your kayak. Whenever there is no paddle in the water a modern short kayak can be knocked off course easily and quickly even by tiny waves or currents.

Optimizing your kayaking paddle strokes.

The video demonstrates how to apply the golden rules of kayak paddling to your sweep stroke, draw stroke and back stroke.

Advanced techniques for whitewater river running.

The video demontrates and discusses techniques for eddy turns, river running safety, creek boating, and big water boating.

I rate this video as outstanding (***** 5 stars out of 5).

More about:
• Critical reviews of books and videos for whitewater river kayaking - BRT Insights.
• Skills & Techniques for Kayaking on Whitewater Rivers.

IceRocket Tags: kayaking.
Tags: kayaking, whitewater, river, paddle boating, paddlesports.

Labels: technique, video

Essential Boat Control is "a music filled instructional video pushing the foundations of good kayaking. Created for the intermediate to expert paddler, this video is not a topical smattering of tricks to impress your friends. This is the REAL THING." Essential Boat Control - 1998 Winner - National Paddling Film Festival Commercial & Professional Winner: Instructional video category.

The video prologue warns that whitewater river kayaking is a risk sport and that no amount of training, skills and good teamwork can reduce the risk to zero. On the other hand, there is also unavoidable risk driving our cars to the river. Many people have concluded that the great rewards of whitewater kayaking outweigh the risks involved. The prologue also warns that just watching a video, even one as good as this, cannot make you an expert kayaker. Only practice time on the river in your kayak with the advice and help of expert kayakers will eventually enable you to learn the paddling techniques necessary to become an expert kayaker.

Essential Boat Control describes 3 important principles for whitewater kayaking: balance, speed control and direction control. These principles are applied to the paddling techniques for entering eddies and exiting eddies. Essential strategies for kayaking in and out of eddies: posture, controlling turns, controlling speed, vision, navigation timing, eddy turn variables, edging, front & back leaning, maintenance strokes, enhancement strokes, linking maneuvers, and boofing.

This video was produced in 1996 at the end of the long boat period, but the skills & techniques described are still relevant to the shorter kayaks that are currently popular for river kayaking. Some additional information from other sources is needed to take full advantage of the modern short kayaks. Nevertheless, I still rate this video as great (**** 4 stars out of 5).

More about:
• Critical reviews of videos and books for whitewater river kayaking - BRT Insights.
• Techniques & Skills for Whitewater River Kayaking - BRT Insights.

Tags: kayaking, paddle boating, paddlesports, whitewater, river.

Labels: technique, video

Rafting, Kayaking, River-tubing & Canoeing Paddlesports Guide - Ventura County, California, USA.

Whitewater boating on Piru Creek - put-in locations.

A. Piru Creek - Mutau Flat Run (15 miles, class I-IV-, 71 fpm average gradient)
      Frasier Pk Exit - N 34.81754 W 118.88213
      Stauffer - N 34.75487 W 119.06090
      Mutau Flat Rd - N 34.71734 W 119.11524 (6 mi hike to the creek)

      put-in - N 34.64039 W 119.10056 Mutau Flat Road bridge (A)
      Alamo Ck - N 34.68281 W 119.01828 - mile 8.5
      take-out - N 34.70309 W 118.93728 Gold Hill Road bridge

  Gold Hill Rd - Hungry Valley Rd Intersection - N 34.73121 W 118.87323

B. Piru Creek - Gold Hill Gorge Run (9 miles, class IV-V, 108 fpm average gradient)
      put-in - N 34.70309 W 118.93728 Gold Hill Road bridge (B)
            - N 34.70154 W 118.86950 Snowy Creek Trail bridge
      take-out - N 34.69110 W 118.85147 Buck Creek Road bridge (3 mi hike to take-out)

      Hungry Valley Rd - Hidden Valley Rd Intersection - N 34.71832 W 118.83780
      Hidden Valley Rd - Buck Ck Rd Intersection - N 34.71017 W 118.83697

C. Piru Creek - Hardluck Gorge Run (4 miles, class III+, 70 fpm average gradient)
      put-in - N 34.69110 W 118.85147 Buck Creek Road (3 mi hike to put-in)(C)(Alamo Mountain Road ??)
      take-out - N 34.67839 W 118.78276 Emigrant Landing Boat Ramp, Pyramid Lake (~3 mi on lake)

D. Piru Creek - Pyramid Lake to Lake Piru Run, class IV, 18.5 miles.
      put-in - N 34.62406 W 118.74427 Frenchman's Flat Campground (D)
      take-out - N 34.47686 W 118.76184 Lake Piru

E. Piru Creek - Lake Piru to Santa Clara River Run, class II-III, 4 miles.
      put-in - N 34.46007 W 118.75485 (E)
      take-out - N 34.41683 W 118.78928

Piru Creek map for paddleboaters.

• Instructions for online interactive topographic river maps & road maps.
• Full-screen road maps & topographic maps - see below.

Full-Screen River Map - landmarks on the Piru Creek.
To see the names of landmarks displayed above (A, B, etc.) - DoubleClick or point on the red markers.

Piru Creek Guides & Maps for Whitewater Boating Paddlesports.

• Best Whitewater in California, Third Edition 1998. (pg. 310, Pyramid Lake to Lake Piru Run)
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.
• Online guides & river flow data for paddleboating: Piru Creek Canoeing & Kayaking Directory. (Display options alphabetical 100. See section 1.)

Piru Creek paddleboating reports NEEDED !!

• Please send your trip reports from Piru Creek kayaking trips. Stories, pictures & videos from boating trips will be linked here.
• Upper Piru Creek video - DiscosVideos 10april2011
• Piru Creek , Entrance to the "Falls" Gorge - Southern California Creeking. (Pyramid Lake to Lake Piru Run)
• Middle Piru Creek trip report - Somewhere Out There12mar1995. (Pyramid Lake to Lake Piru Run)
• Piru Creek photos & video - Fly Fishing Newbie. (at Frenchman's Flat)

Environmental Protection & Outdoor Activities in our Wild and Scenic River Canyons.

• Piru Creek Watershed Directory - Conservation & Recreation. Websites for the Piru Creek Watershed. (Display options alphabetical 100. Section 1=kayaking-paddlesports, 3=conservation-environment, 4=fishing, 5=camping-hiking, 6=other-websites)

More Information on California Rivers:
• Nearby streams: Santa Clara River, Sespe Creek, Central & South Coast Rivers Region.
• Piru Creek Wild and Scenic added to the USA National Program 27mar2009.
• California Whitewater River Guides for Kayaking, Canoeing, River-tubing & Rafting Paddlesports Listed Geographically - BRT Insights.
• Using these whitewater river paddleboating guides - BRT Kayaking.

IceRocket Tags: kayaking, river map, socal, Southern California.
Tags: Piru Creek, wild and scenic, California, river, rafting, canoeing, paddle boating, kayaking, paddlesports.

Labels: guide

Full Circle [VHS video] chronicles a group of kayakers traveling around the world to kayak on some amazing creeks and rivers.

They visited the Zambezi River in Africa. They competed in a freestyle rodeo and used helicopter shuttles for some creek boating in New Zealand. They also ran steep creeks in Oregon, Tennessee, Ottawa Canada and Norway. The video also included some epic scenery on and off the river together with a great soundtrack.

I rate this video as great, a nice travelogue about kayaking on a number of remarkable rivers (**** 4 stars out of 5).

More about:
• In his own words Chris Emerick - paddlermagazine.com 01sept2006.
• Book & video reviews for whitewater river rafting, canoeing & kayaking - BRT Insights.

Tags: kayaking, paddle boating, paddlesports, whitewater, river.

Labels: video

Kayak surfers, waveskiers, & surfskiers can share this resource with the board surfers.

California Surfing Guides.

       
• Surfer Magazine's Guide to Northern and Central California Surf Spots, 2006.
• Surfer Magazine's Guide to Southern California Surf Spots, 2006.
• The California Surf Project, 2009.
• Surfing California, 1973.

California Coast Travel Guides.

       
• Beaches and Parks in Southern California (Experience the California Coast), 2009.
• Beaches and Parks from Monterey to Ventura (Experience the California Coast), 2007.
• Experience the California Coast: A Guide to Beaches and Parks in Northern California, 2005.
• California Coastal Access Guide, 2003.

       
• Coastal California (Regional Guide), 2007.
• The Photographer's Guide to the California Coast: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them, 2006.
• The California Coast: A Traveler's Companion, Second Edition, 2003.
• Driving the Pacific Coast California, 5th: Scenic Driving Tours along Coastal Highways, 2003.

     
• Beyond The Golden Gate: California's North Coast, 2001.
• The California Coast: The Most Spectacular Sights & Destinations, 2001.
• Pacific Coast Highway: Traveler's Guide (Photographic Tour), 2000.

For more information:
• Ocean Surf Kayaking Skills - paddlesports books & videos - BRT Kayaking.
• Ocean Surf Kayaking Guide - California Coast - BRT Kayaking.
• Book & video reviews for kayaking, rafting, & canoeing paddlesports - BRT Kayaking.

Tags: California, kayaking, paddle boating, whitewater, playboating, surfing, coast, ocean, waveski, surfski, paddlesports.

Labels: book

Kayak playboating in the salty whitewater along the ocean coast.

Techniques for Kayak Surfing.

       
• Kayak Surfing (How to Paddle), 2009 book.
• Surf Kayaking: The Essential Guide, 2005 book.
• Nigel Foster's Surf Kayaking, 1998 book.
• ABCs Of The Surf Zone, DVD video.

Surf Kayaking Skill Demonstrations by the Paddlesport Experts.

   
• UpTime: A Waveski Video, 2008 DVD video.
• The Search 2: More Paddlesurf Chronicles, 2009 DVD video.

For more information:
• Ocean Surf Kayaking Guide - California Coast - BRT Insights.
• US West Coast Kayak Surf Association.
• Santa Cruz Kayak Surf Festival - Adventure Sports.
• Book & video reviews for whitewater river & ocean kayaking - BRT Insights.

Tags: kayaking, paddle boating, whitewater, playboating, surfing, coast, ocean, waveski, surfski, paddlesports.

Labels: book

Ocean surf kayak playboating guide - West Coast California USA.

Take your river kayak out into the salt water and have some fun playboating in the surf zone!! Be sure to read up on ocean surfing etiquette before you go to make sure you understand the rules that help keep people safe and minimize conflict in the sometimes crowded surf zone. Also read about skills for surf kayaking in the ocean and/or take a training class on surf zone kayak paddling skills to help ensure fun and safety in the salty surf environment.

Surf Spots on the California Coast.

• California surfing spots - WannaSurf. Descriptions of 436 surf spots - surf spot characteristics & beach access maps.

California Surf Reports & Surf Forecasts - swell height & direction, wind & weather, tides.

Those who live near the coast can just drive around and see if the surf is good. Those who live farther inland should check the surf reports before going out because surf conditions are highly variable and unpredictable. Optimum surfing conditions of swell, wind and tide will vary depending upon the angle of the beach and surrounding coastline, height of exposed/submerged rocks and sandbars, skill level of the paddler, etc.
• Northern CA Surf Forecast - surfline. Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma & Marin Counties.
• Central CA Surf Forecast - surfline. SF-San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Monterrey, Cape San Martin, San Luis Obispo.
• Southern CA Surf Forecast - surfline. Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego.

• Northern CA Surf Forecast - magicseaweed. Gold Beach Oregon to Santa Cruz County.
• Southern CA Surf Forecast - magicseaweed. Half Moon Bay San Mateo County to San Diego.

• Northern CA Surf Forecast - wavewatch. Bodega Bay to Carmel.
• Central CA Surf Forecast - wavewatch. Carmel to Pt. Concepcion.
• Southern CA Surf Forecast - wavewatch.
      SB/Ventura. Los Angeles. Orange County. San Diego.

Online Guides for Ocean Surf Kayaking.

• Kayak Surfing Directory. Surfing etiquette, surf kayak skills, online guides & ocean conservation. (Display options alphabetical 100. See guide section for more surf reports, surf forecasts and other surfing information.)

Printed Guide Books for Surfing the California Coast.

• Ocean Surf Kayaking Skills - paddlesports books & videos.
• California Surfing Guidebooks & Travel Guides for the California Coast.

Ocean surf kayaking reports NEEDED !!

• Please send your trip reports from kayak surfing. Stories, pictures & videos from ocean surf kayaking will be linked here.
• If you have experience surfing on any beaches in California please let us know what range of swell, wind and tide conditions make beginner, intermediate or advanced surfing conditions at each location.
• (ocean OR sea)(surf OR surfing)(kayak OR kayaking) - Google Videos.
• (ocean OR sea)(surf OR surfing)(kayak OR kayaking) - YouTube.
• Surf Kayaking At Folly Beach video 05dec2007.
• Ocean Sea Surf Surfing Kayak Kayaking videos - Metacafe.
• Santa Cruz Kayak Surf Festival - Adventure Sports.
• Santa Cruz Surf Kayak Festival Video 2009 | Go Kayak Now! 23march2009.
• 2008 Surf Kayak National Championships - Davenport, CA | Kim and Geoff nov2008.
• US Surf Kayak Championships at Davenport, CA | Kim and Geoff oct2008.
• Bodega Bay - Crabbing, Surf Kayaking | Kim and Geoff oct2008.
• Davenport 2007 Surf Contest | Kim and Geoff oct2007.
• Baja Surf Kayak Trip | Kim and Geoff june2007.
• Santa Cruz Paddlesurf Contest 2007 | Kim and Geoff march2007.
• Ride The Waves With Kayak Surfing - Adventure Blog 13dec2006.
• Kayak Surf Contest - Digital Grin Photography Forum 25mar2006.

Ocean Surf Kayaking Paddlesports Directory.

• Ocean Surf Kayaking Directory - Conservation & Recreation. Websites for waveski and surf kayak playboating in the ocean. (conservation, etiquette, guides, skills)

More Paddle Boating Guides & Maps for California:
• California River Maps - Atlas & Gazetteer by Delorme, 2008.
• North Coast California River Guides for Paddleboating.
• California Whitewater River Guides for Kayaking, Canoeing & Rafting.
• Using these whitewater river paddleboating guides - BRT Kayaking.

Tags: kayaking, California, paddle boating, playboating, surfing, coast, ocean, waveski, surfski, paddlesports.

Labels: guide

Promoting whitewater river kayaking and hiking in California. Proclaiming my love for our beautiful lands and rivers.

1. My top priority is to provide the best possible information about whitewater river kayaking, hiking and environmental conservation in California, both in my writing and in my hyperlinks to other websites. (Blogging about whitewater kayaking in California.)

2. I pledge to support the Blog With Integrity principles.

3. My blog is a highly ranked and highly trusted online resource which provides search engine ranking benefits to the river-related websites that hyperlink to my blog. (Outgoing Hyperlinks Help Your Blog to Earn Higher Ranks at the Search Engines.)

4. On the Internet friends hyperlink to friends. Those who refuse to hyperlink get placed in a different category. I make a special effort to make more and better hyperlinks to reward friendly websites that hyperlink to my blog.

5. Comments on my blog that provide relevant information or insights about whitewater river kayaking or California river conservation are greatly appreciated. Comment spams and off-topic comments will be deleted. (How to Comment on a Blog. Why to Comment on a Blog.)

6. Informative comments that contribute to the topics addressed in this blog may include hyperlinks to relevant websites. Off-topic hyperlinks will cause a comment to be rejected as spam.

7. Comments can be short one-liners or as long as you want. If you have very long and/or very insightful comments you should contact me to inquire about publishing your info as a guest author article where your writing will get more visibility.

8. Guest author articles are welcomed on topics that are central to the themes of this blog. The writing must be unique, not just copies of writing that been published elsewhere. Please contact me in advance to discuss the topic of the article you are interested to publish on my blog.

More about:
• About My Blog and About Blogging - BRT Kayaking & Hiking.
• Tips for Blog Writers - BRT Kayaking & Hiking.

Labels: blog