Santa Cruz Harbor
Harbor Review:
The Santa Cruz Harbor is a not-too-busy harbor that was a little crowded, but overall pretty nice.
There weren’t too many “Visitor” parking spaces for me to park my car, but I found one that I barely fit into. The parking situation was a bit confusing for me and I ended up parking in the day parking area vs hourly (hourly is cheaper for anything less than 5 hrs of kayaking).
The harbor was clean enough and the sidewalks were nice and large.
What I Learned:
I finally wore the long-john wetsuit I bought a few months ago, and it was great! It wasn’t too hot (as I had feared) and it wasn’t too uncomfortable either. I’ll definitely wear this whenever the water is too cold in case I fall in.
The carbon fiber paddle continues to be the one piece of equipment that really changed how I feel about kayaking. It makes me feel fast and so powerful compared to the plastic paddles that I was used to.
I wasn’t sure about boating in the ocean, but it was really fun! Unlike in a lake, I definitely have to watch out for waves and boats, but on the flip side, I loved seeing seals, jellies, birds, etc.
Parking on the west most portion of the Santa Cruz Harbor is the way to save some dough. The parking to the east of the boat launch costs $15 for all day with the boat launch included. The west side charges $7 for launch and $1.50 per every hour. As long as you’re paddling for less than 5 hours, it’s cheaper to park on the west side.
I brought my 50mm equivalent lens and while it was fine, I wished that I had brought the 600mm for the animals.
Friends Made:
I kayaked while Kyle paddleboarded. We had great conversations around work, boats, etc.
What Happened?
3.4 miles, 1 hr 23 mins, < 5 mph E (wind)
I met up with Kyle to kayak around the Santa Cruz Harbor and a bit of the Monterey Bay. When we were both in the water, we decided to head out of the harbor. The waves got pretty high (at least that’s what it felt like) a few times, but we were able to get out without any issues. We wanted to see if we could head over to the Santa Cruz Pier, but half way to the pier, Kyle’s feet didn’t feel right, so we headed back to the harbor. When we got back to the boat launch area, we weren’t tired yet, so we explored the rest of the harbor and had a great time just talking and looking. When we were done, we headed off to get some burgers at The Crow’s Nest restaurant right next to the harbor.