Kayak vs. Inflatable diving

[Peter_C]

I own two kayaks set up for diving and a 14' Zodiac.

Owning a boat is a lot of work. Kayaks are way simpler. No motor to flush or maintenance to perform. A kayak can be launched most anywhere including Monastery or dive sites on the North Coast as Eric said. We have dove out there off of kayaks. Other than Lobos launching kayaks is generally free too.

Dealing with gear off a kayak is not really any harder than off of an inflatable. You do need to be proficient getting your rig on and off in the water, but that is basic open water training.

With either form of transportation I always carry a hand held VHF radio.

Solo or not solo is something for each individual. If you have to ask the question then you probably shouldn't be solo diving. Offshore the currents can come up along with many other hazards that you would have to deal with alone.

 

[cmburch]

I have a Perception Prism 13' sit-on-top kayak. It has large front and rear hatches. I use it for SCUBA, freediving, abalone, and fishing. I also have longer regular kayaks. I kayak dive Monterey Bay, Carmel Bay, and small coves around Sonoma and Mendocino.

I usually attach my front or rear tow line to kelp and sometimes drag my kayak up on rocks. If I use a small anchor, I have a plastic cleat screwed to deck so that if the anchor rope is pulled it tightens, but if I need to release quickly I just pull up and let go of the line. I use line that floats and of course I have a paddle leash. I carry any loose gear in a goodie bag clipped to the deck. If I am freediving, it is hard for me to sit-up straight with my wetsuit on and I overheat. So I wear my weight belt and open the top while paddling. I put my mask and snorkel on before I hop in the water. I put my fins on in the water. My friends put their fins on in the kayak and sometimes paddle with their fins on.

For SCUBA, I put my tank/BC in the back hatch but it will not close. This could be dangerous, but I do not SCUBA using my kayak in seas where I may be swamped. I can go in rougher seas when I freedive or I can figure a way to safely secure the tank/BC on top of the deck instead. I also have a couple of flotation bags for kayaks without bulkheads for safety. I pull my top up, put my snorkel in my mouth then jump in and put my fins on. Secure the kayak, then pull the tank/BC out of the back hatch and secure the hatch. I put my BC on in the water. When I return to the boat, I clip the fish or Abalone(freediving) to the deck. I may throw my weight belt into the front hatch. I take off my BC and clip it to the kayak side ropes so it does not float away. It is easy for me to swim around and get everything ready to leave without my weight belt and BC on. I take my fins off after I climb on top. And my mask and snorkel are still on when I climb back in. I hope this helps.

 

[cmburch]

Are their any regulations against dragging an inflatable with an outboard through any of the beach access areas in Monterey County?

One advantage of my little 11 footer is that I don't require a boat ramp. I have no interest in rowing the thing, though.

No sense in using the boat launch at the Marina since the Breakwater boat launch can get you most anywhere around Monterey except for farther south Carmel. I have launched at Carmel River SB north of the river. Stillwater Cove beach launch. The Moss landing boat launch is also safer than launching from shore. Elkhorn Slough at low tide is best for bird watching. Do not go into the slough with an underpowered inflatable when the tide is going out. I do not think the State Beaches south of Santa Cruz prohibit shore launching. It would be easy to call and find out. Entry fees have gone up at the SB's. I know some beaches in Southern California prohibit shore launching of motorized vessels.

I have flipped my inflatable returning from a dive when the surf was much larger than when I had launched in the morning. So protected coves and boat launches are a plus. I am not very experienced in surfing a motorized inflatable. Timing is everything. Kayaks are much easier to surf with.

Surf is where an underpowered inflatable will get into trouble; also currents, swells, wind, and near rocks or cliffs.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I'm not a big fan of inflatables. Don't get me wrong, If I didn't have a boat and someone offered me a ride on their inflatable I wouldn't turn it down. But for the length of inflatables I look inside and see almost no room for the amount of horsepower and length. It's worse if the inflatable has a center console.
That's why I like my boat, it has plenty of room and is very spacious. Once I had 4 of us in full tech gear with doubles and stage bottles and we still had plenty of room.
There was a spell that I didn't want to deal with taking my boat out for close to a year. I kayak dove and shore dove all up and down the North Coast. But now it's time to get serious again so I have commited myself to taking my boat out more times than not, specially now that I have a kelp knife on my outboard.

 

[FishDiver]

Someone comment on my kayak thread. Apparently they are impossible to rent near Monterey so I thought I would just buy one and see if I like it.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/boating-equipment/310041-kayak-brand.html

 

[Peter_C]

Someone comment on my kayak thread. Apparently they are impossible to rent near Monterey so I thought I would just buy one and see if I like it.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/boating-equipment/310041-kayak-brand.html

Aquarius on Del Monte rents kayaks or at least used too for diving. You will have to haul them to the water, so you must have a vehicle with some kind of racks or some kind of truck.

 

[rmitchell248]

Someone comment on my kayak thread. Apparently they are impossible to rent near Monterey so I thought I would just buy one and see if I like it.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/boating-equipment/310041-kayak-brand.html

on del Monte at del Monte beach (right before the tunnel and next to the pier) there is a building that is dedicated to kayak rentals is on the water side of the street.

 

[Peter_C]

on del Monte at del Monte beach (right before the tunnel and next to the pier) there is a building that is dedicated to kayak rentals is on the water side of the street.

Will they let you dive off of them though? From what I have heard the answer is NO! Of course I could be dead wrong...

 

[FishDiver]

I did a bit more research. This place rents kayaks at Lover's and somewhere along Cannery Row. About Us - Contact Info and Locations They allow people to dive from kayaks but are not enthusiastic about it. Claimed they had some issues with kayaks "drifting off." Divers need to bring anchors, ropes, and all other safety gear.

 

[rmitchell248]

I guess if I were to rent a Kayak I would haul it off and not tell them what I was using it for.... If it drifts off because you did a poor job anchoring it, you pay for it. I cant imagine that they could actually regulate such a thing