As our paddles cut into the calm waters of Huntington Harbour, the sight of sand and the possibility for a few minutes break sent a jolt of energy to my exhausted arms.

My friend Cindy and I had been paddling around for about 45 minutes, at times lost in the maze of beautiful homes with boats docked in their front yards.

The excitement of a potential rest came to a screeching halt as we inched forward and saw the sign sticking out of the water: Private Property  No Trespassing on Beach.

Ok, don’t tell anyone who lives there, but we stopped anyhow to pull the kayak onto the beach and take a quick dip in the refreshing salt water on the sweltering hot day. I know, I feel horrible about it, which is why I’m writing my confession here. Sorry to whoever lives there.

Cindy just moved back here from Central California, and has a newfound appreciation for all the outdoor playgrounds we have at our disposal here in Orange County.

So when I mentioned on a random hot Wednesday we go kayaking, she didn’t hesitate. Kayaking is one of those things that seems great to do while on vacation, but I completely forget that we can do it right here on so many spots along the coast.

We drove about 15 minutes from my house to Huntington Harbor, where two kayak rental companies sit conveniently on Pacific Coast Highway.

We opted for Sunset Rentals, for no other reason than we found parking closer to that shop. The guy working there sets us up with oars after we hand over an I.D., likely so we don’t take off with the water craft (I wouldn’t get far). Cost was $25, but he said on weekdays we can cruise around as long as we want.

I jump in the back seat of the double kayak, which apparently is meant for the person steering – a fact I figure out as we nearly ran into wooden docks and a couple of boats as we get a start.

“Wooooh, stop paddling,” I said, trying to get control of the direction as we headed toward a concrete wall. We put up our oars to push off it, propelling the plastic vessel back to the center of our watery road.

As we head through the canals and check out the waterfront homes – which no doubt go for millions each – we wonder what kind of job a person has to have to nab one of these bad boys.
 
Not journalism, I’ll tell you that much.

As we cruised along, there were some odd things that stuck out from the homes. I kind of love that about Huntington Harbour – you can peek into people’s lives, and they put stuff out to entertain nosy people like us.

We had a nice pace going as we were cruising along, but the burning sensation in my arms was a reminder that I hadn’t been in a kayak in years, and my muscles started screaming at me as the wind started blowing harder. By the way, if you go, wind generally picks up at about 2ish, so if you’re looking for a mellow adventure, check forecasts before you go. There were a couple of other things I really enjoyed about this harbor. The water was nice and calm, and the people cruising by were really pleasant, saying hello as we crossed paths.

“This is so amazing, I can’t believe this,” Cindy says as we slow for a break to check out our surroundings.

Huntington Harbour has a number of different routes kayakers can take, various water-filled streets that can be a bit confusing for someone who doesn’t know the area. At one point, we looked around wondering which direction the kayak rental shop was, until we figured out the nearby passing cars were on Pacific Coast Highway, and that was the direction we needed to head. I’m sure it would have helped if I had noticed the nice map that was right in front of me on the kayak.
The various routes can also be viewed as a great exploration for people who want to discover different nooks of this harbor.

There was  no noticeable common areas for people to stop and rest or relax for a bit. But if you’re looking for seclusion and to get away from busy waters, this is the place for you.

Next trip: Newport Harbor.

Here are some rental places if you want to check it out:

Sunset Rentals:
16862 Pacific Coast Highway, Sunset Beach 
562-592-5537
Hour: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. weekends
Cost: $13 for singles, $25 for doubles, $30 for triples for two hours.

Malibu Sports
16910 Pacific Coast Highway, Sunset Beach
(562) 592-0800
Hours: 9 – 6 everyday
Cost: $15 for single $25 for double for two hours.

If you feel like being a bit lazy, check out a Duffy rental companies:
Duffy Electric Boat Co.
6732 Pacific Coast Highway, Sunset Beach
(562) 592-3028 
And if you feel really lazy, check out Sunset Gondolas and let someone else do all the work:
http://www.sunsetgondola.com/
 

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