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For a while now, my fiancé and I have been researching different Kayaks. We decided on the Bay ST from Oru Kayak. They are large enough for kayak camping, sturdy enough for ocean waves, and great for apartment life, as they fold up into a compact, box shape. After a few more trips I will write up a detailed review, but this Sunday we took them out for their maiden voyage!
Here is the description of the Bay ST from Oru Kayak:
On the water, the 12 foot Bay ST is fast, sporty, and versatile. It can handle many different conditions and landscapes, from smooth lakes to ocean kayaking. It's a closed cockpit, performance kayak that’s been tested on Class III rivers and played in 6-foot waves. Best for intermediate and advanced paddlers (but beginners with a few paddles under their belt will also love this model).
All Oru Kayak Models
Since this was our first trip in the kayaks, we didn't want to take them into the ocean, instead, we took them down to Mission Bay in San Diego.
We were able to park on W Brianfield Drive (Google Map Link) and easily carry our Oru Kayaks to the beach along the bay to set up.
The bay’s beach at this point of entry was a bit muddy as we moved from the sandy part down towards the water. To be honest, it was a little gross on my feet as I walked in, but I am used to sandy beaches. I spent most of my life around the sandy ocean over lakes with mud. Maybe when the tide is higher it will be a "cleaner" entry.
Once we got a feel for our new Oru Bay ST Kayaks we got moving across some fairly calm bay water. We decided to head towards Sea World and see if we could see any of the park from the Bay. The morning started out pretty overcast, but the weather improved 100% for the second half of the trip.
The water wasn't too crowded in the morning, but there were definitely quite a few Jet Skis zooming around later on. If Coronavirus wasn't a thing right now then there would be a lot more tourists in San Diego and this would be a pretty busy waterway. Just be aware of your surroundings at all times when paddling here!
Eventually, we made it across the bay and we could see one of the big show spaces in Sea World! Sea World was oddly quiet and empty since it shut down due to the virus, but this could be a cool spot to come back to in the future. You might be able to catch a small glimpse of one of their shows from the water!
Best Waterproof Camera Bag
Since I do a lot of photography, I really needed a waterproof bag that was 100% waterproof but still allowed for quick access to my nice Sony mirrorless camera. The Medium Nite Ize RunOff Waterproof Packing Cube (Amazon Affiliate) works perfectly for my camera.
You can check out my full length review I wrote up here, along with a couple other waterproof bag options.
We sat floating outside of Sea World for a little bit enjoying the warm sun that just decided to come out. Overall, we spent a little over 2 hours on the water and kayaked 4.5 miles! Now that we tested these kayaks out, we can't wait to go on many more adventures and hopefully kayak camping once things open up more in the future!
GoPro Footage