Testing the Waters

For all you kayak and canoe lovers, the waters around Ventura County are getting more paddle-friendly.

Lake Casitas, long off-limits to paddlers, gave a cautious nod to kayaks less than two years ago. But rules--like sweltering in a wetsuit despite 100-degree temperatures--made it a cumbersome adventure.

Now the wetsuits are off, the rules have been relaxed, and the lake’s boat-rental concession even added kayaks to its fleet earlier this month.

Ditto at Channel Islands Harbor. Hopper Boat Rentals picked up a dozen kayaks and began renting them by the hour last April. Ventura Harbor has had them for four years now.

Although Lake Piru doesn’t rent them, the lake lifted the ban on kayaks about two years ago, allowing them at the north end of the lake.

“There’s a lot more interest now in kayaking,” said Travis Perich, who opened Trip Canoes and Kayaks in Ventura three years ago. And with the lakes easing their restrictions on the paddle sports, more people are realizing they aren’t limited to the ocean, he said.

If you’re thinking about giving the sport a whirl, here’s what you can expect at Lake Casitas. The one-passenger sit-on-top sea kayaks rent for $10 an hour, and the two-passenger, $15 an hour. (You can also rent a canoe for $15 an hour.)

Although the kayaking-canoeing hours were recently relaxed, you still won’t have the same freedom as the powerboats--yet. Paddling is allowed all day Wednesdays but only from sunup to noon the other six days.

That could change soon. “We’re very hopeful it will be later than noon,” said Gary Wolfe, who owns Casitas Boat Rentals. “But this is all brand new and we’re doing it low key.”

Bigger boats have long cruised the lake, which is a drinking-water reservoir. But tippy canoes and kayaks were barred until recently because they are more likely to capsize, dunking their occupants into the water and possibly contaminating it.

The Casitas Municipal Water District installed a new water filtration plant last November to help offset these concerns. Other recreational uses, such as swimming, are also being considered by the district. But for now, if you kayak, don’t even think about taking a dip after you work up a sweat.

And for now, kayaking and canoeing is permitted only along the lake’s north shore, about one-third of the shoreline, and no farther than 150 feet from the shore. That means you can’t explore the big island in the middle of the lake or paddle by the undeveloped portions of the lake’s shoreline.

There is still a lot to see--just ask Becky Donahue of Oak View, who hoists her kayak on top of her Honda and heads for the lake most Friday mornings.

“I’ve seen deer swimming to the island and back the other way,” she said. “I saw a bobcat--he came right down to the water--and a bear in the bushes.”

But the birds are the most obvious draw. They’re everywhere, hundreds of them--herons, ducks, grebes. They nestle among the reeds, and sometimes they skitter across the water en masse.

The designated area takes you from the model-airplane strip at the west side, past fishing docks, campsites, the main boat launch area, all the way to a finger called Wadleigh Arm on the east side. To paddle it all probably will take at least an hour. And the earlier the better; the wind picks up later on.

At Channel Islands Harbor, the kayaks are also the sit-on-top variety, the kind that water splashes into and usually leaves you with a wet bottom. So bring a change of clothes. These kayaks are all equipped with backrests that make paddling easier.

The boat concession, located at Fisherman’s Wharf, charges an hourly rate of $10 for a one-seater, $20 for a two-seater. Or you can rent one all day for $40. They’re available from sunup to sundown.

If you decide to go for a spin, the main restriction on the rentals is that you must remain within the harbor. (The same rule applies at Ventura Harbor.) Nonetheless, there’s plenty to eyeball. Head toward the harbor’s mouth and you’ll see pelicans, ducks, occasionally even seals lounging around the fishing boats.

If you paddle in the other direction, you can cruise under Channel Islands Boulevard--an eerie experience at high tide when you have to scrunch down to clear the bottom of the bridge. This way takes you past oceanfront homes, yachts parked in front. You can continue making a circle, paddling back around under the road again, past restaurants and more boat slips.

Happy Tallia, the boat concession manager and an avid kayaker who lives nearby on a boat, gives quick lessons to beginners. She can cover the basics in about five minutes.

“Kayaking is up and coming,” she said. “Everyone’s getting into it. It’s good for the soul.”

BE THERE

Kayaking information, call:

* Casitas Boat Rentals: 649-2043.

* Harbor Hopper Boat Rentals (Channel Islands Harbor): 985-4677.

* Bayqueen Harbor Cruises (Ventura Harbor): 642-7753.

* Trip Canoes and Kayaks: 643-8856.

* Lake Piru: 521-1500.