How to Kayak with a Dog?

I always enjoy kayaking. I grew up inland with limited exposure to lakes and oceans. Any proximity with natural water sites makes me happy. To me, kayaking is a perfect combination of exercise, natural views, and peaceful moments. This summer, I brought Ariel on board! It’s fun but also requires lots of preparation to kayak with a dog.

Kayak

First thing first, you will need a kayak that is pet-friendly. If you don’t own one, you should call your rental shop and confirm with them if it’s ok to bring a dog on board. If you are thinking about getting one, you will need a two-person kayak to fit an adult and a dog. A one-person kayak works as well, but your dog will have very limited room to move around. I recommend to get a cheaper, entry-level kayak first and test it out with your dog – not all dogs love water activities after all.

I got a two-person Intex Challenger Kayak and have been enjoying it so far. It’s inflatable, so not that expensive and easy to store. It fits into my trunk easily and stays there when not in use. Inflating and deflating are faster that I thought, although it uses a manual pump. I can set up everything within 20 minutes and hit the water. The kayak comes with a roomy and light carrier bag which is a life saver, a light-weight pump, a floater, a skeg, two seats, two paddles, and some repair patches. I typically store everything in the carrier bag. Even though a two-person kayak, I can carry everything by myself. It’s heavy but doable, unlike carrying a typical hard-shell kayak.

After arriving at the site, I bring the carrier bag with everything in it to the water front and start inflating. Gear leftovers go back into the carrier bag and can fit easily into the storage areas on the kayak. The deflating process is in the reverse order. The carrier bag is big enough that I don’t have to fold and maneuver the kayak in any specific way, which I really appreciate. After kayaking for several hours, stressing about storage is the last thing I want to do.

The kayak itself is pretty roomy that Ariel can move around and I don’t have to fold my legs either. There’s also plenty room left for our water bottles and snacks. Some people find it hard to paddle and speed up an inflatable kayak. This’s true. While I can make mine move without any problem, it’s not as fast as a hard-shell kayak. But I’m not doing it for competition nor am I using it as a transportation. An inflatable kayak is perfect for me to casually enjoy the water.

Safety Gears

Safety is the number one priority at all times. I take it seriously.

1. Bring repair patches if you have inflatable kayaks. You will never know when you will get a scratch. Always examine whether there’re any leaks after inflating the kayak and patch it properly. Having a deflated boat in the middle of the water is the last thing you want.
2. Wear safety vests yourself and for your dogs. No matter how good you or your dog is with water, safety vests provide an extra layer of guarantee. I got one for myself (Stearns classic vests) and one for my dog (Outward Hound Dog Life Jacket). Many kayak rental shops also provide vest rentals.
3. Get waterproof bags for valuables and electronics. If you are worried about getting your wallet or smartphone wet, it’s better to store them in a waterproof bag. For example, I have a backpack for water activities for carrying towers, water bottles, snacks, etc. In addition, I also have a waterproof phone tote to keep dry of my phone, wallet, keys, and hand sanitizer.
4. Wear proper clothes and put on sunscreen. Kayaking is a sport anyway. To reduce the likelihood of injuries, I recommend wearing comfortable clothes (if not swim wears) that you will wear for workouts. Moreover, there’s no shade on the water, so put on sunscreen to protect your skin.
5. Don’t go barefooted. I rarely fall into the water when kayaking. But when launching and returning to the shore, my feet and legs will for sure get wet. A pair of water shoes will be helpful – I got a pair from Hiitave. Some people like to go barefooted. I don’t recommend it because you will never know whether the bottom of the water will be sandy or rocky. No shoes means more likely to scratch your feet.

Pet-Friendly Locations

Not all water sites are dog-friendly. Wherever your destination is, it’s better to check online and call to confirm before you go. As I mentioned in my earlier blog about traveling with a dog, my original intention of getting a kayak is for travel use. But I haven’t got the opportunity and have been using it more locally. I find harbors are usually dog-friendly and county parks are typically not. It depends for reservoirs because some are storing drinking water. I have tried the following two places. Both are great options for the San Francisco Bay Area folks.

Santa Cruz Harbor

Santa Cruz Harbor is very busy and crowded with many pedestrians and boat launchers, especially on weekends. Almost all types of boats are allowed here. Non-rental kayaks are launched in the same area with all other boats. Regardless of on the land or water, you need to be careful to not collide into a sailor, a mobile boat, or a paddler. In addition, waves are pretty strong outside the harbor. If you are a cautious kayaker like me, it may feel scary. The weather and ocean view here is great though. Ariel was happy too because of all the people and bird watching. There are two rental shops for kayaks and SUPs if you don’t have any equipment: Kayak Connect and SUP Shack Santa Cruz. Both are popular. It’s better to make reservations ahead of time.

Half Moon Bay Harbor

Compared to the Santa Cruz Harbor, Half Moon Bay Harbor is quieter, maybe because it’s not always sunny in the Peninsula area. You can rent kayaks or paddles from Half Moon Bay Kayak Co. Its staff is super friendly and easy to work with. They allow pets and have life jackets for pets as well. Non-rental kayaks are launched in the same place of the rental shop. The launching area is wider than the one of the Santa Cruz Harbor.

If the weather is sunny, ocean views here will be amazing. If it’s cloudy and foggy, there are fewer people and I like the quietness. The only downside of this harbor is that the parking lot is on the other side of the street. If you don’t want to carry your equipment around, you will have to offload the gears first and then go find parking, which can be difficult if you are going by yourself.

Cleaning

To maintain cleanness on the kayak, I recommend bringing a towel and laying it out in the kayak for your pet. It can also help prevent scratches from their claws. I also bring another towel for myself in case I get wet. Two towels will take up a lot of space. So it’s important to find compact and absorbent ones for travel use. I like the Rainleaf microfiber towels.

After you are done kayaking, it’s important to rinse the bottom of the kayak with fresh water and let it dry before storage. It will help lengthen the use life of your kayak. Of course, rentals will save you from all these troubles.