Kayak Research Day

Wednesday the 10th


A beautiful day even though the temp won't break 60 degrees and the wind is up. We spent the morning catching up the blog and doing a few chores. Tina wanted to do some more research on Kayaks so we had a list of four stores we could visit. We had already determined that a Pelican 100 would be a great starter kayak as it was very similar to the ones we had been in before.

By 11:00 AM we were ready to go so we headed to our first stop, "Sports Fanatics" in downtown Chula Vista. We got there too late, they were no longer in business. Bummer! Oh well, on to our next stop in Otay where the "Sports Authority was located. Bingo! We walked in and went to the back of the store and they had a Pelican 100 on display, priced at $250. This is a 10' recreational kayak which has received very good reviews and is highly recommended for the type of kayaking we plan to do.

After spending half an hour with a sales person we learned that we needed floatation vests, dry bag, paddles and a carrier. They didn't have the car top carrier we would need, so they suggested the "REI" out in Otay Ranch. Since that was last on our list we thanked him for his time and headed to our third stop, "Play It Again Sports" up in the foothills just north of Otay Ranch.

Once again another place out of business. Double Bummer!! That's two strikes. So it was on to "REI" at Otay Ranch Town Center. We got there around 12:30 PM and met with one of their kayak people to talk about carriers. "REI" carries both Thule and Yakima carrier systems. For our 2009 Hyundai Sonata which doesn't have factory roof racks like most SUV's we needed a complete system. After referring to the spec sheets and putting together the parts list he came up with a price of $400 setup and ready to go. We thanked him for the information, took a catalog and since it was lunchtime walked across the way to the "Jalapena Fruit and Grill" where we both had a spicy burrito.

Sitting there looking at the Yakima catalog we made a decision. Whipping out my cell phone I called the "Sports Authority" and asked if they had two of the Pelican 100's in stock. After checking his inventory he told me they did so I had him put our name on them and said we'd be back to pick them up. After lunch we went back to "REI" and they put together the car carrier package only to find they were short two pieces.

A couple of phone calls and the parts we needed were located. Fortunately for us the Yakima rep was in the store and offered to go pick them up. Since we were in the town center it would be easy for us to spend a little time shopping and cruising (on foot) the huge outdoor mall that is Otay Ranch Town Center. So I moved the car around back for the installation guy and off we went.

Strolling past beautiful shops we ended up at a Barnes and Noble where we spent an hour or more perusing the books finally making a few selections from the discount tables. When we returned to "REI" the parts had just arrived so we went over and selected our floatation vests, a couple of paddles and a dry bag then settled down to wait while they finished installing the rooftop carrier.

Eventually the work was done, we rang up our purchases, thanked everybody and got back on the road to the "Sports Authority" to pick up our kayaks. When we arrived the staff helped us get the kayaks to the sales desk then out to the car. Tina and I spent 20 minutes getting the kayaks secured in their cradles and with safety tethers fore and aft. Then we started home.

We arrived back at camp about 6:00 PM much to the joy of the kids who were definitely ready for a walk. So off we went to the park for a quick walk before dinner. After dinner Tina and I put together a tentative activity plan and spent the rest of the evening relaxing after a long tiring day. Heh, heh! Tomorrow we plan to go kayaking along the shores of San Diego Bay.

No photos today.