This is by no means a thorough review of the Hobie Revolution, just sharing my thoughts about my demo experience. Hobie has a great reputation of building fabulous boats and I admire many of the models they offer.
My daughter and I set off for Big Break to do some paddling when we discovered a local kayak shop offering free Hobie demos today. We decided to try out the Revolution. Amanda tried out the Revolution 11 while I tried out the Revolution 13. Both boats were equipped with Hobie's MirageDrive which I was anxious to try. I've seen many on the water and thought to myself how nice it would be to free your hands up while fishing.
We boarded our demo boats and set off towards some open water. Amanda was off like a bullet while I was having trouble getting comfortable using the pedals. If I had known how to adjust the pedals I would have tried to give my legs a little more room. I made do with what I had and eventually unhooked the paddle and used it instead. For me, the pedals bothered my knees and lower back, so I've decided I much prefer paddling. Meanwhile, Amanda was off zipping around, rather quickly I might add, and really taking to the MirageDrive. Seeking her opinion after our demo, she told me that the Hobie with the MirageDrive would be her kayak of choice.
I had a wonderful paddle today with a small group of kayakers from the Lodi Paddle Club. We met at Oxbow Marina for an early morning paddle to beat the heat. The marina is located in Isleton just north of Highway 12 on Georgiana Slough. The marina itself is very nice and offers many amenities. There's a small store and Joe's BBQ on weekends that offers burgers, hot dogs and polish sausage from 12:00-2:30. There is a small launch ramp but I would call the marina itself as to whether it's open to the public as this was an organized paddle so there was no fee today. It's my understanding that there will be another organized paddle on August 25. Check Lodi Paddle Club for more info to see if this paddle is posted.
We set off at about 9:30 a.m. and headed north toward Tyler Island bridge. Along the way we admired the the gorgeous yachts and pretty homes nestled along the shore. We paddled against a gentle current for about three miles before turning around. On the way back we stopped just south of the bridge to watch a beautiful sailboat pass by and witness the bridge turn to make the sailboats passage possible. This part of Georgiana slough is great for paddlers because there is a 5 mph no wake zone so there is no need to worry about speedboats.
We arrived back at the marina by noon and after loading our boats on our vehicles we enjoyed lunch at Joe's BBQ. Great day!
Bullards Bar is located in the Sierra Nevada foothills about 40 miles northeast of Marysville and 30 miles northeast of Grass Valley. It has 55 miles of shoreline to explore and it was recently listed as one of the top 100 bass lakes in the U.S. by Bassmaster Magazine.
The lake itself is absolutely gorgeous with its emerald colored water that makes me think I'm in a tropical paradise. The lake is well known for houseboating and you can check out Emerald Cove Marina to get more info. It's quite large at 4700 surface acres. There is camping available at Schoolhouse campground and also boat in only sites. You may purchase your camping permit from Emerald Cove Marina.
Dark Day boat ramp
There are two boat ramps available. One at Emerald Cove Marina and the other on Dark Day Road. Access to the lake and day use area are free. The best place to launch your kayak is at the Dark Day area. The ramp is extremely busy on a hot summer day but there is plenty of room for all to be happy. There are restrooms available at the ramp and at the day use area not far from the ramp, though the best restrooms are actually floating on the lake itself!
S.S. Relief #206
We visited Bullards Bar three times while camping in Oregon House, to kayak and swim. The day use area is good size with a little bit of shade available along the shore. The beach area is made up of thick clay, not much sand but the water is warm. If you visit make sure and bring lots of water and snacks as there are no concessions or store nearby.
We'll definitely make it a point to return to Bullards Bar! Maybe even do a kayak camping trip.
I haven't posted anything lately because I've been camping with my family.
We spent nearly three weeks at Lake of the Springs in Oregon House California. We had a blast! I was blessed to be able to kayak everyday! I even caught my first fish from my kayak - a smallmouth bass. After 18 days I only caught 4 bass but it sure was fun. I'll be writing a review of Bullards Bar in the next couple of days which is an absolutely gorgeous lake to kayak on.
I can't believe how fast summer is flying by! I'll hopefully be able to get out and do more exploring of the Delta soon.
Lake Berryessa is not part of the California Delta but it's a wonderful place to kayak. The following is an excerpt from Recreation.gov:"Nestled between Blue Ridge and Cedar
Roughs, east of the Napa Valley, Lake Berryessa offers year-round recreation
opportunities. Berryessa's water reaches temperatures of up to 75 degrees in
the summer, making it an ideal place for water sports. Anglers enjoy fishing
for both cold and warm water species, such as rainbow trout, bass, catfish,
crappie, and bluegill. The Bureau of Reclamation provides two large day use
areas (Oak Shores and Smittle Creek), Capell Cove launch ramp, and many smaller
dispersed day use areas. The seven resorts around the lake are managed by
concessionaires under contract with Reclamation and provide camping, day use
and boating facilities. At capacity, Lake Berryessa stores 1.6 million acre
feet of water and is one of the largest bodies of fresh water in California.
The lake is 26 miles long by 3 miles wide, with 165 miles of shoreline.
Reclamation and the California Department of Fish and Game jointly manage a
2,000 acre wildlife area along the east side of the lake. The Monticello Dam
area at the southeast corner of the lake is one of the best local birding
areas."
It had been many years since I visited Lake Berryessa and I thought it would be a great place to celebrate my birthday. We had a late start Saturday because I couldn't make up my mind whether to brave the 100 plus degree weather. Once I made up my mind, our family piled in the truck and took the scenic route to check out Putah Creek along the way. From what we saw from the road, Putah Creek is a place I want to explore in the future. We passed a couple of possible put ins and we observed many rafters and kayakers enjoying the creek.
We arrived at Lake Berryessa late in the afternoon but it was still 106 degrees. We ended up at Coyote Beach in the Oak Shores area of the lake. We quickly unloaded our boats and dragged them with my Wheeleez kayak cart to the shore. If you decide to explore Berryessa I suggest bringing a cart with you as it can be a long distance from where you park to the shoreline. There are restrooms available in different areas around the lake but many are only pit toilets with no running water. You also want to bring ample food and drinks as there are limited concession stands available. We did spot a small market a few miles from the actual lake but we didn't stop and check it out.
Coyote Beach has a swim area roped off but we didn't like it because there was quite a bit of goose poop floating in the area. The kids and I paddled out a ways and found an area that was clear and the kids swam while I paddled around. I think this would be a great place to kayak camp. UPDATE: Kayak camping is only allowed if you kayak into a developed campground (of which there are only 4 on the lake, and none very close to Oak Shores). Camping anywhere else along the shoreline and islands is illegal, and no one wants a ticket for that! Thanks RangerVic! For a map of Lake Berryessa and more info on camping click here.
We had a great afternoon and evening and look forward to our return. Be aware that there are rattlesnakes in the area and we found one about 10 feet from our truck hiding out in a hole as we were packing up. Be safe and keep on paddling!
My daughter and I headed out to Pittsburg Marina to do a short paddle and explore Browns Island. There was a gentle breeze with winds blowing about 5 knots. The water was smooth as glass and the temperature was already 83 at 9:45 a.m.. Max flood was at 8:30 and the slack ebb was to begin at 11:21.
The Pitsburg Marina is a fairly large marina with three launch ramps you can use at no charge. There are restrooms available and free parking.
We left the marina a few minutes after 10:00 and crossed New York Slough which is less than a quarter mile wide. We followed the south shore of Browns Island for about 10 minutes until we found the entrance to another slough that would take us north through the island. We paddled a couple of minutes when we came upon another slough or cut to the east. We decided to continue north to see what we could find. I would definitely suggest bringing a GPS device as you can get lost in all the different cuts throughout the island. I had my phone GPS and I'm glad I brought it!
We paddled about one half mile more until we reached the Sacramento River. We hung out there and had a snack while we watched a large cargo ship pass the Pittsburg Marina. After our snack we headed back into the island and headed east. My intention was to head toward the northeastern part of the island but we missed the cutoff. So we ended up paddling through the winding slough toward the center of the island until I realized my mistake. The temperature was climbing quickly so we decided we should head back to the marina.
We didn't see much wildlife on this trip but I imagine the fishing is probably good. We passed what looked like a beaver lodge and there were lots of spots where it looked like some critters had made homes. There were many wildflowers to see and it was a very scenic paddle. I'd love to do it again when the temperature is a little cooler. On the way back our entrance was blocked by some lily pads but we were able to paddle through them. It did cause me to wonder if we had made a wrong turn but after checking my GPS I confirmed we were going the right way and we returned to the marina safe and sound.
Wimpy's run is about a 5.5 mile one way paddle down the Mokelumne River from the Consumnes River Preserve to Wimpy's Marina in Walnut Grove. After dropping our boats off at the put in we drove to Wimpy's which is only 7 minutes by car, to drop my truck off at the take out. For more info about the preserve see my previous post.
It took us about one hour and forty-five minutes paddling at a leisurely but steady pace down the Moke. The weather was perfect at 83 degrees when we left the preserve. Any warmer and I think it would have been too hot. The gentle breeze that was blowing also helped to keep us cool. I got the idea to do this paddle from Dan Arbuckle from Headwaters when he posted it as a meet-up for the Lodi Paddle Club back in March. I was bummed that I couldn't make it that day so I put it on my bucket list as a must do. I am glad I did! My four girlfriends and I, (which we now call ourselves the Lumbum crew for reasons I won't go into detail about-let's just say it has to do with an unplanned scenic route), thoroughly enjoyed our day on the water.
We left the preserve at 11:45 a.m. and headed south until we reached the Consumnes River at which time we headed west and entered the Mokelumne near the Thornton Road bridge. From there we paddled until we reached Wimpy's which was a welcome sight as I was starving. We arrived at our destination at 1:30 and were quickly greeted by three noisy ducks who appeared to want a ride somewhere as they looked as though they wanted to jump in the backseat of my truck.
Jenny decides to take a nap
The only other wildlife we saw today was a Great Blue Heron which led us down the river to Wimpy's. There weren't many people on the river today either. We saw one bass boat and another small boat with a family fishing who said they caught a couple of stripers. If you decide to do this paddle, make sure and bring plenty of water and a protein bar or snack of some sort. It can get extremely hot in the summer and though the water is cool, it's not very inviting. The scenery is beautiful and there is abundant shade available to take a rest near the bank but there isn't anywhere to land to stretch your legs until you get to New Hope Landing which is next to Wimpy's.
Lunch at Wimpy's was delicious and reasonably priced. They have a beautiful view of the river so you can watch boaters coming and going. I would highly recommend this trip and I can't wait to do it again!
