SOUNDING OFF: Kayaking is right for Laguna

We are at a watershed moment regarding the possibility of having kayaking as a recreational activity for both locals and visitors. The Council voted 4-1 Tuesday night to “explore the possibility of a city-issued franchise for kayak rentals.” This is by no means a done deal.

The adversaries are formidable and vociferous. Many of them wrote their opinions last week, and stood before the council Tuesday night.

The biggest concern was over whether legalizing kayaking would open a Pandora’s box and unleash a torrent of commercial operations on the beach. I am in total agreement with the adversaries on this.

But let’s be realistic. The ordinance against commercial businesses on the beach was written to prevent non-endemic, inappropriate, commercial vendors from polluting our shores.

Nobody wants to see arts, crafts, tchotchkes and carnival barkers on our pristine beaches. There are other places for this. But healthy, environmentally friendly, beach-based recreation that enhances the quality of life for everyone have a place on our beaches. Kayaking is not only low environmental impact, it is positive impact.

My staff at La Vida Laguna are all committed watermen and women who love our precious ecology and sharing it with everyone we take paddling. Our tours include an admonition not to remove anything from the tide pools, and not to throw anything into sewers, no matter how far away they live. We show them storm drains and explain what happens after a rain. We pick up trash in the ocean and on our beaches. And we show them the amazing marine life (sea lions, dolphins, birds) that grace our coastline, giving them a new perspective and respect for the beauty of our coastline. It’s noiseless, non-polluting, serene and breathtakingly beautiful. A great way to get less athletic people of all ages out on the water (not everyone can surf). And it brings tourists to our village, who would otherwise go to Dana Point or Newport Beach for this activity “” a decidedly less magical experience.

As for establishing a dangerous precedent that will flood our beaches with similar concessions, I will say this: There is only one beach on the entire coastline that is practical and safe for a kayaking concession “” the north end of Treasure Island known as Goff Beach. It has the only protected cove that is immune from the shore break that makes kayak launching and landing so difficult. It is remote and rarely used, thus we wouldn’t be impacting beach goers. In fact, for the month we were there this summer we never received a complaint from a beachgoer about taking up too much space. Treasure Island is also a public beach park, with parking, bathrooms, outdoor showers “” all the things that make it a pleasant experience for kayakers “” and non-intrusive for residents. It is also home to the Montage, which helps make it possible by assisting me with the storage of kayaks. I doubt anyone would endeavor to engage in an operation that’s hard to stage and promote. It’s a tough business. I don’t even know if it can be profitable. But I’m willing to try with community support. And if the council wishes to throw it out to competitive bid, let the best operation win.

This operation is not just for tourists. It’s for all of you who love to paddle but hate the hassle of getting your boat to the beach. I would like to start a locals Kayak Club, whereby residents would be free to use the kayaks at certain non-peak times (which are better kayaking hours anyway). I would also like to partner with the city to create community kayak programs that could be tied to conservation and environmentalism. And I would like to offer free kayaking to kids, particularly low-income, inner-city and at-risk youth who rarely have an opportunity to enjoy our ocean. I once took a group of teens out from Anaheim and Santa Ana who had never even been to the ocean. Hard to fathom. I cannot tell you the joy they had splashing around.

The city has the wisdom to amend the ordinance to interpret appropriate activities, and they can regulate what beaches they can be staged on. Or they can issue a permit (I think “franchise” is the wrong nomenclature) “” just as Marine Safety now does with surf instruction “” to regulate activities and keep everyone safe. I believe if kayaking can’t happen at Treasure Island, it will never happen in Laguna Beach. And that would leave Laguna with a precious dearth of healthy recreational activities for everyone to enjoy our greatest natural resource.

BILLY FRIED lives in Laguna Beach.