A Paddle in Shell Beach
Whenever I go home to visit family I always like to stop by Shell Beach and visit the Dinosaur Caves. On my most recent trip I linked up with fellow coach Matt S, who was also visiting the area, and fellow guide John for an excursion through the caves. John and I led tours in the area for Central Coast Kayaks when I lived in California, so we know the area pretty well. While Matt was no stranger to the Central Coast of California, it was his first time paddling the area and I was excited to show him around.
Back on the Water
It was a late October trip with clear skies and warm weather. Slight breezes combined with a 3-4 ft NW swell, which mainly gets blocked by the SW facing section of beach and a large headland to the North, made for some spectacular fall paddling. Matt paddled his P&H Delphin while John and I were on Necky Spikes. It had been a long time since I had paddled on these sit on top kayaks and it brought back a flood of memories. At the same time I missed my P&H Virgo for exploring. The caves are where I learned to kayak and I spent ten years leading tours that explored the area for three hours at a time. We paddled through the kelp forest as we made our way down the coast toward the caves.
I have always loved paddling around rocks. Being able to look down and see sea stars, anemones, limpets, and kelp clinging to the surfaces. The way the water swirls around or over the rocks, the of it burbling on a calm day or rumbling and hissing on bigger days. It’s crazy how soothing water can be and how that comfort can be at odds with the visuals around you. It’s so cool to sit next to a rock and watch what feels like a moderate 1.5 foot wave press up against a rock wall, doubling or even tripling in height before launching spray into the air. Or paddling through a gap between two rocks and feeling the water slow down as it lifts you up behind this restriction before rushing through.
The craziest part of paddling the caves to me is how you don’t need a lot of experience to paddle around this area. To be fair, as a guide we did a lot of the heavy lifting, checking weather, looking at conditions, quickly assessing the group and timing entries. But as far as skills, a Basic Skills Class would introduce you to all the strokes needed to explore around a rocky outcrop on a calm day or in sheltered water. It’s amazing what you can do with a solid forward stroke and decent maneuvering. The more efficient your paddling the more control you have and the more comfortable you will be on the water. Alder Creek’s Full Immersion series covers all of that and introduces essential concepts to make some of those judgment calls yourself while trip planning.
How the Area’s Changed
Some caves form when weaker portions of rock erode away which leaves a pocket that slowly expands over time. As the cave expands at water level parts of the ceiling lose support and collapse eventually leading to pocket beaches, or tall cracks that you can paddle through. One of the most unique rock formations was Elephant Arch.
When I first started working in 2005 guides were speculating on how much longer it would last, and it weathered some pretty large storms over the years. Unfortunately, I learned on this visit, Elephant Arch had collapsed during a strong winter storm in the Winter of ’23/’24. This isn’t the first change to the area, and it won’t be the last, but I will miss the arch. Paddling around the corner and seeing the sloping trunk and big ear was the first sight to greet me on many a tour. It highlighted a lot of what it meant to paddle in the area for me.
Visible from Highway 101, thousands of people passed by it every day, but very few knew it was there. Being on the water offered a different and unique perspective to sights we pass every single day. Being on the water helps us slow down and see things differently.
Punching through waves, gliding around rocks, and exploring areas most people don’t get to go are some of the highlights that define kayaking for me. I feel so fortunate that I was introduced to kayaking and that it has opened up so many awesome opportunities for me. I hope that your own kayaking journey takes you to some amazing places, or at the very least helps show you how with a little different perspective the mundane can be magical.
