Adventure Paddling Guide, Marie Humphrey shares paddling trip locations for those visiting southern California and looking for FUN day-tripping adventures. Happy Paddling!

Looking for a FUN place to paddle while visiting San Diego? This kayak tour, great for beginners, is about 3 miles round-trip and will take about 2 hours at a leisurely pace. Trip time includes warm-up and a stop at the bait dock.

If you have your own kayak, there is always plenty of parking at Bahia Point where you may also launch into Santa Barbara Cove. If you do not have your own boat, you can rent one from Windsport (844 W. Mission Bay Drive, 858-488-4642) and begin your tour from the shop which is next to the cove.

I always suggest to dress in layers which may be added or removed as the temperature, wind and cloud cover changes throughout the day. Bring at least a quart of water and wear a life jacket at all times. Before launch, make sure all your hatch covers are in place and your foot pedals have been adjusted.

Santa Barbara Cove is somewhat protected from the wind and fast-moving boats so it is a good place to do a little warm-up paddling and getting used to the kayak before you take off into the main channel.

You will see the boats docked at the Mission Bay Yacht Club directly north. I suggest paddling over to the docks and do a few weaves up and down the lanes for a warm up. This is a good opportunity to check for problems when maneuvering in small spaces. Practice keeping a close eye out for sailboats and powerboats entering and leaving the dock area. People in kayaks are low and small so it is very difficult for other boaters to see us. Stick together and help look out for each other.

After warming up, head southeast toward the palm tree at the end of Bahia Point and follow the shoreline. No matter how high the tides are, you'll always find a sand bar as you go around the corner. Often there are shorebirds looking for goodies in the rich sand here. Continue further along the sandy beach. Notice the restrooms on the right, a saving grace in case you need to make a pit stop.

You will know you're entering Ventura Cove when you come to several buoys in a line. This is a swimming area and kayaks are not allowed. Turn left and follow the outside of the buoys toward Ventura Point.

After you round Ventura Point, you'll come to the W. Mission Bay Drive bridge. This is a good place to make your channel crossing. Watch for boats crossing in each direction and paddle from pillar to pillar to the other side of the channel. Turn right and follow the shoreline as closely as possible. The tall building on your left is the Hyatt Islandia.

Watch for fishing lines as many people like to fish along this section of Mission Bay. You won?t be able to see the actual lines, but you can see the poles, either in someone's hand or propped in the rocks. I suggest paddling several feet out from shore until you pass safely. Don't be shy to ask anglers if they've had any luck.

Soon you will come to the opening of a marina on your left, the entrance to Quivira Basin. As you turn left into the basin, look down into the water and keep an eye out for bright orange garibaldi swimming around the rocks. Don't neglect keeping a sharp eye out for boats coming and going. This is a very busy place for all types of watercraft because, in addition to four marinas, the City Lifeguard Station, Seaforth Landing (with fishing and sight seeing excursions) and the bait dock are based here.

The safest thing for kayakers is to paddle along the boat docks on the left until you reach the end. If you look to your right, towards the middle of the basin, you'll see the bait dock. This is made apparent by many hordes of birds and families of sea lions which hang around looking for a handout.

You'll have to cross the channel to reach the bait dock, so be sure to look both ways for traffic. Here you can take a break and watch the action. It's a good rule of thumb to stay about a boat length away from the dock. There are many animals residing here and we humans are their guests, so we don't want to disturb them. Look underneath the dock and observe nets full of fish. You'll see boat after boat coming in for a "fill-up".

The sea lions romp and make lots of snorting noises. Sometimes the young ones will even play around your kayak and try to splash you. The birds are also fun to watch as the bickering among the herons, egrets, gulls and cormorants can get quite rowdy. Linger as long as you like and when you feel it's time to head home, simply retrace your route back to Santa Barbara Cove.

Kayak adventure guide Marie Humphrey has been a kayak trip planner since 1995 and is a founding member of the San Diego Kayak Club. Family Kayak Adventure Center offers nature tours at various lakes throughout the county every month. For more information? Check out Family Kayak Adventure Center or call (619) 282-3520.