Texas Nature Kayaking

Bird Watching

Great Blue Heron guards nest on the Medina River

While nature kayaking, do you want to bird-watch?   We can do this on our downriver kayaking trips, or our Texas intercoastal kayaking trips.   If you are a serious birdwatcher, we would not think of guiding you on a bird-watching trip, because you know more than we do about birding. We can provide kayaks and a professional kayaking guide to take you where you cannot walk or drive, and where a motorboat would scare the birds away. Afterwards we will get you back to the launch site safely.

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Wildlife Viewing

Greater Egret in the Lighthouse Lakes near Aransas Pass, TX

Do you want to commune with nature and see some birds and other wildlife while you are kayaking?  Most of our trips will take you there, whether they are downriver kayaking trips, intercoastal kayaking trips, or kayak wilderness camping trips.  Our goal is to get you close to wildlife without disturbing them.

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Kayak Camping

Our camp on the Lower Pecos River

Do you want to kayak camp?  We do not mean camp in a state park and paddle out from the state park, but go into the wilderness and camp from a kayak.  This is Kayak Wilderness Camping.  These trip will be remembered for the rest of your life.  There are two main reasons for kayak camping.  The first is to see places that cannot be seen in a day trip.  This would be places like the Lower Pecos River.  The second is to be exposed to a version of nature that most people never see.  When you get away from the city, the stars are big and bright (We promise to try not to sing the song.)  Wildlife that is dormant during the day is active.

We will take you, cook the food (or help you master the art of camp cooking), and bring you home safely.

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Kayak by Moonlight

Final check before launching for a moonlight paddle at Lighthouse Lakes

Some people consider a moonlight paddle the ultimate way to nature kayak.  You will never forget the Lighthouse Lakes by moonlight.  Some consider it the ultimate intercoastal kayaking experience.

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Skill Building Class

Some clients desire more training than the 30-minute introduction before our tours.  Reasons include:

• Learn the basics of kayaking with a limited audience,
• Special needs – We need to learn together to accommodate those needs,
• Try out kayaking to see if it is enjoyable,
• Learn basics before buying a kayak.

This class can be held year-round, but during the cool months of the year, care should be taken in selecting the right clothes for protection against cold.  We limit the class size to 6 students and tailor each class to the needs of the clients.  Often we meet at an under-utilized section of a river near San Antonio.  The launch site is hard gravel.  If you would like to stand up in a kayak, we will teach you and take your photo so you can show your disbelieving relatives.

Introduction to Kayaking Class

This is a 6-hour flat water kayaking class.  It will give you the confidence to kayak safely, but you will also learn what to avoid.   We limit the class size to 16 students.  We have one instructor or assistant instructor for each 4 students (ACA requirements are one instructor or assistant per 5 students).  This class can be held year-round, but during the cool months of the year, care should be taken in selecting the right clothes for protection against cold.  This is a very intense 6-hour class that covers getting in and out of a kayak, paddle strokes, maneuvers, safety, and deep water reentry in flat water.  It does not get into river running, rolling, or the use of a spray skirt.  Rather than learn 1 or 2 methods of deep water reentry as taught in the skills class, you will learn 5 or 6 methods.

Kayak Camping Class

We are currently working on a curriculum for a kayak camping class.  The class will be in two parts.  The first part will involve selecting gear and packing it into a kayak.  The second part will involve loading up kayaks and proceeding across water to a campsite, so the student will not be able to go to the store to pick up what was forgotten.

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