An "In-Progress" Coastal Sea Kayaking Guide and Map to Long Island, NY - Places I've Paddled

View Jim's Long Island Sea Kayaking Locations in a larger map


Icons on the map show places I've paddled on Long Island, mostly coastal. Although I don't live on Long Island (surprising now that I look at my map), the Long Island coast has a different, exposed feel to it that is a nice diversion from the rocky shoreline of mainland NY/CT I typically paddle. I've  included some notes on parking fees. Hope to expand on this post with updates to fill in some of the empty spaces on the map I’ve yet to paddle, including: Peconic River; Connetquot River; Carmen’s River; Gardiner’s Island.  Stay tuned...


1. Breezy Point – good place to catch surf and feel the ocean swell near NYC, easy put-in off Belt Pkwy at Plum Beach parking lot, free parking.

2. East Rockaway Inlet – launch at Silver Point County Point (in off-season no fee and few people). Been there only once, hope to return.

3. Buttermilk Channel and Valentino Park, Brooklyn - launch from Liberty State Park (NJ), paddle past the Battery - check out the current east of Governor’s Island and land in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Atlantic Kayak Tours runs this trip - a favorite of mine in NY Harbor. Link to photos.

4. Throgs Neck Bridge – I've crossed over from the mainland from City Island (to east) or Soundview Avenue (to west) - so not technically a real LI kayak trip that way, but I'm told there's a launch in the park at the Long Island side of the bridge too. Urban kayaking at its best.

5. Manhasset Bay – in the off-season, I launch from New Rochelle/City Island and cross the sound to reach this bay (3+ miles). If launching from LI, Manorhaven Town Park has a nice kayak launch on the Bay that I've inspected, free parking. Nice area with sandy cliffs – you immediately see the difference from the rocky shores of Westchester.

6. Glen Cove Shoreline – big public beach and boat launch at Tappan Beach off Shore Road (parking fee in season) or Garvey’s Point Rd Boat Launch (free parking) or East Beach Drive beach (parking fee in season) or Creek Beach in Bayville (parking fee in season). Welwyn Preserve shoreline, Frost Creek Tidal Creek – very nice paddling. See link to photos and to a more in-depth map of this area: Oyster Bay Kayak Launch Map.  Oyster Bay Kayak Launch Map

7. Jones Inlet – launch from Town Marina (free) just west of Loop Parkway. Head out inlet to SW, look for fun/friendly surf about ½ mile offshore. My most frequent venue for paddling ocean surf - photos from a recent trip.

8. Oyster Bay – launch at Theodore Roosevelt Park (south) or Center Island Village Park (north) - both free to park when I visited – Mill Neck Marsh a great spot to paddle.  Also you can easily circumnavigate the Centre Island peninsula with a short portage over Centre Island Rd back to the Park's parking lot. See link to photos and to my detailed map of this area: Oyster Bay Kayak Launch Map.

9. Fire Island Inlet – small parking area under the loop of Robert Moses Causeway bridge (north side) or off Oak Beach Rd (to south). Both launches require huffing it down some rip-rap unfortunately. Nice rip current and gentle surf at end of barrier beach overlap. Significant boat traffic to watch for.

10. Lloyd Harbor and Caumsett State Park – peninsula lends itself to a circumnavigation, easy ½ day paddle, including a very short portage. Just don’t park on West Neck Rd or you’ll get a ticket like I did. The nearby State Park or Target Rock Federal Wildlife Refuge have parking, then walk back to your boat. Hobart Beach on Eatons Neck looks to be a good launch but I’ve not done it yet.

11. Sunken Meadow State Park and Nissequogue River – kayak launch at Nissequogue State Park or Old Dock Road (parking fee for both). Great river trip upstream to public launch at W. Jericho Tpk. Link to my photos and outfitter info here.

12. Port Jefferson – launch at road by McAllister County Park (no parking there sadly/amazingly) so you  risk a ticket for onstreet parking unless you sweet-talk a policeman as I did. Nice bay and exposed spit of sand with Port Jeff ferry coming by. Better places to park at southern end of harbor I expect.

13. Moriches Inlet – launch at end of Bay Ave or Atlantic Avenue – paddle southwards past islands on the way to the inlet, some of the bumpier water when ebb meets incoming waves. Link to photos.

14. Shinnecock Inlet – public "Road I" just west of inlet free off-season parking, short paddle from there to the narrowest LI barrier beach inlet with current that moves fast (park-and-play at max ebb).

15. Shelter Island north – launch from parking lot and beach at end of Manhasset Ave (free off season). Access to the north shore of Shelter Island or head east to the lighthouse and beach extending from Orient Beach State Park.

16. Shelter Island south – launch from the ferry dock at South Ferry Road in Northport (free but crowded). Fun currents and pristine shores of Smith Cove.

17. Three-Mile Harbor – launch from Maidstone Park (free), small harbor to poke around in. Due to its narrow inlet, there can be fun waves to play in at the inlet with an incoming, north wind.

18. Orient Beach State Park and Plum Gut – parking lot at Ferry Terminal (always crowded) or Orient Beach State Park (preferred but small fee in season). The Race flows off Orient Point (see photo), with incoming swell at max ebb there can be fun rides by the lighthouse or close to Plum Island (experienced paddlers only). The bayside (north side) of Orient Beach State Park is activily used by kayaks for good reason - beautiful place to paddle.

19. Acabonack Harbor – launch from Gerard Drive (free) on north side of inlet to harbor. Beautiful tidal marsh and good access to Gardiners Bay. Preferred launch for a trip out to Gardiners Island.

20. Napeague Harbor – launch off Lazy Point Road (free but avoid no-parking signs), wide open space with few boaters, protected lands around, solitude and wildlife. See some photos of a recent trip.

21. Montauk Harbor – launch at Gosman’s Dock, end of Flamingo Ave (free but iffy/crowded). Access to ocean swells or explore Montauk Lake and the active fishing community. Among my favorite places to paddle. Link to my montauk post.

22. Montauk Point – launch from 4x4 access near lighthouse (State Park Fee) or paddle from Ditch Plains (Town Parking Permit  needed in season) or Camp Hero (Seasonal Fishing Permit to access water). Consistent line of NW waves to ride at north side of light. Exposed and wonderful, skilled paddlers only.

23. New "Old" Inlet - As a result of Hurricane Sandy (10/2012), the historic inlet here reopened. You can paddle west from Smith Point County Park to here. Amazing display of nature's power. Link to my post on "Old" Inlet.

24. Little Gull Island - Paddling northeast from Orient Point, past Plum Island (Federally-owned NO LANDING) one passes Great Gull Island (again NO LANDING as it is owned by the AMNH as an endangered bird habitat) you eventually reach Little Gull Island – where you CAN land.  Great trip – you can see seals our here in the Springtime.  Photo from a 2009 trip here. 

25. Eatons Neck - Free parking (it seems) at Hobart Beach (when I was there in September no problem)  - although most of the North Shore requires Town Parking Permits so check. Nice coastline up to the north towards the Coast Guard Station.
 

Breezy Day at Napeague Harbor



Portage by Hither Hills State Park

Circumnavigated Hicks Island yesterday which forms the outer/northern edge of Napeague Harbor - former site of a fish processing facility (ruins still visible) now used as nesting site by least terns (Sternula antillarum) so shoreline is fenced/posted for protection by USFWS. Beautiful place to paddle. Harbor is a very pristine habitat, never closed to shellfishing due to good water quality. Now often used by kite-boarders on windy days. Photos of fixed fish nets used to corral fish as they cruise the shoreline and common tern on floating oyster frames.

Link to nice piece about Napeague from the East Hampton Star in 2011 here: The Gems of Napeague.






Fish Net

Tern on boxes used to raise oysters

Tiderace Xtra Kayak Review



Randy with boats, Hudson and NJ skyline in background

6/16/12
This weekend I had the opportunity to demo the brand-new Tiderace "Xtra" sea kayak down in NYC at the  New York Kayak Company owned and operated by Randy Hendrikson. The Xtra was the boat I made the trip for, but I was also able to demo two other Tiderace boats - the Xcape-S and the Xcite. In short, the Tiderace boats are great and I'm a fan.

Tiderace Xtra - take-home points:

• the cockpit will fit an average sized adult just fine, it is not a larger-person specific cockpit.
• the boat is very turny/maneuverable at my weight (175 lbs), somewhat more so than my current 16' boat (a standard Romany), it has a fun feel (see pronounced rocker in photo above).
• the hull is wide and high volume, making the boat very buoyant at my weight which adds to its easy turning and edging, but also adds to its initial stability.
• paddlers of various sizes should try the boat.
• specs: 16.5 ft length, 22.3 inches width, 13.2 inches depth.

About me: I've been sea kayaking since the mid-90's and have come to prefer shorter sea kayaks for poking along the shore and messing about in surf and bumpy water. I'm 5'10, 175 lbs, and size 10 feet.

There is some conflicting information out there on the Xtra based on the few reviews and descriptions of the boat I've found online. The Tiderace website lists its minimum paddler weight as 80 kg (175 lbs), but other sources say it is suitable for smaller paddlers. At 175 lbs, I'm at the bottom end of the listed weight range for the Xtra. But I've long enjoyed the feel of larger volume boats for their buoyancy and liveliness. Trouble is, the cockpits of bigger boats sometimes provide too much space and poor contact points. My current boat is small at 16 feet. It serves me fine size wise, but sometimes I wish it had more overall hull volume to feel more lively and more cockpit deck height to improve forward paddling efficiency and knee comfort.

My thoughts on proper boat size have evolved over the years. I used to prefer small volume cockpits, snug hips, firm low back band - the "locked in" feel. But after years of paddling, some back trouble, and a day paddling a surf ski, I've been experimenting with set-ups and boats providing more room in the cockpit. I find now that more looseness in the seat and knees helps forward paddling - and let's face it, that's 90% of sea kayaking - forward paddling. Why have a boat set up tight for the bumpy play spot when you're only paddling in such conditions 10% of the time?

I've been intrigued by the Tiderace boats since I paddled the Xcite a few years back. It was a bit of a revelation to me in the comfort and performance provided by an ergonomically designed cockpit. At the time, I wasn't in the market for an overall "do everything" kayak like the Xcite - I was looking to see what else was out there in the short, rock-gardening and surfing sea kayak market. I also tried the Xtreme a year or so ago - a big water surf boat - and really enjoyed it (see my review elsewhere on this blog). But my personal bias for smaller boats really got me intrigued when I saw the recent release of a shorter boat by Tiderace called the Xtra. It's about time - I've been waiting for a Tiderace line similar to the day/play boats I've enjoyed like the Avocet, Romany, Pintail, and Delphin but with the ergonomic Tiderace cockpit.

My fear was that the Xtra would be a big person's boat and I'd know this immediately upon sitting in it. I was happily surprised - the cockpit fit me just fine. The seat width is similar to the other two boats I demoed (Xcite and Xcape-S) and the deck height only a slight bit higher. In a word - it fit me perfectly and I'm not a big guy. Like all the Tiderace boats, the thigh hooks are shaped to provide nice contact points and are more centered (closer together) and higher than many boats. This allows a higher and more centered knee position. Far from being a problem, this higher deck height is a benefit. You're not "reaching" up to make contact with the deck - just set the footpegs properly and you're there. Higher knees allows for more paddling power, torso rotation, and comfort. More kayaks should have cockpit size/shape like the Xtra.

Xtra profile

Nice deck graphics, Empire State in view

I took the Xtra north on the Hudson against some 2 knot current, messed about around a few pilings and jetties, even managed to catch a few waves when the Circle Line tourist boat went by. I enjoyed the boat very much. It has very hard chines - most like the Xtreme than the other models. And the hull is wide in the mid-section. At my weight with no gear, the bow/stern were very loose which made the boat turny. A heavier paddler would probably experience more straight-line performance from the boat if that's what they are looking for. The hull shape and volume make the boat responsive, not twitchy, but more quick to edge than my current boat. But the width (1" wider than my current boat) provides good support the more you edge. I'd say its secondary stability is stiffer than the Xcite and perhaps equal to the Xcape-S. Speed is not much of a factor for me, but the Xtra seemed to move right along, had to push it a few times to fight the current near the jetties. The other boats I tried (Xcape-S and Xcite) seemed a bit quicker based on my limited time in them. Very easy to catch waves in the Xtra and very maneuverable in tight corners - all things I like.

Of all the Tiderace boats I've tried thus far, the Xtra is the one that checks off the most categories I'm personally looking for. Maneuverable, comfortable, and fun. If I could tailor the boat to me, I might reduce its hull volume a bit but leave the cockpit room and deck height completely as-is. I'm used to a more rounded hull chine, so might prefer some softening there too - but then the trade off would be less of a loose, "on-off" edging response that is fun in the current boat. If Tiderace comes out with a slightly smaller volume Xtra I'd be interested to try it, but my sense is that any substantial reduction in hull volume or cockpit room would put it in the category of a small-person's boat rather than an average sized person's boat.

Cockpit showing thigh hook and seat/coaming flange

Outfitting of the Tiderace boats has been written about before - they're all top of the line, stiff hulls, superb finish, adjustable seat (fore/aft), excellent hatches, etc. The one extra thing I noticed yesterday is that the coaming of all their boats has a gradual curve allowing the rand of the sprayskirt to fit snug. Some kayaks have sharp curves or indents to accommodate the keyhole which can compromise the water tightness of the skirt.

Xcape-S: This boat is similar to my current boat the Romany in some ways - a softer chine and friendly (familiar) feel. It is part of Tiderace's more standard kayak line made for a wide range of paddlers. I liked it a lot - surfed some swell as it came rumbling in by Pier 40 amongst the many Downtown Boathouse free kayak paddlers that share the Pier with New York Kayak Company. (Hudson River Park has created a real renaissance on the River, subject for another post for sure). The Xcape-S seemed to have less rocker and longer length than my Romany. The seat is the same width as the Xtra but the front deck height is lower. I prefer the higher deck height of the Xtra.

Xcite: I'd paddled this boat before, trying it again confirmed to me that it fits a person of my size well - I remember feeling at home in the cockpit immediately. It's Tiderace's most all-around boat for the average-sized experienced paddler, very responsive to edging, decent speed, turns and surfs nicely. It runs straighter and with more speed than the Xtra. For me, it would be a tough choice between the Xcite and the Xtra for a fun sea kayak for all around use. I also briefly tried the Xcite-S, which I found did not suit me. The cockpit was too tight and the boat felt twitchy for my weight and weight distribution. A smaller/lighter paddler would find it entirely different I'm sure.

Seeing all the offerings from Tiderace Kayaks and talking with Randy it's clear to me that Aled Williams (the founder of Tiderace Kayaks) has created a unique entity in the paddling scene. They've put out a lot of different boats and I expect more designs still to come. Why so many? Is it over saturation? I don't think so. In the competitive world of top-end sea kayaks most companies come up with a limited number of designs. By contrast, in a relatively short period Tiderace has put out many disparate boats - for the average paddler, for the big water fanatic, for the fitness racer, for big/small paddlers. The reason is clearly that differences in paddler size, experience and focus require different boats to suit the whole paddling community. The Tiderace boats are not cheap. They're made to high standards. If one wants a cheaper boat, there are many companies that create perfectly fine kayaks for less money which are more likely to be a "vanilla" boat meeting a sweet-spot that the manufacturer feels suits most paddlers. Tiderace has gone a different route, and the result is a larger quiver of boats. It's an interesting business model and one I hope continues because I think it has allowed experimentation in design that can advance the sport of sea kayaking.

One last word about NY Kayak Company - Randy runs a great shop with top-end gear and boats. He's a very experienced paddler himself and it would be hard to find a more helpful, patient, and informative kayak retailer. I bought my first drysuit from him when he operated out of a nearby loft - now his shop is ideally located on the Hudson and his business has matured into a top-of-the-line center for instruction, trips and retail. Give him a call about the Tiderace boats, he's very happy to talk.