OK, my trip to HH is in less than two months, and I am starting to read through some of my old posts that have GREAT recommendations for restaurants, etc.
Anyway, one question I still have is about kayaking and alligators. My husband loves Hobie Cats, but from what I%26#39;ve read, it%26#39;s not big in the HH area. He also loves Kayaking, and mind you, he does this in the ocean in NJ. And do you know how rough the ocean is in NJ????? Needless to say, I%26#39;ve never done that...only kayaked once or twice in the bay.
So....where can one kayak in HH? And, most importantly, where can one kayak where there are NO ALLIGATORS? Mind you, I am the person you hate at Disney World who is screaming her lungs off on Goofys Barnstormer miniature rollar coaster in Mickey%26#39;s Toon Town or whatever they are calling it this year.
So, I%26#39;d like to show my husband that I can share kayaking with him...only I don%26#39;t want to die by alligator.
Kayaking and alligators
davsaz: Just to put your mind at rest, ';death by alligator'; is extremely rare in Hilton Head. There are great kayak guides that can you take out and I%26#39;m sure they stay away from the alligator infested areas! lol.
We took the dolphin kayak excursion out of South Beach Marina and had fun, but I have read some pretty amazing posts about other kayak companies and they sounded fantastic. I%26#39;m sure those posters will respond to this. If you put ';kayak'; in the search box in the upper left hand corner, I%26#39;m sure you will find those posts on your own.
As well, if you are still two months away from going to Hilton Head, I would get info now and phone the companies that sound good to you. Not everyone may be operating yet in two months, or on a full schedule. You will probably have to reserve ahead of time.
Hope this helps,
D in Muskoka.
Kayaking and alligators
davsaz,
I share your concern. There is no where to kayak where there are no alligators along the coast - but I have never heard of anyone being bothered by one (not that I would attempt it). My concern isn%26#39;t so much once I%26#39;m in the kayak - it%26#39;s if it tips over! Although lots and lots of people do it without incident and have a blast!
I would say your chance of dying on the highway coming to Hilton Head is about 100,000 times greater than being killed by an alligator in a kayak. Drive safely.
And by the way, you don%26#39;t have to kayak in the ocean. I would highly recommend Broad Creek, the May River, or Calibogue Sound.
Also search for ';kayak'; in this forum to find recommendations for tour companies.
Have fun, and come back and tell us how it was!
I%26#39;m a kayak instructor and very familiar w/paddling in the lowcountry areas. Yes, there are alligators, they live in brackish water (which is a combination of salt/fresh water). If you are paddling in salt water, no alligators. You%26#39;re not going to know by looking at the water what it is, hopefully, your outfitter will know, since the lines are not well defined.
Alligators aren%26#39;t totally stupid and generally stay away from kayakers, the kayaks are larger than the gators and the gators know that. They will just lay on the bank and watch you paddle by. You don%26#39;t bother them, they won%26#39;t bother you.
Also, the boats that are used by outfitters who lead trips where the clientele are mostly ';newbies'; are very stable and difficult to turn over. Many times the boats will be tandems (2 people to a boat), which are even more difficult to flip.
Just a word of advice if you do intend to take a kayak trip and have not paddled before, buy a pair of those beach shoes w/the rubber bottoms and mesh tops, they will be most comfortable in a kayak. You need something that is secure on your foot, don%26#39;t plan on paddling in flip-flops (tevas w/velcro straps are okay, but not ideal).
So, take a trip w/a guide and enjoy. If you see a gator, take his picture and keep on moving.
We did a kayak tour last week with Kayak Hilton Head, www.kayakhiltonhead.com, and it was very easy, and enjoyable. The tour was on Broad Creek which cuts through the middle of Hilton Head. We saw a pair of dolphins thrash feeding, that was really cool. We also saw a variety of birds, and had a very educational tour. They also rent kayaks, and after having a guided tour, I would feel very comfortable exploring the waters on our own. We used a double kayak, but I would probably go with a single next time.
You will see alligators in the lagoons in most plantations but the lagoons in Palmetto Dunes that are all inter-connected are salt water and there are no alligators there (ok, maybe one passes through on occasion but they are nothing like thee are in other lagoons). I sent last spring break kayaking with my family for hours on end throughout Palmetto dunes and it was one of the most relaxing and enjoyable things (a good owrk out as well) that I have ever done. You can rent them right there as well. I can%26#39;t wait to go back again this spring and do it again.
We%26#39;ve also done the kayak tour on Broad Creek but I enjoyed the flat calm waters of the lagoons much more. Just depends what you want to see. If you want the marsh tour, borad creek is fine. If you want to see dolphins, stick to a power boat that can find them more easily. Me, I wanted the peace and tranquility of the kayak and nature. I did a lot of kayak fishing in the lagoon as well which was fun too.
We have a Huntington villa on the 11 mile lagoon in Palmetto Dunes and there are definitely alligators in the lagoon. I would say we see one every other trip at our place. The water is brackish, in fact, enough so that fish cannot reproduce in it.
If you want to see our pal, go here:
hiltonheadlife.com/hiltonheadphotogallery/鈥?/a>
It%26#39;s picture #3.
Of course, this is no reason to avoid the PD lagoon, in fact as I said in my earlier post in this thread it should not be a concern.
Sorry I haven%26#39;t responded to all of your answers, and thank you very much for them.
All I can say is.......sigh........I am resigned to being eaten by an alligator as I try to prove to my husband that I am the ';outdoors'; type while I try to convince him to put HH on the radar screen for retirement. Oh well.
The gators have only eaten three kayakers this season. Just make sure you take someone slower than you on the trip and have them carry a dead chicken and you should be fine.
%26gt;
%26gt; have them carry a dead chicken and you
%26gt; should be fine....
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LOL! We kayak coastal SC waters once or twice a week and have never had gator problems. We have found it%26#39;s helpful to sing loudly while we%26#39;re kayaking. Just in case the tour guide fails to tell you that, you%26#39;ll want to remind him.
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