Ahhh, La Vida

Suzie Harrison

Being on the water, in a kayak, soaking in the views while

experiencing the rolling motion of the Pacific can provide a fun and

exciting way of enjoying the picturesque scenery of the coast.

For the inexperienced, Billy Fried of Laguna Beach can help out

through his company La Vida Laguna, which provides guided eco-kayak

tours.

Fried, with his chipper grin and attitude, made the excursion

quite an enjoyable experience for the group of 13 that was scheduled

for Tuesday.

Before it was time to hit the ocean Fried had a half an hour

dry-land lesson, which was full of positive praise, as he watched his

students catch on quickly.

“We’re going to embark on a great adventure -- ocean kayaking,”

Fried said.

He explained the gist of paddling.

“Do a nice windmill motion, find your groove,” Fried said.

He said for the class to put their hands a little wider than chest

distance apart while paddling.

Fried constantly gave reassurance on how easy it actually is,

comforting those who felt a little trepidation.

“Make sure that you’re dipping [the paddle] into the water, you’ve

got to do it in tandem,” Fried said. “Your stern partner is in charge

of steering, if you plant your rudder to the right you’ll go right --

plant it left and you’ll track left.”

Before it was time to leave the beach, he said it was important to

paddle straight into the wave to avoid tipping, and he talked about

how to sit in the boat and what to do if one was tossed out of their

kayak.

It was time to launch and head toward Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove.

The trip left from Boat Canyon, which is nice and secluded and is

shaped in such a way to keep the waves at bay.

There were a few who capsized that didn’t ascertain that sitting

with their weight centered meant it was important to do just that.

.

Some of the California sea lions were taking a dip near seal rock,

while others barked and socialized. A couple of dolphins dove in and

out of the water adding to the scenery of the rugged coastline,

picturesque beaches and coveted mansions.

While paddling there was much laughter, conversation and

camaraderie among the kayakers. Time seemed to evaporate. .

“It was a perfect anecdote to no sun,” said Laguna visitor Mario

Madero. “It’s much prettier than the golf.”

The Madero family found out about kayaking when Fried visited the

hotel where they were staying. Mario Madero’s girlfriend, also from

New Orleans, said she has seen kayaking in Maine, but it’s a bit

different in Laguna.

She said in Maine the water is colder and saltier and the views

are very different.

“The coast here is so dramatic,” Mitchell said. “In Maine, there

are just pine trees and lobsters.”

The day left Fried with another boatload of satisfied costumers,

something he says he has enjoyed seeing since he started La Vida

Laguna.

“I had been kayaking recreationally,” Fried said. “I had gone out

daily taking a bunch of friends out, and thought why not make this

available to locals and visitors. There was no reason that it wasn’t

available in Laguna and all the pieces came together.”

He’s a Lagunan and he gives a 15% discount to other locals.

Likewise he reveres the ocean and its creatures, he likes to give

back and donates 10% of the proceeds of each excursion toward

nonprofits he believes in -- the Friends of the Sea Lion Marine

Mammal Center and the Surfrider Foundation.

He said he thinks it is important to try to impart this

information to his guests so they can become good stewards of the

ocean.

Fried has a professional approach with safety being paramount.

“We have state-of-the-art equipment and a ratio of one to eight to

help launch, to make sure they have a fun and comfortable

experience,” Fried said.

La Vida Laguna offers four trips a day throughout the year, for

$59 per person (the nonlocal rate) and kids 12-and-under are free

with two paying adults. To find out more information, call (949)

275-7544.

Other Laguna businesses that offer water-related sporting include

Laguna Sea Sports which offers has scuba lessons, (949) 494-6965, and

Adventures in Diving, (949) 499-4527.