Shell Bar Kayak tour
Go kayaking in a wildlife refuge!
Our expert guide will teach you to tour the saltwater estuaries in a fully-outfitted Eskimo-style kayak. Tide Guide's expedition will take you over oyster reefs, across shallow salt lakes and past secluded beaches. Get closer to nature and enjoy the pristine beauty. Guide your kayak silently across the water as fish encircle you. Dolphins, wild birds and animals that disappear at the sounds of man are less likely to be bothered by the silent skimming of a kayak, giving you an opportunity to appreciate these magnificent creatures in their natural habitats.
Who Can Participate?
Anyone who is in average physical condition and can comfortably sit in our kayaks is welcome. Prior experience is generally not necessary. These kayaks are remarkably stable and seaworthy and as easy to ride as a bicycle. All adventurers must be willing to spend time living and sleeping outdoors. During the expeditions you will be experiencing nature, including the changing weather patterns and the natural environment.
You Are The Captain Of Your Own Ship!
The TIDE GUIDE kayak is the culmination of 30 years paddling in both white water and the ocean. Striving to combine the characteristics of a responsive whitewater kayak with the easy glide of a touring/expedition saltwater kayak, Bill Minor has succeeded beautifully. He spent 5 years bringing this boat to production. A friendly and reliable sea kayak for paddlers of all levels, The Tide Guide brings together features to accommodate the touring paddlers, the fisherman, the offshore surfer and people who just love to explore. If you can provide your own seaworthy kayak, rate would be $164.00. Food, Guide, and instruction included. Bring your own shelter and sleeping gear.
Shell Bar
This is a nature tour to a remote location on the San Antonio Bay. Tide Guide guarantees you'll see baby dolphins, which come to feed in the tidal pass next to our camp. Bill Minor has been guiding to this spot for 14 years and loves it. You can Birdwatch, fish, beachcomb and visit. This is a good place feel a real connection with the wild. You will be on your own little island. Practically nothing has been disturbed by man. During 2001, Tide Guide was granted permission by the General Land Office to carve a nature trail around the island. This now gives us access to the remote marshes. The easy trail is approximately 1 1/2 miles in length. It makes for a fun walk with a group or on your own.
Your tour site sits on the edge of San Antonio and Espiritu Santo Bays. The marine life is very rich and birds of all description pass overhead. The site is 2 miles from Matagorda Island Wildlife Refuge and on our second day (weather permitting) we will paddle over for a visit.
Vehicle Parking will be provided at the launch site. Powered "Sea Cow" sag wagon launch services available for the young and young at heart participants. Fresh seafood from the bays and Mexican style meals are avaliable. Of course, we always welcome vegetarians, and are more than happy to accommodated them. For safety reasons, consumption of alcohol is frowned upon while using the kayaks during the day. B.Y.O.B. Meet at Charlies Fish camp at 10:00 a.m. on launch day.
What to Bring:
Sleeping bag, clothes, flashlight, rain protection and small ditty bag, your
own cup and a water bottle.
What We Provide:Your Kayak will include: Tent, mattress, chair, safety gear, food and water.
Things you need to know:
The restroom is a tow along boat which pops up into a sanitary private toilet.
Itinerary may be changed due to the vagaries of nature, including alternate
campsites and nature tours.
50% deposit required for each reservation. Balance is due on launch day.No
refunds on deposits due to storms. After many years of guiding to this Laguna,
I have built eqiupment suitable for the weather systems. Our tent is heated
in the winter, dry and quiet in serious storms, and mosquito proof. We birdwatch
rain or shine. It's hard to reschedule a trip and in 14 years it has only happened
once or twice. Texas Blue Northerners are really quite comfortable during the
fall, winter, and spring, so don't hesitate during these seasons. Drive down
short of ice on the road - I'll be waiting for you!
RATES:
$109.00 per student if booked through a school
for a group of 8 students
$188.00 per member if booked with a club or group for 8 people,
$310.00 per person ($155.00 for age 15 and younger accompanied by an adult)
Past Ship logs:
March 1997
Hello Fellow Paddlers,
I've been kayaking for years and this is the best way to spend time with nature.
The kayaks you will use have been designed and hand-built by me to be stable,
comfortable, and easy to handle in salt water. The Matagorda Estuaries, protected
by barrier islands, are shallow and calm; rarely over 2 feet deep.
After you are fitting into your kayak, your guides will ask you to be in charge
of the craft. You'll have everything you need to be comfortable and safe out
in the islands. You are partaking on an adventure vacation. Pace yourself. On
this outing, we aren't in a race or endurance test. No strained backs. We will
carry a marine radio and the Cost Guard is only 15 miles away in case we need
official help. Otherwise, we'll come and go on human or "Sea Cow" power - our
sag wagon. Tread lightly, everyone. There are rare and wild creatures out there
that we don't want to spook.
Respectfully,
Bill Minor
Tide Guide