When trip leader, Martha Garfield, surveyed the group during a pool-side briefing at Villas de Loreto the evening before, we revealed a mixed bunch of skills. The assembled doctors, stockbrokers, and assorted executive-types ranged from those who had never been in a kayak before to a kayaking instructor. Martha, a seasoned kayaker with experience guiding on both US coasts and in Mexico, made that point exceedingly clear as she outlined the agenda for the next few days. She could guarantee we d be paddling, snorkeling, camping on beaches and eating deliciously prepared meals. But she could not guarantee where we would be on which night.
Schedules are for the office.
Out here, plans can change with the wind. There are a dozen or so kayak-tour companies operating out of Loreto, a pretty coastal city of about 8,000. As we arrived at the launch site the first morning, the task of loading the small mountain of food, camping gear and personal effects into the two-person kayaks seemed an impossible dream. But within an hour, the boats were loaded and Martha was briefing the group on paddling technique and safety protocol. There was time for one last dab of sun block before climbing in and attaching our spray skirts in preparation for the open sea.