A Bon Voyage at $1 a Kayak

After would-be kayakers find out about the buck-a-use kayak rentals at Lake Balboa in Van Nuys, they always seem to be waiting for the catch, the secret behind the plan designed to get more people paddling on the 27-acre man-made body of water.

“People are skeptical about the program,” says Jon Kopitzke, aquatic facilities manager at the lake run by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, because comparable rentals can start at $20 an hour. “We designed it to remove barriers. They keep waiting for the ‘but.’ We tried to make this something where there was no ‘but’ to it.”

But it’s not quite as simple as handing over a greenback and hopping onto one of the half-dozen kayaks for rent. New paddlers must complete a 10-minute safety swim at any city-operated pool (and pay the $1.25 pool admission fee) and take a two-hour kayak fitness orientation class that costs $15. After buying a 25-use punch pass for $25, they are good to go.

Only about 15 people a week rent boats through the 4-year-old program, though about 250 paddlers have completed the kayaking class, which covers basic paddling technique and familiarizes fledgling boaters with using the sit-on-top kayaks on Lake Balboa.

“Kayaking is easy, but it’s important to do it properly. The proper technique uses most of the body, and it moves the boat better,” says Terry Valle, a certified whitewater instructor who teaches at Lake Balboa and Hansen Dam, where a similar program began last year.

Kayaking at Hansen Dam in Lake View Terrace is akin to “paddling on a pond,” since the lake is a comparatively small 9 acres, says Gilbert Alvarez, manager of the aquatics facility also run by the Department of Recreation and Parks. Another difference--while Lake Balboa’s water is reclaimed, Hansen Dam’s is fresh, so techniques such as rolling over that require falling in water can be practiced.

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On a Sunday in early May, my family and I set out to test the kayaking waters at Lake Balboa. We don’t have to bother with the training sessions offered the first Saturday of every month because I own a tandem kayak, a gift from my husband for one of those crisis birthdays that end in a zero.

We do have to deal with tethering the kayak to the top of our Jeep. The 16-mile trip east on the Ventura Freeway seems excruciatingly long, filled with high anxiety over the mere possibility the boat could wrench itself free. Suddenly, the idea of jumping into a public pool fully clothed and taking a paddling class to qualify to use a kayak that’s already there seems remarkably sensible. At least when you lug along your own boat, kayaking at Lake Balboa is free.

We pull into Anthony C. Beilenson Park, the 80-acre recreation area that encircles Lake Balboa, and follow the road that snakes around to the launch ramp. Once afloat, my 11-year-old son and I paddle around the lake, loosely shaped like a clover. His goal seems to be to splash me with as much reclaimed water as possible while counting the low-flying planes heading toward Van Nuys Airport.

We study cloud formations and flocks of birds before my son switches places with my 14-year-old daughter, who was on the lake with my husband in one of the pedal boats that rent for $10 an hour. She and I head toward the cascade, where mechanically and chemically treated water pours over rocks into the lake. One other lone kayaker shares our space.

The soothing sound of rushing water fools us into feeling as if we’re on vacation until we are jolted by the sight of a bloated rat floating nearby. I’m thankful my daughter’s co-piloting instead of my son, who bemoans his bad luck for missing the rodent sighting. (Floating rats are not common, Kopitzke assures me later.)

After my husband takes a solo spin, we pack up the kayak and give the kids a couple of dollars to squander on the lake’s other dollar-a-pop program--the ice cream man. We’ve taken longer to load and unload the kayak than the 45 minutes we spent on the lake.

Hauling a kayak to the lake is a lot like getting stuck in gridlock en route to the gym. “If you have to drive an hour and a half to work out for 45 minutes, you probably won’t do it,” Kopitzke says. “With our program, you don’t have to worry about car-topping the boat. You just show up and the boat is there. It becomes a lot more accessible.”

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Kayaking from 9 a.m. to an hour before sunset at Lake Balboa, 6300 Balboa Blvd., Van Nuys, (818) 756-9743. Next orientation session is Saturday. Monthly ocean-touring classes begin June 16. Minimum age for classes is 12.

Kayaking from sunrise to an hour before sunset at Hansen Dam Aquatic Center, 11798 Foothill Blvd., Lake View Terrace, (818) 899-3779. Introductory, advanced and ocean kayaking classes offered.