: We are heading up there for our 10th anniversary. What are the "don't
: miss" paddles in this area? The tide on the weekend we are going will
: top out at 3.3 feet. I believe this kind of scratches of Moro bay estuary
: from the info I have read.

: Sage

Hi Sage,
I live in Morro Bay and I'm just getting done with my first stripper. So, although I haven't paddled around here yet there are a few trips at the top of my list. (I used to paddle white water a few years back so I have a fair repertoire of skills and experience)
The cove on the south side of San Simeon Point is very sheltered and is a good starting point for trips south to Cambria and beyond. (How far do you want to paddle?)
From here to Leffingwell Landing in Cambria is about 6 miles. Then it's another 18+ miles to Cayucos Pier. These are serious trips because there are no safe landings between San Simeon Point and Leffingwell and no coastal access for about 10 miles south of Cambria followed by rocky bluffs the rest of the way to Cayucos where the beach is sandy and shallow.
Spring swells can be HUGE and often a calm morning will give way to stiff north westerlies in the afternoon so start early and head south!
Morro Bay estuary is a good paddle I have done in a rental boat. My wife and I attempted to find a spot called Shark Inlet where a friend had told me she had encountered a herd of small friendly sharks but we either got the wrong spot or they weren't there!
At 3.3 feet there will be a fair bit of mud uncovered but the estuary is dredged back to the marina south of the museum. And with a tide like that there probably will only be a foot or two tidal range which will minimise current issues. I often take kids to the mud flats to explore and the natural channels beyond the marina look like fun to paddle and with mud uncovered the bird watching will be great!
We went on a about a 5ft tide and to be honest we did not see a whole lot of wild life in the back of the estuary.
I did hear there is a bar/restaurant in Los Osos with a landing if there's enough water to get to it! Or you could picnic on the sand spit where you will likely only see an occasional surfer.
Anyhow, there's great weather info at www.ksby.com with links to weather cams and marine reports. Also, the museum has a live feed from their weather station you can get to from www.mbspmuseum.org
There's also a great book called "Adventure Kayaking Trips from Big Sur to San Diego" by Robert Mohle and published by the Wilderness Press that covers this area.

Hope you enjoy your trip and congratulations!
Ed