Monterey Bay Hydrobikes — Attraction in Watsonville Water Treatment Plant

It sounds like a wonderful experience but unfortunately the owner could care less about helping customers. I am traveling and was scheduled to spend a few months in the Monterey Bay Area so I purchased two Groupon deals in November 2018 and scheduled my rentals for December 2018. The morning of my rental with about an hour’s notice, I was contacted by the owner and informed that my rentals were being canceled due to unforeseen circumstances. I completely understand that things happen and I had no problem rescheduling. I was told they plan to resume service on February 17, 2019, so I waited and attempted to book at that time. Because I had already “redeemed” my codes for my original rental that was canceled, the online reservation system would not allow me to schedule with my Groupon codes. No response from the owner but I figured maybe they were still trying to get back up and running so I patiently waited a few more weeks. I attempted to book again, this time choosing a late-March date that was a month out and also showed as available according to their online calendar. Still no response from the owner. After 2 weeks of waiting, I contacted the owner again reminding him of my attempts and he very nonchalantly tells me the soonest I can book is April— no apologies, no helpful information. I’m only in the area through the end of March so April will not work. I asked about a refund and the owner still wouldn’t respond so I had to go through Groupon to get my issue resolved. I was very patient and polite throughout this whole scheduling ordeal and the owner just didn’t seem to care. Not a fair way to treat people—...

I was thinking about renting a kayak to explore the Elkhorn Slough, but remembering how achy my arms get after a couple hours of paddling, I thought I'd give hydrobiking a try—thinking I wouldn't get as achy if I used a bigger set of muscles (my legs). I was right! Firstly, it's more comfortable than a kayak—you can move around more and stand up (better not try THAT in a kayak!); as mentioned before, you'll be less achy the next few of days (I wasn't achy at all, and I'm only a sporadic exerciser); you have a better point of view: up high, instead of water-level, so you can spot things a kayak might miss (we would have missed that cool jellyfish we saw pulsing by), and it's easier to manage a camera on a hydrobike. A kayak could go faster, no doubt, but speed is not the point here—you're trying to sidle quietly near to view the wildlife, not win a race. We went in mid-April and saw sea otters playing and seals with pups, a tern diving for fish, and a number of other interesting critters.

I recommend you go in the MORNING, since the wind often picks up in the afternoon, and fighting the wind is no fun. Bring something to tie your pants (like an elastic garter or even a string) so they don't get bicycle grease all over them. You're not getting wet unless you want to, so wear comfortable clothes suitable for biking. Wear sunscreen and a sun hat, bring water and snacks...and your camera or smartphone. Also, check Groupon before you go...

This was an incredible experience. My husband surprised me with a Groupon for the hydrobikes. Marc greeted us with a smile, a great overview of the experience, a map and description of the route and what we might see. The bikes were comfortable (nice gel seats) and very stable. There's a little compartment in front of the handlebars that I used for a small backpack with water and my jacket (layers are important!).

The ride was so much fun - relaxing and low intensity exercise! The bike was easier to pedal (less resistance) than a regular bike. We peddled into Elkhorn Slough where we were greeted with raptors screeching overhead, seabirds nesting along the shoreline, seals, jellyfish, and lots of adorable otters with their babies. This experience allows you some quiet time in the slough with the wildlife and is an experience we will treasure forever!

Returning the bikes was super easy too! The whole experience was relaxing and simple. The bikes could easily be used by people of all fitness levels and ages.

We plan to go back in the next few weeks and look forward to what...