Can You Carry a Concealed Weapon on a Kayak

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by Cbad Mike

First off I am not an attorney. Second, I am done trying to interpret gun laws in California because they are exactly that.... Open to interpretation. I promise anyone who conceals a weapon in San Diego County (including on the water) without a concealed weapons permit that they are opening themselves up for a very expensive headache and or imprisonment. Now once again... I am pro gun and believe that we all have a right to protect ourselves and I really don't care if you illegally carry or not. What I am saying is that if you decide to carry while on your kayak whether legal or not (this law is definitely open to interpretation) you better be prepared.

I respect your informed opinion but I think there is a difference between carrying on your person on land and on a boat.

A boat is I think essentially legally your home on the water. I used to live aboard my 27 footer in King Harbor and had loaded guns on it, at times even when it was at the slip, and most of the live a boards down there owned guns. I've run large sport-fishers where we had guns on board 24-7 and I've had both the Sheriff and Coast Guard check boats on various occasions and though they clearly saw and even occasionally asked me about guns that were onboard they never made a big deal about it.

A kayak is I believe in law the same thing as a boat. Having a loaded pistol in your center hatch should be no different then having the same loaded pistol in a 30 foot sportfishers arms locker, or in a skiffs center console.

I know a lot of people with a lot of boats that have always had guns on board. I've never heard of a single person getting in trouble or even hassled for it. In fact go to BD and ask the same question there about guns and boats and those who do know will say it's a non issue unless you are going into Mexican waters.

I hate to suggest boat owners, or the people who patrol the ocean are different then the local police or the people they deal with onshore, but when a LEO sees a gun in a vehicle onshore they think trouble where when I Coast Guard is inspecting your vessel and the see a gun on the ocean they don't think it's a issue at all.