Kayakers, the State Park Marina kayak concession has closed. This is a great loss.

I won’t share scuttlebutt about this business decision; however, I will share sorrow. I managed that marina a few years back. Winter days and the upcoming spring can have the best climate to go for a back-bay nature tour. Yes, the dock needs fixing, and these are lean months from an economic perspective, but … .

Short-term dollar loss is a huge loss for long-term revenue if another kayak company gets and keeps these renters (I had dozens I knew on a first name basis; many have already jumped ship).

I kept daily track of 1) weather, 2) tides, 3) renter numbers. I saw ups and downs in all three. But what I learned most was that short-term financial loss compared with the joy of customer satisfaction was priceless. Money matters matter most when you either thrill your renters and get them back, or lose them because you did not serve them well.

This eco-tourism business has not drowned, but has fallen overboard and is floundering.

David Sweetland

Morro Bay