About us
With Canoe and Kayak Paddlers strangers are welcomed as friends and friends become like family. We are the only FIVE STAR rated paddling Group in the SF Bay Area. Our group is good for recreational canoe and kayak paddlers. We feature paddling with friendly folks once you know the basics. We are not a guide service therefore you must already have basic paddling skills.
Our trips are intended to be friendly and social for people who have paddling experience. Trips vary from easy, appropriate for almost anyone, to trips which require a moderate level of physical fitness and Intermediate boating skill. We seldom do "advanced" level trips. However, all paddlers must expect and be prepared for sudden changes in weather and currents which are common in the SF Bay Area.
Most trips are appropriate for canoes and kayaks. Canoes of 15 to 17 feet are common and touring kayaks not less than 12 feet, our trips do not allow folding boats, inflatable boats or SUP's. Our trips are four to six hours long and between six and twelve miles in length, and include a lunch stop along the shore. We paddle reservoirs, lakes, rivers, SF Bay, creeks, sloughs, and estuaries.
To join us you need basic skills including getting in and out of your boat, paddling in a straight line and being able to steer and control your boat in windy conditions. You should be in normal physical condition, able to paddle at an easy pace for an hour or two at a stretch without a real break. You need to be able to climb unassisted in and out of your boat in a variety of places, including steep banks, high docks, etc., and you must be able to keep pace with other paddlers.
Canoe and Kayak Paddlers is sponsored by Western Sea Kayak Club (WSK). To paddle with us you must be a WSK member and sign an annual liability waiver. Membership and waiver are good for one year from the date you join. We are not a guide service. All activities are simply opportunities for boaters with appropriate skills to paddle together. The trip coordinators are not required to have training in boating or outdoor safety or carry emergency equipment. We are not experts.
Join WSK: copy and paste the link below to your web browser, then follow instructions.
https://www.westernseakayakers.org/content.aspx?page_id=60&club_id=391318
All water sports are potentially dangerous. Participants must assess the appropriateness of their own physical condition, skills, and equipment for any activity, and make their own decisions about safety. If you are not sure if your skills and equipment are appropriate for a trip discuss it with the trip coordinator before starting on a trip. We recommend that all paddlers take lessons in boat handling, safety, and rescue. A life jacket must be worn while on the water.
Our goals:
· Share paddling as a safe, enjoyable, and congenial experience
· Introduce members to new places to paddle
· Create opportunities for members to increase their paddling proficiency
· Offer a central communication hub through our website
· Provide social, informational, and recreational gatherings associated with the sport of paddling
Upcoming events
2
Lakeville Marina to old cabins, 7 miles. Trip rated: Level 1 -EASY
5684 Lakeville Hwy, 5684 Lakeville Hwy, Petaluma, CA 94954, USA, Petaluma, CA, USTo participate, you must be a member of Western Sea Kayakers Club and have a 2026 liability waiver on file to be moved to the “Going” list. Join WSK here :
https://www.westernseakayakers.org/content.aspx?page_id=60&club_id=391318Address: 5684 Lakeville Hwy, Petaluma, CA 94954 (see directions below)
Meetup: 9:30 am, On the water 10 am, sharp to ride the tide.
Limited to 12 paddles. No inflatables, folding boats or SUP’s. Minimum boat length 10 feet.
This paddle will be with a very high tide which makes this perfect for going into the Marsh and visiting the cabins. The many sloughs there make it a maze for the paddlers. If you join the trip, you agree to stay together; everyone must go the whole route as planned.
There are bathrooms and water at Lakeville Marina as well as parking and boat ramp. Parking is $5 cash, bring the exact amount in an envelope marked with license, make, model and color. Our lunch stop will be a shore landing, no water or port-o-poddy.
The cabins are accessible only by boat and offer a glimpse of a little-known community that started a century ago when people built weekend retreats for hunting, fishing or relaxing. Hunters and fishermen of the 1940s and '50s gave way to the alternative lifestyles of the 1960s and '70s. Now, most of the houses are being swallowed into the brackish mud, victims of age and weather, leaving what some describe as a ghost town.
Directions: On Lakeville Rd. about 6 miles north of highway 37, or about 5 miles south of highway 101 in Petaluma. Look for Papa's Taverna signs. Ramp is directly behind Papa's. A $5 fee is charged for launching, bring cash.
PLEASE READ THIS: The organizers of this trip are not experts, not professional paddlers and do not necessarily have safety training or carry any safety equipment. Each paddler must have the training, experience and equipment required to complete this paddle safely and must assume all personal risks. A Coast Guard approved life jacket or Personal Flotation Device must be worn by everyone while on the water.
Rain or intense winds may be cancelled. Be sure to check your email for updates and information regarding this trip.
Western Sea Kayakers Club sponsors this trip
Interesting newspaper article:13 attendees
Past events
412
