What we’re about
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. However, we are not a guide service and do not offer lessons, therefore you must already have basic paddling skills. We charge an annual $15 fee.
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 totally non-commercial. 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.
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 (3)
See all- Petaluma, Lakeville Marina to the Cabins – Rated: L1 EASYLakeville Landing Marina, Petaluma, CA
Your 2025 Liability Waiver must be on file for you to be moved to the “going" list. Meetup message Ken N and I will send you the waiver form.
Meetup: 10:00 am, On the water 10:30 am, sharp to ride the tide.
Address: 5684 Lakeville Hwy, Petaluma, CA 94954 (see directions below)
Limited to 16 paddles.
No inflatables, folding boats or SUP’s. Minimum boat then 12 feet.
We will paddle through the marsh about 4.5 miles to survey the cabins which are over 100 years old. This is a fun, easy paddle with time to enjoy the scenery. Bring lunch, water and the usual safety equipment.
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. 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 7.5 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. There is a $5 (cash) launch fee.
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 strong winds may cancel. Check your email on Friday for updates and information regarding this trip.
This trip is sponsored by MARIN CANOE AND KAYAK CLUB
Interesting newspaper article about the cabins:
https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/decades-after-remote-cluster-of-cabins-was-built-effort-is-afoot-to-restor/
