What we’re about
Our meetup’s goal is to help kayakers meet each other and paddle together, because kayaking with friends is more fun and more safe! Also, many of our organizers and members have extra kayaks to lend during our activities, so a secondary goal is to give people a chance to explore the hobby in a more exciting setting than Lake Union! We look forward to exploring and enjoying the sublime beauty of Washington’s bays, lakes, and rivers with you!
People of all ages are welcome, and pets are usually welcome, too!
To be clear, we are not a meetup for whitewater kayaks. Some of our events go down rivers with gentle currents, but we use recreational kayaks and/or sea kayaks.
This group hosts events of a wide variety of lengths and difficulties, some which require no prior experience and any sort of watercraft like paddleboards or inflatables. However, some events require special training, wetsuits/drysuits, and sea kayaks. Our name used to be “Seattle Sea Kayaking Meetup”, so our events may still reflect that. Keep that in mind. Our events can range from short paddles on lakes to longer multi-day camping open-water paddles on the Puget Sound.
Attendees are required to complete the waiver before attending Meetups:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBr6y8g_WG6TBaHauUk--QOF9IIjyMz-sRFeKG3UodI7VRtQ/viewform
The waiver also contains safety information that may impact your preparation, so please complete the waiver BEFORE you depart for the activity. You only need to fill it out once.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Samish Lake Paddle!Starbucks - West Lake Union, Seattle, WA
NOTE: I will have 19 extra kayaks, paddles, and life vests available to borrow. My kayaks have a weight limit of 250 lbs per person including gear. Please comment below if interested.
NOTE: this meetup is cross-listed with the Seattle Millennials and Gen Z Meetup, but all ages are welcome.
Join us for a pleasant weekend paddle at Samish Lake! It's a beautiful lake surrounded by steep mountains covered in evergreens!
Paddlers of all experience levels are welcome! That being said, if you are bringing your own paddleboard, oru kayak, or inflatable kayak, I require that you have prior experience paddling several miles with your gear! Sometimes it gets windy on these lakes, and those particular watercraft can struggle. If you are borrowing a kayak from me or have a hard plastic kayak, you are fine!
We will be paddling 5 miles, which is a medium-length trip and is still doable for beginners. It involves 2 to 3 hours of paddling. We will also be stopping to eat lunch, so be sure to bring snacks and water to consume before, during, and after the paddle! Kayaking can be more draining than hiking, especially for beginners, and you will need energy!
Please bring clothes and especially SHOES that can get wet! The river especially is very rocky. I recommend close-toed shoes like beach shoes or maybe crocs. Sandals or flip flops can leave your feet exposed to injuries from rocky terrain if we encounter it. Don't forget SUNGLASSES and SUNSCREEN either! For the rest of your outfit, I recommend SYNTHETIC or wool fabrics that will dry quickly. Swimsuits and polyester running shirts are great for warm weather. For colder or rainy weather, I recommend a fleece or wool sweater, a rainproof shell, and hardshell pants.
For those who are bringing their own kayaks or meeting us there, we'll meet at the Samish Lake Kayak Launch at 11:15, and we'll try to be ready to paddle by 11:30. We'll paddle to the west end of the lake and back. I estimate that we will get back to the launch spot at 4:15 PM, finish packing up by 5 PM, and be back in Seattle by 6:30 PM.
Here's the location of the launch:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/J5tKjJ8LNp4vHvKeA
Attendees are required to complete the waiver :
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBr6y8g_WG6TBaHauUk--QOF9IIjyMz-sRFeKG3UodI7VRtQ/viewform
The waiver also contains safety information that may impact your preparation, so please complete the waiver BEFORE you depart for the activity. You only need to fill it out once, ever.
Everything below relates to carpooling:
We'll meet at the Starbucks at 1200 Westlake Ave N at 9 AM and split into our carpools at around 9:15! Let us know before 9 AM if you are on your way. We generally wait 15 minutes for people to arrive. If you are arriving with your own car, be sure to park in a spot marked "ALL DAY" parking (in case you end up not driving)! Please coordinate carpools in the comments or better yet, the google doc!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/147wBhrRmLHdo6-0Nwfpyz7r0V6HKWKL4AAEQJYX0TBU/edit?usp=sharing
Please post if you can drive or if you need a ride!
If you are going to arrange your carpool to meet somewhere OTHER THAN the Starbucks on Lake Union, I suggest a park and ride such as Greenlake, Northgate, Eastgate, or Tukwila/SouthCenter. Passengers, please do not ask to be picked up at your home; drivers, please don't offer to do so. It usually creates problems and makes the timing and logistics much more complicated, since people often aren't ready on time, cancel last minute, or just plain don't show up. On the other hand, dropping people off at their home after the hike is much easier.
