City Kayak

My mom and I signed up for a city kayak time Slot and came by about an hour later. We were quickly fitted for life jackets and given their protocol. The staff were extremely kind and helpful. We kayaked to right outside of Oracle Park to watch the baseball game, where several other boats and kayaks were doing the same! 1 hour was just enough time for us. Will be back next year!

We had a lovely experience kayaking here. You can take the kayak to the creek by mission bay. The person at the desk was warm, cordial, and good humored. Nice equipments that you can rent for as long as the place is open so I suggest you come in early. You can see sea lions chilling about too!

Super friendly staff, easy location to get to and find parking, and fair pricing. Highly recommend the Marina route for beginners. If you're looking for a longer more advanced excursion, start with the Bay Bridge route, then head to the Marina second. The boats and cargo ships create a fairly large wake that will tire you out quickly on the Bay Bridge route.

Amazing place to do SUP in SF! Fantastic view of the the bay. And Ted is an amazing guy, he’s literally name his sea lion friends and will tell you all the fun stories in SF, 1000% recommend!

Nice place to rent kayaks right in the city, where you can get a good view of the city skyline, the Bay Bridge, and the baseball stadium. The owners (husband and wife?) are really friendly, and the entire operation had a mom-and-pop feel to it. TIPS: Paddling around splashes water so you will get a tiny bit wet, so bring appropriate clothes (or maybe a change of clothes for after). I left my sandals on the dock and went barefoot. You can buy water and snacks at the checkin desk (and don't forget sunscreen), and rent a dry-bag for your belongings. I recommend two hours, since getting ready, onto the kayak, and leaving the dock area all eat some time which would make a single hour quite rushed. We were able to paddle to the bay bridge, back to the dock, to the baseball stadium to watch some of the game, and back all in two hours. If you're prone to seasickness, take some dromamine or ginger candies before you go! OVERALL: Go on a nice sunny day when a baseball game is being played.

Had a great time kayaking around the San Francisco Giants stadium and McCovey cove. City Kayak rentals launch from the marina just north of the ballpark and you can kayak to the park or up under the Bay Bridge. Friendly helpful staff, good social distancing protocols in place, decent price. I would recommend City Kayak for a fun time on the water.

Had a blast on the water with Ted and his crew. If you want a chance to see SF from a different perspective hop on a kayak with City Kayak. Highly recommend it!

Casual and cool. The staff are very knowledgeable and helpful. They take great care of you. I highly recommend the experience and I will go back again.

Gemma and teddy run a top Notch business Thoughtful, nice equipment, nice people Have everything yiu need for a day on the water

My mom and I signed up for a city kayak time Slot and came by about an hour later. We were quickly fitted for life jackets and given their protocol. The staff were extremely kind and helpful. We kayaked to right outside of Oracle Park to watch the baseball game, where several other boats and kayaks were doing the same! 1 hour was just enough time for us. Will be back next year!

Had a great time kayaking around Mission Bay with City Kayak! The rental process was very easy since you can reserve kayaks and sign waivers online. They did a short orientation for us before heading out and gave great recommendations on where to paddle!

City Kayak is open Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon at 11am, with the last launch at 3pm. Kayaks should be returned by 4pm in the winter or 5pm during other seasons. We reserved three single kayak's online about 45 min before the last launch. Super easy to do online. No payment. They just needed a credit card for the reservation. Note that there is a $20 fee for cancellations/changes made within 24 hours. Have everyone fill out the waiver online to save time during check-in. City Kayak is located in a large warehouse on Pier 40. Great location if you want to Muni/e-bike/walk to Embarcadero/the Ferry Building afterwards. We thought parking in the lot out front was free and had no issues parking there for several hours. But I realized later that they sell a $20 parking permit online, so we might have been mistaken. Just beware that a permit may be required. Walk all the way to the end of the warehouse and check in at the table. They have porta potties near the front with a sink with soap as well. They have a few life vests with zipper pockets in them which is great for securing your phone/keys. I believe they have dry bags for a fee. They can also store belongings for you. The staff gave us a quick rundown of the rules. First and foremost, keep a LOT of distance between you and any boats. Anyone bigger than you has right of way. It was a five minute walk to get to the water. We did a little practice paddle out front, and then we were off. The process was quick and efficient. We wanted to paddle down Mission Creek Channel to see the house boats, but 1 hour was not enough time for us beginners. I recommend 2 hours if you want to go all the way down the channel. But the views of the city and the Bay Bridge were still great and paddling under bridges in the channel was fun. Expect to get a little wet from the paddles dripping/splashing water. The water is calmer in the morning and a little choppier in the afternoon as the wind picks up and/or boats are docking. As long as you stay near the dock or in the channel, the water will be pretty calm. But once you exit into the bay, for example, towards the bridge, expect conditions to be a little more challenging. We timed ourselves so we were only out there for 1 hour. But you can change your mind and stay out longer because they take payment at the end. It was $36 + around $3 in taxes per person for 1 hour + optional tip. Decent value. They offer other services as well including paddleboard lessons, guided kayaking trips, a McCovey Cove experience during Giants games, and overnight takeaway rentals. You can even buy gift cards and gear. Check out their website. Overall, it was a great experience in the summer! Highly recommend!

Great experience! Made a reservation online for single person kayaks. We kayaked for one hour which costs $36 an hour. We came on a great day with amazing weather and calm waters. Great views of the bay bridge and AT&T park. Also there's free parking!

Found this place through a friends Strava and knew we had to try this uber cool experience. Arrive 5-10 minutes early as there is a good stretch to walk onto the Pier & a waiver to sign. They give you a life jacket & of course the paddles. We got out onto the water on a beautiful day, around Oracle park & got amazing views of the bay! If you're visiting SF or live here, book a kayak.

This is a late post, but it is one of the worst kayaking experiences I have had. Unfriendly staff!

Nice place to rent kayaks right in the city, where you can get a good view of the city skyline, the Bay Bridge, and the baseball stadium. The owners (husband and wife?) are really friendly, and the entire operation had a mom-and-pop feel to it. TIPS: Paddling around splashes water so you will get a tiny bit wet, so bring appropriate clothes (or maybe a change of clothes for after). I left my sandals on the dock and went barefoot. You can buy water and snacks at the checkin desk (and don't forget sunscreen), and rent a dry-bag for your belongings. I recommend two hours, since getting ready, onto the kayak, and leaving the dock area all eat some time which would make a single hour quite rushed. We were able to paddle to the bay bridge, back to the dock, to the baseball stadium to watch some of the game, and back all in two hours. If you're prone to seasickness, take some dromamine or ginger candies before you go! OVERALL: Go on a nice sunny day when a baseball game is being played.

5/29/2021 Quarantine Day 439 City Kayak is located at Pier 40, just a few minutes away from Oracle Park. The parking lot is only for people who have permits (not sure what kind of permit), so you'll have to park at a meter on the street. Unfortunately, the meter maids do a good job in this area, so make sure you put enough time on your meter. My friend and I were here saturday afternoon and it wasn't too crowded so we were able to find a metered spot across the street. You want to walk past the parking lot and into the warehouse, all the way down to the end and that's where you will find City Kayak. Beware, there are NO bathrooms except stinky port-a-potties so be sure to use the bathroom at home beforehand. There are no portable sinks either so bring handwipes and sanitizer (but nowadays, who wouldn't carry around those items??). We checked in with the guy at the front named Brett. My friend had booked the time slot but we had not completed the waiver beforehand. Brett was very patient as he showed us how to do that on our phones, so have those waivers filled out before you come so you can just show it and be out on the water without any delays. After checking the waivers, Brett gave us fitted life jackets and paddles. He then directed us to the dock where we find the kayaks. Walking down towards the dock, I was feeling a sense of excitement and dread because, my dear yelp friends, I cannot swim (insert crying emoji here). So doing this activity was a huge, huge step out of my comfort zone. Was it worth it? Let me continue the review... Another staff member greeted us on the dock and helped us (mostly me because I was starting to have a mini- panic attack), into our double kayak. So my friend sat in the back (we were told the more experienced person should sit there), and I sat in the front. After we were both safely sitting on the kayak, it was gently pushed and off we were into the bay for our kayak adventure... Despite my initial awkwardness on handling and maneuvering the paddle, we were able to paddle out as far to the Bay Bridge. The water was calm, the sun was shining, I had stopped freaking out, and it was for the most part enjoyable. After about 30 minutes, we had to head back (we reserved the kayak for an hour) and that was when trouble started brewing for us. As we turned around and we started paddling back to the dock, the wind was blowing against us, and the waves were getting choppy. Given my inexperience with kayaking, I did not think to wear appropriate clothing for the water... so as we fought the waves AND the wind to get back, my friend and I both got soaked and we were fighting so hard! My arms were already sore from the first 30 minutes it was a miracle that we got back at all. And as you can imagine, with all the paddling and choppy waves, I was just drenched in sea water. I literally got splashed with every paddle stroke and the waves would rise over the kayak, getting my legs and shoes wet. After what seemed like an eternity of almost nonstop paddling, we made it back to the dock. We carefully exited the kayak and in our wet shoes and clothes, walked back to the check-in place to return the paddles and life jackets. I asked the staff if they provided towels so we could dry off but they don't. I honestly think they should consider having clean towels and even little things like instant hot chocolate or coffee for people who have gotten really drenched like I did, and they even said that people have fallen into the water before. So having towels and a hot drink for people on hand would show customers an extra level of care for their well-being. Driving home in super wet pants, shoes and underwear was T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E. So back to my question: was it worth it? My answer: Yes, and now that my kayak cherry has been popped, I'll be sure to wear more appropriate clothing, have extra towels, and extra clothes to change. Thank you City Kayak for a wet and fun experience!

Trying to book a 4pm rental on the website this morning it wouldn't let me. Came down to the establishment close to 4pm to rent kayaks for myself girlfriend and the owner said it was closed. He didn't provide any explanation with the issue on the website. Very unprofessional to have conflicting closing times and reservations. Clearly, he was ready to go home.

City Kayak. We kayak out to the Bay Bridge with Mitch. The view of the city and bridge with seagulls and people fishing were all highlights of the trip. Afterwards Mitch took us to McCovey Cove, where Giants play. It was cool since we just watched a ball landed there during last night's game! Another bucket list checked Bonus: We had sea lion obstacle from us getting to the kayak

We paid for the tour with the kayak rental vs just renting kayaks, so that we'd have a guide. This is our first time kayaking in San Francisco (I went with my husband and 4 kids with the youngest being 11). We didn't go out too far since all the people in the tour were mostly beginners.

*Visited here end August* It was my 3rd time ever kayaking and one of my friend's first times. This was by far the best experience I had from any of the kayaking places I went. Although the prices are steeper compared to others, it is worth the extra money. The employees here are very nice and even give you a short lesson before you go outside the harbor and into open water. All the other places give you a kayak and tell you go do whatever. I finally felt like I knew how to paddle and turn properly. This venue also has the best views in the Bay Area as it has the options to go to the McCovey Cove and the Bay Bridge. You can venture out to underneath the bridge but the waves can get choppy so I turned back sooner.

Got to go Paddle Boarding with a friend this Friday and had the best time! Ted is amazing. Not only did he best help accommodate our plans and prepare us for our trek, but during our trip he went above and beyond to make it memorable and as enjoyable as possible. We can't wait to visit again perhaps during peak times like fireworks and baseball games, just be prepared for the rush! Say hi to their friendly resident sea lions too!

If you want to do something fun, interesting, and different, while visiting SF, or even if you live here, go to Pier 40, and rent a kayak from City Kayak. Ted the owner, and Johnny one of his team experienced instructor will make this experience safe and fantastic for you. Everyone there has an easy friendly attitude and they are very helpful. The kayaks, vests, paddles are clean and disinfected. They access your skills and provide basic information before you go in your discovery. The scenery is outstanding! blue skies, or not; sunny or foggy, it does not matter, the birds, sea lions, and different boats, entertain you while you have a good view of the Bay Bridge, Oracle Baseball Giants home, Chase Center, the home of Golden State Warrior, and much more. My experience was amazing and that is why a highly recommend that you offer yourself this treat. I liked so much that I continue to go twice a week as my regular exercise. Their commitment to excellence is shown every time I arrive.

Absolutely wonderful experience. Took my team out for a great day on the bay. Ted was awesome. We had a few people that had never paddled before and gave us all a refresher course. Super solid organization. He opened up for us on his day off, which was so kind. I would highly recommend a day out on the Bay! Thank you Ted! I would recommend going on a day that the bay is calm. We had an epic day of sunshine and blue skies! Thank you! Appreciate all the help and the perfect day out on the BAY!

$45/hour for a single kayak and if it's one of those rare gorgeous days in SF where Carl (the fog) is nowhere to be found, you should not hesitate to get yourself out on the water and whip yourself around the bay. No experience required but it is a workout if it's even a wee bit windy, so be prepared to put your back into it. Guided tours (including a "moonlight" tour and a fireworks tour when there's a home game - though, not sure if it's every home game) or you can just take the kayak out on your own. Mitch...you're the man, buddy.

Rented a kayak for the weekend from Ted and he was great-he was very helpful in getting me the right Kayak and getting me on my way. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Will use them again for sure next time i need a kayak.

If it wasn't so pricey, or they had some kind of frequent-kayaker-local deal (hint hint), I would come here more often. Great exercise, great way to see the bay, fun to do with friends and out of towners alike. DEFINITELY look at the tides before you go. If you are not a strong paddler or not used to the bay you will want to stay in the marina and go past the ballpark and towards the houseboats ONLY. The bay can be a bit daunting for newbies.

Best place to kayak in the city! Owner was is great - very experienced, friendly, funny! He hypnotizes the seals as you walk past, very memorable experience. Go earlier if possible, typically less windy.

City Kayak is located at Pier 40, just north of AT&T ballpark. They have a parking lot conveniently for customers free up to 2 hours. The "store" (aka space squared off by wire fences) however, is unconveniently located all the way at the end of the warehouse, opposite side from the lauching site. The rental prices are slightly higher than places outside of the city, but includes dry jacket, dry pants, waterproof bag and of course the lovely life vest. We ended up paying $25 per person for 1.5 hours. Could've had up to 2 hours for that price, since we paid up front. So the tip is to pay after, for prorated price. The staff is friendly. And yes the owner is quite unique, but nice nevertheless. They go over the basics and regulations, and provide different routes for sightseeing. Tip: stay close to the shore. Don't be like us and paddle out far. The water is rough with some mean waves. My friends' kayak flipped over since they got stuck parallel to the waves. They're troopers though, so they're okay. Then it took us a while to paddle back since we were going against the current. Next time I'll kayak over to McCovey Cove on gameday and catch a ball! =D

We've been here twice now and enjoyed ourselves both times! Such a great way to experience the city and get outdoors! The staff are friendly and professional and gear is clean. Great activity for 2020-2021 times.

I've stored my kayak here for a few years and think this place is great. The location, Embarcadero at Townsend/ Pier 40 can't be beat. Ted and his team are very service-driven and put safety first. They always have updates on tides/wind conditions that help frame a day on the water. This is a great resource for paddlers in SF.

Tried out City Kayak for Sunday Streets - March 9, 2014. It said 11:30am so I guess only 1 time that whole day, not sure. It's at Pier 40, which is NOT by Pier 39. Even Piers are on the Right side of Ferry Bldg; Odd number Piers are on the Left side. It was a big group maybe 25 people, not sure. We all had to sign Waiver Forms, wear a Red one size fit all Lifejacket. Ted told us all to Not bring any Electronics onto the kayak in case it falls in. I should have brought my cell phone & camera anyways because I'm an Advance Beginner & didn't fall or get too wet!! The water looks nice, but it gets choppy! We did our cove & the cove next to it on the Left and back. Such a short trip, but I was all tired out. Bathrooms: in the back of the SB40 restaurant. Worth trying. He mentioned that for paying customers it's 2hrs for $40. Better check the website if that's correct.

I really enjoyed the South Beach kayak trip! Instructors were helpful and kayaking the bay was a great way to experience SF.

Thoroughly enjoyed this mornings activity on a sunny September 2014. I bought a groupon $32 for two hour kayak. They spend about half an hour teaching you how to hold the paddle and how to maneuver the paddle to go back, turn and reverse. Everyone has to wear a life jacket and you get a dry bag for your phone n camera. The weather was great to go kayaking, just bear in mind if you don't hold the paddle correctly, water will get in the kayak and your pants will get wet, so pay attention to the beginning intro. The leader was really nice and always made sure we were all together. I always wondered what it was like on the water behind AT&T park and with this trip, you will see the AT&T park like never before. Great views of Bay bridge, fancy houseboats, condos and apartments along the waterfront....beautiful! BTW, bring lots of sunblock, glasses and hat. It can get really hot out there. Will definitely do this again in the future.

If you LOVE the ocean!!!... Want to face your fear of sharks- last year I got a membership, two weeks into it I was taking a Selfie (cell-fee) at McCovey cove, I get home that night to see a twelve foot bull shark photobombing me. I since have gone through these guys for the last year and will keep on using their services even if I do eventually end up buying my own and just use the storage. Ted and Gemma are great people. Thanks!!!! I started out with the stout kayaks and since thoroughly enjoyed the longer ones for trips to Alcatraz. Best in the West!!!!

Wow the worst experience ever with kayaks. Impossible to find. Made us go through 45 minutes of useless training... so we were supposed to have two hours but we got 45 minutes after the inexperienced and rude kayak staff made us look stupid. The worst.

I had a great time - not sure why all of the mixed reviews. We came as part of a facebook fitworking group and they reserved a bunch of spots. We checked in around 11 and even though we were supposed to be there at 11, they were cool about us being a little late. They were friendly and geared us up. The weather was perfect and the views from the bay were awesome. We kayaked over to the bay bridge and by the ferry building. Then we doubled back and headed over to McCovey cove while the Giants v. A's game was on. We kinda just cruised around that harbor and took a bunch of pictures. I had a great day. It was great exercise. I've only kayaked in Waikiki before last month and I thought it would be scary going into the SF bay. The water wasn't that bad and we were fortunate that it was sunny and not too windy.

Rented a double here at City Kayak on a beautiful Saturday at 11:00AM. Friend and his GF had bought the McCovey Cove experience deal, so another friend and I did our own thing. City Kayak is located at the end of the warehouse on Pier40(?). Sign a couple waviers and the whole thing is pretty hassle free. After signing in, you walk out and get your kayaks. My friend and I ventured out to the bay bridge (see my added photo -- be warned if you don't cover up your camera it WILL get wet!!), that was pretty cool. However, be WARNED that the currents take you OUT so getting there is fast and easy, but coming back was a bit harder as you struggle against the currents. After that we met up with my friend near the cove and snapped some cool pics of AT&T park. Have fun and remember to be careful -- I have kayaked in the past but ocean currents are definitely something to be reckoned with.

If you're in SF, this is the perfect place to "escape" to the outdoors without having to sit in Bay Area traffic -- especially over Thanksgiving weekend. Even though the conditions weren't good to go towards the Bay Bridge, kayaking to McCovey Cove and Mission Creek was really fun, because we got views of the city that we'd never seen before. The owner is really nice, and I thought the prices were reasonable ($10/person per hour) if you book online.

This may surprise you but this is a business run out of a van. The bf and I wanted to go kayaking on a Saturday so when he called a couple days earlier, the guy on the phone said he wouldn't have to make a reservation and to just show up 30 minutes before opening (at 11am). We got there at around 10:20 am and there was already a class of people all suited up and learning the kayaking basics. Luckily signing in and getting ready wasn't too bad. There were two guys running the van-business and they were very friendly. I'm thinking that the person some Yelpers didn't like was the owner. While one of the guys was telling us that he could get us in the kayak by 10:40am, the owner came by and said "We don't like to start until 11 am so that we have time to prep." He was neither looking at us nor was he looking at the two guys (probably his employees?) and his tone was not very polite. All of us kind of just looked at him and continued on. Nonetheless, the guys helped us get on by 10:40 am. Both of us had kayaked before so we rented a kayak on our own so I can't rate the class/instruction. There were three different routes we could've taken that day; the hardest being the route to the Bay Bridge. We were warned that the tide for that route was partciularly strong that day so ventured to McCovey Cove where you pass by AT&T Park. This is the route you take when you want to kayak during a baseball game to hopefully catch some out of park balls. If you have any belongings (i.e. camera, food, jackets, sunblock, etc.), don't worry. You can bring them with you and they have water-safe bags that you can bring onto the kayak. McCovey Cove is a lovely, laid-back route for leisure kayakers. There are some bridges you have to go under which look virtually impossible due to how low it is. Even if we bent all the way down, I have no idea how we could paddle in a way to get us to the other side. Luckily, there's a red buildilng next to each bridge where you can go under which is tight but doable. It took us around 45 minutes to go 1/2 way through the cove and back but that's because we would take breaks, let the water drift us around, and enjoy the scenery and the friendly people on neighboring boats. One hour ended up costing $30 (pre-tip).

We organized a twelve-person kayak trip to Yerba Buena Island for our wedding. It was a wonderful trip. City Kayak provided all the equipment, an escort boat, and even a practice session. City Kayak's owner, Ted, is extremely knowledgeable. He knows the tides, the winds, the ship traffic, and he is quick to gauge the abilities of his guests. I've learned to trust his judgement. With respect to some of the other reviews, kayaking on San Francisco Bay is not like a ride at Disneyland. Flipping over and getting cold and wet is always a possibility (been there, done that). City Kayak provides the best support possible, but there are never guarantees out on the water.

Ted and his crew are awesome. I took advantage of their 3-month membership offered and it truly was a great escape during quarantine. I went out nineteen times, and only flipped the boat on my last outing! :) Take note: ALWAYS bring a dry bag on the kayak. Other than that, have fun! It's awesome. Thank you to everyone at City Kayak for making it a great summer/fall for me.

I had a beautiful day out on the bay with my family. City Kayak was straightforward and convenient, with really helpful and kind staff. I'll definitely be returning.

I can't think of anything more wonderful than kayaking in San Francisco Bay on a beautiful Saturday morning. What an experience! My date and I shared a kayak and enjoyed a lot of kayak-bonding and picture taking. (See photos.) We took the "Downtown Tour" which starts from Townsend Street (South Beach Harbor) goes past McCovey Cove at AT&T Stadium - returns - then goes over to the Ferry Building - and then returns. The first portion of the trek takes you under a few bridges in a safe harbor with no waves - not at all dangerous. The second portion takes you into the Bay - well.... We saw a few seals! Some of the kayakers in our group ventured all the way out to the Bay Bridge column. Out there you're certain to experience a few big up-and-downs. It's hella fun out there - and invigorating - but potentially dangerous. (See yelp poster Carlo's review.) Yelp poster "Ash S." has it right. This adventure isn't for someone who can't paddle hard for a few hours. You should be in shape. You should also know how to swim just in case a rogue wave tips your kayak over. Plan on getting soaked with salt water - so bring a change of clothes, a hat, some bottled water, a pair of sunglasses and a container so your iPhone so it doesn't get wet. Tickets for this tour are 80$ per person - an excellent entertainment value considering that you get away from your normal life for three hours, a solid workout, bonding and lots of adventure.

My father and I were so excited to go kayaking in McCovey Cove during a Giants day game. We had planned the outing 2 weeks prior, and they were listed as OPEN on their website for that day. Little did we know that they had closed the day off from the public for a youth camp, thwarting our plans humorously. Completely negligent if not nonexistent staff.

My aunt and I were visiting SF and wanted to watch the Blue Angels from the water this past weekend, so we decided to rent kayaks from City Kayak. First, I was so impressed with the service at City Kayak! From the beginning, the staff at City Kayak were extremely friendly and warm. They answered all of our questions and it truly felt like our business was valued. It really felt like they adjusted their instructions based on experience. My aunt and I have been kayaking several times before so they abbreviated the instructions, but still spent time making sure we knew what we were doing (which was great). As an added bonus, they gave me a 10% military discount. The biggest thing I loved about them was that when we arrived after an hour and 25 minutes, they only charged us for an hour! I thought that was such a generous touch. In terms of the kayaks, they have both sit-on-top and sit-in kayaks. They're really concerned about safety so you have to be able to get back into a kayak if you capsize in order to use the sit-in kayaks. We rented to sit-on-top kayaks and I was pleased. I felt my kayak moved smoothly and easily through the water. I also appreciated the feedback of where to kayak. We went near the stadium for the Giants and through the creek, which made kayaking both enjoyable and smooth as we didn't have to battle bigger boats in the bay. The only downside is that it is kind of expensive for the first hour (around $30), but subsequent hours are only $4, which is great. In sum, I would definitely do this again given their great service and the ability to see SF from the water via a kayak!

I rented a kayak during the Giant's game expecting it to be crazy, but the whole process was totally fine. I didn't have to wait at all and they had me hopping into a kayak pretty instantly. They're in a great location, so we were easily able to do a loop out and around the Bay Bridge. The city views were spectacular and we saw lots of seals. Then we went behind AT&T Park to hang out with all the other boats during the game. There were a ton of other people who rented from City Kayak there and everyone had great things to say. I'll definitely rent from them again!

Went there to look at buying a kayak, drove 25 minutes to get there- Ted (one of the City Kayak people I talked to for a few seconds) only told me they cannot help me, they are super busy, I should come back another day. If the only business they're focused on and staffed for is the kayaking rental business, they should not advertise sales.

Great experience. We did the full moon paddle. Instructors were professional knowledgeable and we had 3 instructors to 6 participants, a great ratio that made me feel quite safe. Beautiful moonlit paddle under the Oakland Bay Bridge. My only suggestion would be a longer paddle. We had about 2 hours of water time.

The instructor is nice and professional. Our class was just me and my daughter. He still gave us a great class and gave us personal instructions. We learned how to kayak and a few techniques. The office called us 3 hours in advance to confirm our appointment. Ted is friendly and fun to talk with. Their office is located in the far end of pier 40.

My boyfriend and I had purchased a groupon while planning a trip to San Francisco in July. Big mistake. I hope you don't expect to speak to an actual person when you call because that will not happen. After calling multiple times and leaving a message we got a call back. The kayak tour that comes with the groupon was all booked for the dates that we will be there. We asked if we could pay the difference for the more expensive tour since there were times available. All he said was "no". He didn't even put in any effort to try to help us resolve this so we could go kayaking on our vacation. I have never heard a business owner so rude to customers who are trying to give their money. DO NOT purchase a groupon here, you will regret it. Awful way to run a business.

Very helpful woman who sent us out on our Kayaks that breezy morning. Gave us a quick paddling lesson after gearing up. Hubby and I went for our anniversary. We took the beginners route. We will go again! Very fun!

This review is a year overdue, and now I remember why I will never do business with these people again. Rewind back to mid-June 2010. It was my BF's birthday and I had planned a surprise kayaking adventure in SF (unbeknownst to me, kayaking in the bay is NEVER a good idea). Made reservations online and made my deposit a week prior. When we arrived, we parked at the provided parking lot. It took us a while to find the place because there wasn't any specific signs that pointed out its location. It's a warehouse-type building next to the AT&T stadium. After asking around, we finally were pointed to the right direction (the very back of the warehouse near the fenced area enclosing kayak-gear. duh). After waiting 15 min. for an employee to show up, we were suited up with life vest (which, literally, saved my life) and paddle. They told us to wear whatever we liked and because it was semi-chilly (typical SF summer) and windy, I kept my jeans, shoes, and sweater on. After 5 min. "safety orientation" that consisted of how to use the paddle and a quick view of a map of the China Basin, we were off! We were each given our own one-person kayak. I had only once kayaked more than 10 yrs ago in high school and had to get acquainted with the movements, etc. Fast forward 30 min., while my BF and I were enjoying the water and the sights of being in the SF Bay, I found myself fighting the particularly challenging winds and ocean currents. The more I had paddled towards the shore, the more then currents brought me towards THE MIDDLE OF THE BAY between SF and Alameda. I thought to myself, "holy crap I've gotta get myself outta this mess." I kept cursing at the damn paddle for about 15 min worth, while paddling with all my might. Regardless of my efforts, I found myself to be about 250 yards from AT&T stadium and 50 yards away from the direct path of a CARGO SHIP. HOLY SHIT. I knew i had to think fast because I was not going to be swept underneath that behemoth of a ship and only to be found floating at the bottom of the bay. Luckily, I remembered to bring along my iPhone, which was securely inside a ziploc and zipped into a zipper compartment of my lifevest. After calling City Kayak over and over for 5-10 min (i lost the track of time since I had a boat coming right me) and only got their voicemail, I knew I had to make a move ASAP. Good thing I saw a sailboat, which I had waived down. The boat's navigator screamed that his boat's engine was dead and that they had to rely on wind. I reached over, only to lose my balance and fall into the 50F water! Fully clothed, clinging onto my paddle, and in the middle of the San Francisco Bay was not my idea of how I'd spend the weekend. I was determined to focus on the task on getting on the damn boat! After about 5-7 attempts of swinging around and throwing their lifesaver, I was able to grab on and be hoisted onto their boat. The captain's wife saw that I was freezing so they instructed me to throw off my clothes down to my skivvies and wrap myself in a warm towel. I was disoriented, after drinking about a gallon of nasty and toxic saltwater, and I threw up a few times into a bag. The coast guard eventually came and I was transported onto their speed boat and dropped back to City Kayak. Two ambulances, a firetruck and several paramedics were at the shore to greet me. My BF had called 911 to report me missing. Apparently, there were two other people who had launched from City Kayak the same time as us who drifted into Alameda, as well. I walked back, dripping, to City Kayak to return my lifesaver. They offered bottled water and apologized for not answering their phones because they were "busy." The police officer who took my report had mentioned, in passing, that City Kayak is notorious for allowing people to kayak in unfavorable weather conditions and that this is a commonality with the company. Having paid $90+, i definitely don't think it's worth it. Had the company been mindful to warn customers of harsh weather conditions and to have to reschedule, this would have been prevented. NEVER AGAIN.

*Call the company for full details before purchasing a Groupon* My friends and I purchased a Groupon for City Kayak and I called the business that day to confirm that we had bought a Groupon and wanted to use it the next day. The man on the phone said that this was fine and told me that we could walk in the next day. We arrived to the business and they told us that the Groupon was not effective until April and that it stated this on the Groupon website. I asked to speak with the owner and he came to speak with us. He told us that yes, we could not use this until April, that we needed to make a reservation and that this was for a tour and we needed to sign up for a tour that consisted of 10 people and a guide (we were only interested in renting kayaks for ourselves). I let him know that this was not on the Goupon website and that I even spoke with someone the day before who told me to come in. He said that I spoke with him, but that he could not help us and would not rent to us. When I asked him to pull up the web page on his iPad so I could see if he was correct, he pushed it towards me, told me to look it up if I wanted, but that was his policy and he left the store. After we looked at the website and saw that it didn't specify this, we asked to speak with him again. He was extremely rude, told us that he has a lot of problems with Groupon and that we were confused about what we bought. We asked him if we could use our Groupons towards a single rental and he said no, that we needed to reserve a group tour for April. He took his iPad, told me that I could reserve something now, and angrily clicked on the reservation link on his company's home page. He was extremely unprofessional and rude and would not work with us. He raised his voice at us repeatedly and told us that this was our problem and not his.

GROUPON PURCHASERS BEWARE. My low rating is not for crazy currents or a disenchanted kayaking experience because we never actually hit the water. My low rating is for the truly dismissive and unaccommodating service that we received at City Kayak. My Yelp reviews are typically glowing and usually forgiving of little mishaps here and there, but there is nothing redeeming about our experience. A group of us purchased a Groupon and placed a call to City Kayak informing that we were purchasing the Groupon to use the following day and asked if we could walk in (and also asked what time they closed). We were greeted by a friendly gentleman on the phone who told us to come on in without a reservation...so we were really looking forward to the experience. Upon arriving, the woman behind the counter was friendly until we asked about redeeming our Groupon. She told us that this offer was not valid for another couple of months (not stated on the Groupon website). She proceeded to tell us that we needed a reservation, which was concerning since the man on the phone the previous day told us otherwise. She brought the owner out who told us the same thing. He invited us to pull up the Groupon website on his iPad and disappeared back to the dock while we did so. We did notice the Groupon specified "Reservation Required," but we thought we took care of this in the phone call the day before. He then told us that the reason for needing a reservation is because we need a tour guide, which we did not want, and the Groupon description did not specify. Apparently the confusion set in because the Groupon states "Kayaking Trip," which is supposed to imply that we get a certain type of kayak, performance gear, and a guided tour...which was supposed to be assumed by us and implied by the word "trip." This is further compounded when you read the Groupon description in detail, where you see a specification for a "guided or unguided trek." The owner blamed us for making the incorrect assumption and then went on to blame Groupon, stating that he had previous issues with Groupon (wouldn't you rectify that before posting another...?). We asked him not to direct his displeasure with Groupon towards us. He then suggested that we ask for a refund, and that was the end of it. Had they been willing to work with us and at least allow us to apply the amount we paid for the Groupon ($32) to a rental since we were already there, we would have happily done so, but this was never an option. He was not willing to work with us at all. One could think that our perception of the terrible customer service is just a product of our disappointment with the situation, however, the lack of professionalism was called out by another customer standing by who heard the entire situation and recommended that we contact the owner...when we told him that we were talking to the owner, he was shocked. It wasn't just us who felt this was inappropriate.

**********GROUPON BUYERS WATCH OUT*********** I purchased this groupon so I could take my wife out for her birthday a month in advance. I was unable to book a reservation because of a technical error in the system, so I called city kayak three times and left three voicemails in an attempt to schedule an appointment. The owner of the store calls me at 10 o clock at night to let me know I can't use my groupon and he can't do anything for me. What kind of business can its potential customers back at 10 o clock at night?!?! And he has the nerve to not attempt to work things out with me. Thank you ruining my plans for my wife's birthday. I don't normally wish ill upon a business but I seriously hope this place goes bankrupt. I have never received such horrible customer service.

$10 an hour for kayaking (if you book beforehand online) in SF off Pier 40! Even on windier days, they have routes to McCovey Cove and down Mission Creek for beginners. More experienced kayakers can go under the Bay Bridge, to Alcatraz, or to other surrounding islands.. Ted and Tim were two laid back, sweet Asian dudes who hooked us up. We got there and they gave us all the info, were not strict about the time, and gave us lifevests, booties for our shoes, pants, and cute little plastic kayaks. It was definitely a unique SF experience and one I highly recommend! However, if you bring beginners, it may be better to do double rather than one-person kayaks because it's more relaxing to have a partner who knows what s/he is doing.