Sally W.

July 03, 2010

"I just wanted to tell you what a GREAT experience this morning's trip was. Yes - I was a bit scared at times, and yes, I ached a bit - but that made it more of an adventure! Thanks so much to Chris - A great guide. He explained everything fully, was so careful with safety rules/info, and helped us have a very interesting and enjoyable paddle. When I told my kids what I'd done their mouths dropped open - yeah for us 'wrinklies' (I'm 71) - what a fun morning. Thank you very, very much."

 

Anne R.

July 14, 2010

"Last Saturday I took a sunset kayaking trip - Our guide, Chris was absolutely fantastic! In spite of some members arriving late, and then dawdling, and one member not having a reservation, Chris was able to deliver a quality tour while being upbeat, enthusiastic and patient throughout the evening. I will highly recommend Chris to all!"

 

Nick C.

Goleta, CA

10/4/2010

SF Kayak really is "As good as it gets!" Their guides are very professional and lots of fun, you really get the feeling they are going to keep you safe while making sure you and your friends have a blast kayaking the bay. I had a great time and look forward to bringing my friends with me next time. Highly recommended!

 

Columbus C.

Los Angeles, CA

10/5/2010

After being emotionally scarred for life by the movie "Jaws", I thought I would never set foot in a kayak! Yet, I gave kayaking a try - I had a great time! It was awesome!

 

Elizabeth S.

Los Angeles, CA

10/11/2010

I was in SF a couple weeks ago, and a friend recommended I go on a trip with San Francisco Kayak. I can't believe how amazing my kayaking trip was!! Chris, our guide, was great, and I had so much fun. I felt energized and connected to nature... I am so excited to go again and to share my experience with friends and family. In fact, I will be returning to SF next week, and I've already booked another trip with my boyfriend!!

 

Kevin D.

San Francisco, CA

10/12/2010

I had 2 friends visiting the city so decided I wanted to show them the area from the best vantage point...the water. Chris, our guide was very knowledgeable, professional & above all fun. Chris guided us around Sausalito for a sunset trip which was truly spectacular....the scenery here is unforgettable....go & enjoy

 

Annie O.

San Francisco, CA

10/18/2010

My boyfriend and I went kayaking in Sausalito with SF Kayak this weekend and had an absolutely wonderful time. Chris was our guide, and his partner Gloria was equally as gracious and kind as he was. We explored the Sausalito houseboat neighborhoods, saw seals and birds and rich people's houses from afar, and a beautiful sunset as well. It was a truly enjoyable time, and I'd absolutely go kayaking with these guys again!

 

Erica N.

San Francisco, CA

10/25/2010

Twas a dark and stormy day. But the storm blew over and there we were on the water having the best time. Seal Harbors, birds, a magical sunset in Sausalito and a very informative guide named Chris. The instruction was easy and they provided all equipment, clean and safe. Had an amazing time and would HIGHLY recommend this company to everyone. I know I plan on using them again.

 

Hans H.

Vallejo, CA

10/25/2010

Went on a stormy Friday night, was raining all day - dragged out my friend. Protesting (mildly), and laughing the whole time. Was honestly one of the best time's that I've ever had. I cannot recommend this enough.

 

Patricia M.

Village of Clarkston, MI

10/26/2010

I HIGHLY recommend this trip for anyone! A couple of 60-year-old broads on vacation wanted to fulfill their Bucket List, and we signed up and Chris and Gloria were wonderful! Chris put up with our laughter and gave us wonderful information about San Francisco as we paddled into the Bay, and up the Mission River past AT&T Park to see the houseboats and on our way we saw harbor seal, sea lion and even a jellyfish! Instructions were easy and us old broads had a wonderful time - we hope to go again! Chris was the best, cannot recommend anyone else to let you have a wonderful "zen" experience. Chris didn't just do his job as our guide, he made the whole experience awesome. Go to SF Kayak, you will not be sorry and when you go, tell him that Pat and Linda say hello!!

 

Jamie W.

Los Angeles, CA

10/27/2010

Last week my girlfriend brought me on my first trip to San Francisco and we started things off with SF Kayak. It was honestly a delightful experience!! Chris and Gloria really created a fun and exciting atmosphere. Instructions were super easy to follow and presented in a lively manner. I loved the information that was given about the entire area we were kayaking around..it really made me feel connected with the experience. Next time I'm back in San Francisco, I will definitely be taking another trip with SF Kayak!

 

Ann C.

Boulder, CO

11/23/2010

I was visiting from Boulder and took the advice of friends to check out SF Kayak - They are Great!! I had an amazing time on the Bay! I can't wait to come back to San Fran to go on their Tomales Bay tour!!! Super Fun!

 

Teresa K.

Dayton, Oh

11/25/2010

My husband and I were recently in San Francisco on our honeymoon. We decided to go kayaking on the Bay. What an outstanding experience, from getting into the kyaks and our guide Chris helping us gear up to being out on the Bay. Chris is so knowledgable of the area. It was neat to find out all the things we didn't know. We would recommend anyone who has the opportunity to take a trip.

Phillip and Teresa Grant

 

Charles N.

Redwood City, CA

2/12/2011

What an amazing time. Tour guide Chris took me on an amazing paddle around Saulsalito's Richardson bay, stopping to point out and share great information on the wildlife and history of the bay. I particularly enjoyed the history of the amazing floating home neighborhood of Sausalito. Anyone looking for a great weekend activity should consider talking to Chris at SF Kayak and setting up a paddle on the water!

 

Jessie L.

San Francisco, CA

5/16/2011

Sooooooooo much fun! Our guide Chris was very helpful in teaching us the finer points of kayaking and we got to see remarkable views of the city. It really was an exceptional experience that I can't wait to share with the rest of my family.

 

Lynn D.

Carona, CA

5/6/2011

This review has been long overdue, but very much deserved. My significant other and I were going through the alphabet to plan our date and we landed on the letter K. We figured it's the most fun and unique way to plan dates without doing the same thing twice. Since our one year anniversary was just around the corner, it wasn't a complete surprise that he decided to combine the two events and took me kayaking.

 

We went on the Trick-or-Treat Kayaking Adventure evening tour on Halloween night at the Sausalito Waterfront. Christopher, our tour guide, was very professional and thorough. The tour lasted about three hours accompanied by Chris, of course. He was very communicative and informational. Sausalito was such a magnificent view. The intimate community was phenomenal. Everyone was super sweet and they also gave us treats.

 

Unfortunately, even after attempting to protect our camera in three Ziploc plastic bags we managed to still get it wet. We got only two pictures of that night and a dead camera. Because Chris shared our disappointment, he offered us a complimentary kayak adventure for two. I highly recommend San Francisco Kayak to anyone seeking an adventure. They are a newly start-up company and are very passionate about what they do.

 

Peter T.

Berkeley, CA

5/8/2011

My wife an I, along with two of our friends recently went on an evening kayak tour of the Sausalito waterfront with Chris. It was a delightful trip, and I can't recommend this enough. Absolutely great!

 

Meghan P.

San Francisco, CA

6/6/2011

Chris is an AMAZING leader and guide. He's a laugh and a half and is quite experienced and knowledgeable. My friend and I went out in Sausalito and had a blast. We saw seals, marine birds, crazy houseboats... and had soooooooo much fun!

 

Rain, sun, overcast...whatever. As long as it's not windy, you can kayak! GO! DO IT! KAYAK!

 

Christina G.

Chicago, IL

6/13/2011

My husband and I went on a kayak trip with Chris a little over a week ago. It was a small group, as only one other couple joined us. We had a good time, and I would recommend this trip to others.

 

First of all, you can tell Chris loves kayaking. He said he goes out about 300 days of the year, and he was able to be clear in teaching us some basic things to know before we headed out. Now, I'm kind of a weakling, so I was a bit nervous about heading out on a 2 hour kayak trip. I was so happy that every 10-15 minutes or so, Chris would stop and tell us something interesting about what we were seeing. It made the kayaking a breeze.

 

I really enjoyed seeing the floating houses in Richardson Bay. Chris knew so much about the history of how these houses came to be. Another really cool part of the trip was rowing past a huge group of harbor seals. At one point, a seal could not have been more than 10 feet from us as he swam by. So neat! I wish I had my camera, but being a scardy cat, I left my camera safely in a waterproof bag the whole trip.

 

Chris talked about some other tours he does - further into the bay and even overnight camping on Angel Island. He seems pretty flexible on the trips he's willing to offer.

 

It did start drizzling when we were out, but it was no big deal. I will admit I was nervous, since it had been raining on and off all day, about whether we could go on the trip. We hadn't gotten any phone calls to confirm the trip was still going on.

 

I also did get significantly wet. The front of my pants and my shirt were pretty soaked. I was the only one that this happened to, so I was kind of bummed because I was told I put all the waterproof gear on correctly. I guess I messed something up.

 

At the end of the trip, Chris gave us a 30% off coupon for any future trips with him. If we lived in the area, we would definitely go on another trip with Chris.

 

 

Rose D.

Castro Valley, CA

7/26/2011

Using a fabulous Groupon I went out with SF KAYAK with 3 other girlfriends this last weekend on the two hour tour out of Sausalito. Great trip to start out on...our group was made up of 8 people plus the guide and most of us were beginners.

 

Chris was our guide....FANTASTIC, obviously loves kayaking and it is very infectious. He taught us some techniques before we got on the water, showed us some of the floating houses and let us in on a bit of the history of the area...very fascinating. He would stop every once and a while to regroup and check on everyone. Super friendly, relaxed and fun

 

i definitely recommend them and would totally go again even without the Groupon...i am eager to try the Angel island camping adventure.

 

 

Faye H.

Fremont, CA

8/15/2011

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!!

 

I made a surprised kayaking trip plan for my our anniversary. The hubby and I have never been kayaking cuz I was always afraid of the possibility of getting capsized in open water. I've read everything on the company's website about where to park, what to wear, time to meet and cancellation rules. And of course, all the risks.

 

We booked the morning Sausalito trip with Chris -- this was recommended for the beginners and total newbees. We arrived about 20 mins early and our guide, Chris, was already there to greet us. Chris was very professional and enthusiastic about the sport. The company is very well equipped, even an extra water proof coat to protect our clothes from getting damaged by salty-moisture in the air. Chris had very extensive knowledge of the history of the floating homes and, every 10-15 mins, he'd stop and talk and let us ask questions -- this is also his way of letting some of us catch up and take in the views and fresh air. I've always been the curious sort, so I asked lots of questions - he answered them all.

 

Although this is a new sport that may be a bit scary for some but, with all the water gears (including the floating vest) and the rare-to-zero chance of capsizing -- this is a worthy activity to try out for those who can't swim. Also, I did have a bit of a work out since I'm not the most in shape of sort, but it wasn't that strenuous -- if anything... it was a good combo of leisure and workout. Besides, what's not to like about beautiful Sausalito?! So close to SF, but the weather is so different - it was sunny and beautiful.

 

As long as you follow the rules and read the FAQ's on their websites... you're pretty much SET! Have fun!

 

Thank you Chris for such an AWESOME experience.

WE'LL DEFINITELY BE BACK WITH FRIENDS!

 

 

Sarah L.

San Francisco, CA

8/15/2011

A terrific experience, and one I'll be recommending to my friends and family when they're in SF! Despite it being an overcast day in Sausalito, we had a brilliant time, saw lots of seals and the fascinating floating community. Chris was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable and full of interesting anecdotes, the two hours flew by and I will be back for more in the future!

 

Suzie L.

Sausalito, CA

8/16/2011

I bought a Groupon for SF Kayak and was super excited about kayaking especially since I have lived in Sausalito for about 2 years now and don't really know very much about my new area.

 

I was lucky as there were only 2 other people on the tour. I was fortunate to ride in the kayak with the tour guide. Nick, our tour guide, was fantastic! He is a local so he knew a ton about the history of Sausalito, the boats, the wildlife and the floating home community. We saw so many seals, birds, etc, etc - IT WAS TRULY A GREAT MORNING!

 

If you have the chance I would definitely recommend this tour. I hope to take advantage of the McCovey cove tour next time when my friend comes to town. SF Kayak offers a 30% discount to return customers which is a nice courtesy! Thanks again. It was quite enjoyable and I've been telling everyone about your company.

 

 

Jake K.

Novato, CA

8/29/2011

I would highly recommend going with this company if you'd like to explore sf's waters. I went on a tour in the SF bay near AT&T park and it was fantastic. There were only 8 kayakers total, which gave the tour a nice, intimate feeling. After going through a brief but thorough prep talk, we were out on the water and kayaking. Chis, the main guide, was very knowledgeable and willing to share information as we went. It's clear that he not only knows a lot about the area, but also is passionate about sharing that information with all the kayakers. Nick, the other guide, was helpful whenever I had questions as well as a fun guy to hang out with. You might get to see some great stuff when kayaking in the SF bay, including harbor seals, a ginormous military ship, AT&T park, houseboats, Mission Creek, and some cool birds. This is a great way to get to know a part of SF that few people get to explore.

 

There have been quite a few negative comments from people saying they got cancelled on because they showed up late. To be honest, don't listen to them. The reason they were cancelled on is that they would hold up the rest of the group if the guide had to give them the whole speech again, which is not fair to the rest of the people that showed up on time. Just make sure you get there at least 10-15 minutes early, and you shouldn't have a problem. Check the traffic beforehand, especially around AT&T park area and leave some extra time just in case.

 

Again, I highly recommend this tour company. They are a small business that works incredibly hard to make their customers happy and, as far as I'm concerned, they do a fantastic job.

 

 

Beatriz O.

Union City, CA

9/3/2011

Chris you are so awesome! My boyfriend and I just got back from Sausalito and I told him I had to write this review before 1. A whole 3 months go by (typical of many of my reviews.) 2. All the cool things we did leave my mind.

 

First off I was REALLY paranoid about my adventure because I made the huge mistake of reading the reviews about Chris and Kayak and Adventure in preparing for our day at Sausalito. Boy was I wrong! First of all, Chris is a true professional he saw me and my boyfriend hanging out on a bench about 20 minutes before the tour departure and right away he welcomed us and assured us everything was running on time.

 

Around 10 minutes before our schedule departure Chris asked if we wanted to get a head start since the entire group was there. He even made gearing up fun, I've never been kayaking so just learning about the gear had me pumped up. He was so clear and simple in his explanations he actually had me believing I could be a kayak pro. (I later realized that is not a possibility...lol)

 

Now, if you were to ask anyone about me and nature they'd laugh (really hard) and say that my motto is "I don't do nature" well let me tell you Chris got me so excited not only about kayaking but also camping and hiking. Im about ready to go to sports authority and buy as much camping and water gear as I can manage to get in my truck.

 

In all seriousness, Chris THANK YOU!!! For making me have one of the funnest days in recents times. Your professionalism, care and knowledge made our adventure one to remember. Sure my skirt got lose and I got wet....really wet (but worrying about that would have taken away from the experience. PLUS a little salt never hurt anyone) my boyfriend lost control of our steering...lol but we had the best time.

 

I will definitely be back!

 

Btw I felt awful for not having more cash, I didn't even think about it until we ended our tour.

 

 

Jessica H.

San Franciso, CA

9/9/2011

Chris put together a great work outing for our team that involved hiking and kayaking without being rushed at all. Both parts of the trip were customized to our skill level and everyone had a great time. I would definitely go again. Thanks, Chris!

 

Ali K.

San Francisco, CA

9/19/2011

We did the Sausalito tour in the afternoon, and it was wonderful! The wind picked up a little, I'd imagine the morning session is calmer as they mention on their site. Chris did an excellent job prepping all the newbies before we took off, I felt he was concerned about the well being and enjoyment of all the participants.

 

Chris was an excellent guide, he seemed passionate about kayaking and knowledgeable about the area. One critique I had was that he would get to an area of interest first and start talking before everyone had gathered, so if you're trailing behind, you're only catching the tail end of everything he says, before he's off to the next spot. I understand there's a schedule to stick to, but at the same time, that is the point of a tour, as opposed to simply renting a kayak for a fraction of the cost--to hear some local insights and history from an expert.

 

It seems that several of the poor reviews here are related to their intolerance for tardiness or any kind of exception to their usual policies. I understand that you have to run a tight ship, especially with a small business. I'd just advise people to be aware of all these conditions before signing up. But it's a really fun tour, and worth if it!

 

 

Robin T.

San Franciso, CA

11/5/2011

We just used our Groupon coupon to take our SF Kyak Adventure. Even though it was a cloudy, drizzly day we had a blast. Our Guides were so wonderful, and compassionate, and knowledgeable. They made us feel so safe, even though we were taking a small boat out into open water. Chris even gave us some relationship counseling when we stalled in the water over a squabble on paddle technique. The gear they give you to put on really kept us dry and it was surprisingly not cold on the water. We had a great time and definitely plan to do the Sausalito Adventure. And we owe our Guides a tip. We found the tip we'd set aside for our very deserving guides in our waterproof pockets on the way home. Sorry guys, we'll bring it next time.

 

Jane H.

San Franciso, CA

12/17/2011

Chris and Gloria,

thank you again for a marvelous adventure at Richardson's Bay yesterday morning. You've opened up a whole new adventure option for us and we'll be engaging our other friends in the sport. I'll check the website in late January for the McCovey Cove tours - that is a must-do!! Happy holidays to you both.