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    Blue Waters Kayaking

    4.2 (121 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    C. Henry G.

    We did the night time bioluminescence tour and it was amazing. We had a night with no moon and it was unusually warm so pretty lucky experience. Our guides were Jeff and Bud and they were great. Learned lots while being awed by the beauty of nature.

    Pelican
    Joyce C.

    This was a good beginner's trip, but don't be duped by their tipping recommendations of 15-20% of the trip. I paid $550 for a half day paddling instruction for 2 with a guide. The guide Brian Westrick was knowledgeable. However, at the end of our excursion, he *voluntarily offered* to provide me with additional advice to further my paddling abilities in preparation for a future kayak tour abroad. When you volunteer this and even give your cell phone number to a client, you should mean what you say. Otherwise, don't say it! He ghosted me on the advice category. I won't use him again as a guide for the reason of his lacking integrity. I regret tipping him $50. Tipping 15-20% is way out of line; that would have been $82.50-110 tip, added to the $550 base cost. You have got to be kidding. BWK should just pay their guides enough! Furthermore, during the 3-hour tour that Brian was our guide, we prepped our gear before entering the water. During that time, he was MIA for about 10 minutes due to socializing with a couple of other guides from a different outfit. Professional? Not! I've moved on. I rented kayaks from BWK's competitors Pt Reyes Adventure Company, and these folks rock! It's a small outfit, owner-operated, and these folks are truly professionals. They respond to all texts in a timely and helpful manner. They also provide coffee and tea, along with pastries from Bovine Bakery, as part of their rental services. Furthermore, I booked a bioluminescence trip with Pt Reyes Adventure Company. Owners Dallas and Liz really know how to treat their customers.

    Getting on the water in our kayak!

    The Bioluminescence kayak tour was amazing. You can't believe it unless you see it yourself! Luke and Ginger were great tour guides, sprinkling in facts throughout the 2.5 hours we spent on the bay. The first 30-45 minutes are spent on safety and getting properly geared up, and even as first time kayakers, we felt comfortable and safe the whole time. 10/10 would recommend. This is totally a hidden gem - about an hour from the East Bay.

    Carmen V.

    Stunning landscape in the Tomales Bay area and impressive first experience co-kayaking at night with a friend when all is pitch black and we are just guides for the dim lights of the kayaks! My friend Stefanka had 2 tickets and her son could not go. Needless to say I am your perfect friend for last minute invites, a freebie like this I could not miss it, I am so thankful for the gift because we not only had a blast during our more than 2 hour trip from San Jose to the departure point of the kayaking bioluminescent tour, but also this was new for both of us. We feel like having a mini Thelma&Louise adventure, with tons of life-coaching each other on the way! Tour specialists were top-notch, very friendly, polite, patient and good vibes only type. We enjoyed their guidance, even if we found the prep time was a bit too long (we had an issue with our first kayak so they needed to change for another one and then there were some other solo kayakers not allowing us to launch on time). I was kayaking in the back, so the one that has to pedal on top of paddling...well, total loss of direction all the time, getting out of the line and having tons of laughs in the process while making sure we did not fall in the water (which actually was pretty warm, we overpacked in winter clothes but honestly not needed and you will exercise a lot, so no need). As per the bioluminescent fish, yes there were sparkles in the water, tons of them, but do not expect a fake idyllic image of fish coming to say hi like mini lanterns in the night. In fact for a while we did not see anything and then there were pockets of this phenomenon that was amazing but was not continuously happening. Overall, will recommend, it was a very well spent Friday afternoon-night even though the way back to San Jose was tiring with those many curves and yes, traffic!

    At the dock next to the boat launch
    Lisa H.

    Amazing experience from Go! My partner and I enjoyed the bioluminescence tour under the Milky Way. Sabrina and Diego got us all started with a round of intros and the sharing of a fave stretch or dance move. Nice icebreaker! Tomales Bay is truly a magnificent wonder! Every time I go there, I enjoy the plethora of wildlife that live in the area. So to begin with, you cannot go wrong here, unless you are a city slicker and you don't prepare for wet and cold. It helps when the weather cooperates and it is smooth sailing with no fog and little wind during our trip last night. It was absolutely gorgeous, a great night to paddle beneath skies that offered up shooting stars several times! Great bonus! Sabrina is a local. She's a fantastic Naturalist who really shows her passion for the area with her deep knowledge and her obvious reverence to Tomales Bay and beyond. She used the word, "magical," to describe the landscape, and I appreciated how that was in no way over the top. She showed tremendous respect to the wildlife in the bay, taking great care to lead us with grace through Hog and Piglet islands. She stopped to ensure we were not spooking harbor seals, and she was amazingly adept at pointing out animals by sound. She found a pack of coyotes whining in the distance that I don't think we would have been aware of were it not for her. She identified birds by sound and has extensive knowledge of all the creatures that live on, below, and above Tomales Bay, as well as the tectonic features upon which the bay is perched. She had great historical stories, and she also provided a treasure trove of great paddling tips that I had not heard before during paddling excursions elsewhere. Truly a pleasure paddling with her as our guide! Signing up was quick and efficient, and the person I spoke to was super helpful. At trip time I got email notifications and calls to ensure we were coming. These guys know how to round up cats! Though the bioluminescence was not super strong, Sabrina helped us to find as much of it as we could. So many other features superceded the light show though, I would recommend this tour 100% and whether you do or do not see the little critters, you will have an extraordinary time! If you can, book a trip with Sabrina. You will not be disappointed.

    Lin S.

    I highly recommend Blue Waters Kayaking for their bioluminescence tour. Reservations are definitely needed as this experience books up quickly even during Covid times, it seems. This activity was booked when I checked in October, so I put myself on the waitlist in case someone cancelled their reservation. I later received an e-mail the next month in November for more dates in December! Score! I think it was Dallas who helped me book my reservation over the phone and he was super friendly! Confirmation e-mails were sent immediately and continued to be sent until the day of the reservation. Note that there is a 15% gratuity fee added into the total cost of the booking. The correct parking spot is on top of a hill overlooking the boat launch, $5 cash only. You have to walk down the hill to the restroom area and there, you will find the envelopes to pay for parking. Bring your own pen! Sophia and Oz were our tour guides that evening and they were excellent! Sophia led the group of 6 kayaks (2 people per kayak) and Oz stayed in the back. We suited up in a lot of kayaking gear, which was great. It was a clear and calm night with perfect conditions. We even saw Starlink satellites in the sky which looked like a string of pearls moving through the night sky! It was amazing! Even more amazing was seeing the bioluminescence! With each stroke of my oar, it looked like glitter in the water. We could even put our hand in the water and see all the glittery looking bioluminescent! I had a really great time night kayaking and seeing the bioluminescence. Dress warmly. I also wore a beanie. FYI, if you wear glasses, they could potentially fog up and water can also splash onto your lenses. Night kayaking is a perfect natural social distancing activity. I highly recommend it! I didn't even know I could see bioluminescence in NorCal. I thought I had to go to Belize or somewhere out of the country.

    We attended the bioluminescence tour held by blue water kayaking and it was amazing! They provided us windproof jacket and spray skirt so we did not feel cold our entire ride. Our guides explained everything well and was quite helpful in guiding us during the trip. The bioluminescence was really cool, we could see it while paddling and under the kayak while moving. Highly recommend it! Tip: You can have dinner and park your car at Nick's Cove next door, good view and good food and free parking. It's walking distance to the kayak place.

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    Ask the Community - Blue Waters Kayaking

    Have any of you done the bioluminescence tour in December? We want to go but would love to hear of your experience and if you could see the bioluminescence well. Thanks!

    Hey there! We actually have Bioluminescence Tours scheduled for this December, and the Bioluminescence has been amazing so far this year. We personally love paddling at night in the winter since there can be a lot of fish action in the water.

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    Review Highlights - Blue Waters Kayaking

    Though the bioluminescence was not super strong, Sabrina helped us to find as much of it as we could.

    Mentioned in 18 reviews

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    River's Edge Kayak and Canoe - Just me and my dog enjoying the river.

    River's Edge Kayak and Canoe

    4.7(242 reviews)
    37.1 mi

    Came here with my boyfriend and it was a really smooth experience - we even missed the shuttle and…read morethe next one came 10 minutes later! Good: - Very good logistics - we got picked up by the shuttle by very nice staff who also gave us sunglass straps and wet bags - The route was super easy to follow - the fast sections were the most fun on our SUPs - The river is beautiful! Super pretty to paddle down and very zen-like Bad: - Our SUPs didn't have rudders so we basically were furiously paddling, which is the only reason I didn't give this 5 stars! Overall this was a memorable experience, despite needing to work pretty hard to get to the destination.

    This rental shop made the whole experience feel smooth, thoughtful, and just the right amount of…read morefun. We rented both a canoe and a kayak. From the moment we arrived, the staff set the tone--friendly, relaxed, and clearly used to getting families (and their dogs) out on the water without a hitch. They handed us dry bags, coolers, and a dog life jacket like they'd done it a hundred times--which they probably had. Our six-year-old was buzzing with excitement, and our dog--suited up and riding in the canoe like he owned the place--looked pretty pleased too. The Russian River was calm and beautiful, with just enough current to make us feel like we knew what we were doing. We drifted past quiet stretches shaded by trees, then through livelier areas near Rio Nido with the hum of music and voices carrying over the water. We also saw some wildlife like fish, ducks, some majestic herons. We stopped on a little island for a picnic, skipped rocks, and let the kid and the dog roam like it was their own private world. Coming back, sun-tired and sandy, the staff greeted us with icees. Nothing fancy--but exactly what you want at the end of a good day. We really enjoyed this fun adventure and we'd rent from River's Edge Kayak and Canoe again in a heartbeat.

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    Higgins claiming to be Captain as I ungrounded us. Late in the season and only one too shallow area.

    River's Edge Kayak and Canoe - Deer crossing the river

    Deer crossing the river

    River's Edge Kayak and Canoe - Canoeing down the Russian River

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    Canoeing down the Russian River

    Blue Waters Kayaking - rafting - Updated May 2026

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