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Kayak Mendocino

4.6 (127 reviews)
Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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Christine D.

Took my group of girlfriends out to kayak for their first time! $80 a person even if you ride a double kayak and you get to explore 2 sea caves (twice). The kayak is really simple to maneuver and work with but cation if you have motion sickness tendencies because there are still small waves out in the coves. We were out there long enough! We had 2 instructors with us and one of their daughters guiding the way for us. There was a lot of yelling and I felt like one of the instructors wasn't in the best moods but as a group we still made really fun memories! I don't know how to swim but felt completely comfortable with the boat. You will get wet, your bottoms, shoes, sleeves, etc. If you want to bring your phone with you I suggest storing it in your top near your biceps or chest area to prevent it from getting wet. Warning, the bathrooms at the beach site for meetups are nasty, change or go bathroom before coming to the meet up spot.

Fantastic trip. Guide was responsive and informative during the initial call in / question phase; last minute booking trip while in town; as communicated - no experience or equipment necessary; the kayaks are good for beginners and very stable; though I suggest a minor change of clothes in the car as you will lightly splash yourself while you row; I had a waterproof phone case to take pictures; guide was careful, instructive and informative during the trip; great for kids (I would say 11 or so and up) or adults. Not much strength needed.

Loving life

73 year old grandmother, 4 adults, and 4 kids ages 5 thru 13 had the time of their life on June 20th. Best adventure of our week vacation...what a blast! Highly recommend for great experience. At no time did anyone feel unsafe with Craig and Stewart. Excursion was the highlight of all our experiences For the week. Error....Mark and Stewart...sorry.

Sean F.

We were camping at Van Damme state park and wanted to do some kayaking while in the area. Saw this place on yelp. Booked the reservation over the phone the night before. They said they were slammed but could get us in. From start to finish the vibe was laid back but organized and professional. We lucked out with the weather and tides and had an amazing experience. They knew when to balance the risk vs safety. They even had us turn around at one point to not spooks some young seals on the rocks (probably due to the dogs that some people decided to bring on their kayaks). FYI seals don't like dogs so maybe leave them at the car... can't remember our guides names but they were awesome. Highly recommend!

The owner took my husband and I out on the river with another couple. He was very organized and had lots of information to share about the wildlife and community. It was a really fun 2 hours.

Tieara C.

This place gets 5 stars all the way and big shout out to Craig and Mark. They were super helpful in explaining to us how to use the double kayak for my moms birthday and she had a great time celebrating her birthday on the water. I believe the owner is Craig/Greg, he has this bus where he'll check you in and explain everything to you and have you sign a waiver prior to taking off. I can tell he is very experienced and knows what he's doing. What's really cool about kayak Mendocino is they take you through a cave which I never would've thought about. It was so much fun kayaking on the ocean. We even got to see some harbor seas and plenty of starfish. It was a beautiful day on the water. I would say one tip is to wear sunscreen if you're going to wear shorts and be sure to wear long sleeves. I had on long sleeves but my legs go sunburnt. I would definitely visit again in the fort Bragg area. Thank you for making my moms birthday memorable!

We had a great time. Had reservations and wasn't sure if we would be able to go out due to weather. Even though it was too rough out there to go in the caves we still enjoyed our experience. Craig and his assistant were very nice. Looking forward to doing it again and seeing the caves.

Grace V.

Add this to your Mendocino itinerary. Beautiful setting. Amazing caves. Excellent guides that made sure everyone was safe. The water was fairly calm the entire tour but one area got a bit choppy. Guides made sure to paddle ahead and direct people towards the safest route. My husband is an experienced kayaker and was wanting to get into some waves. While this tour is more mellow, often slowing down and stopping to keep the group together, we both had a great time. This was my second time kayaking, I'm not a strong swimmer so I was nervous initially. Once we got going, the guides were very helpful and made the experience comfortable and enjoyable for all.

Chris G.

Had an incredible time. Raymond was great and we had a blast exploring these caves. It's very easy, so don't worry about experience level or anything. Might get wet and/or sunburnt. Water was a bit rough for us to get out to see seals..but luckily both my wife and I were raised by a family of seals...so we have already seen enough. Totally recommend this guy/place. If you call ahead, please follow through and you won't be sorry.

Seals close up from kayak
Madeline S.

These guys know what they are doing! It had been a long time since my husband had Kayaked but he caught on fast and kept up with no problem. They explained to us what was coming up and told us when to move forward one by one. This was a great couple of hours and I would do it again! Highly recommend!!

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Business owner information

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craig c.

So glad you guys came out with us. Thanks again.

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I had a great time with Kayak Mendocino and look forward to Kayaking again with KM soon!

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Ask the Community - Kayak Mendocino

Since this is open sea, I am wondering if the water is rough?

Depends on tides and ocean conditions/waves. Our group kayaked June 20….bounce around but not bad at all.

What to wear kayaking?

We went in May and the water was pretty cold, about 47F. The average water temp is about 50F. I would say wear what is comfortable for you when you do strenuous activity, because you will be paddling, and wearing a life jacket.… Read more

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Review Highlights - Kayak Mendocino

Craig was great with his instructions, equipment was very stable and the weather couldn't have been better.

Mentioned in 49 reviews

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

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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.

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River's Edge Kayak and Canoe - Higgins claiming to be Captain as I ungrounded us. Late in the season and only one too shallow area.

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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

Kayak Mendocino - tours - Updated May 2026

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