A group of paddlers in Dogpatch buoyancy aids, seen from behind in yellow tandem kayaks, with the San Francisco skyline and a marina behind them

Welcome to your adventure

Preparing to paddle the San Francisco Bay

Everything you need to arrive ready, launch smoothly, and have a great session.

Book rentals

Where701 Illinois St

LaunchOff the beach

WearAthletic clothes

GearWe provide it

Read this bit if you read nothing else

Wear secure flip flops, sandals or water shoes. Shoreline rocks can be sharp.
Wear athletic clothing. Bathing suits, yoga pants, anything you do not mind getting wet.
Arrive early. Parking can be a challenge. Better yet, take public transportation!

How the visit goes

Three steps, and only the first one is on you.

Get here

Street parking round the park fills up on a sunny day and the paid lots are a walk, so leave yourself more time than the map says. Transit drops you a short walk away.

15 minearlier for a group

Check in at the shop

701 Illinois Street, Unit A. Enter on the Bay side of the building. If nobody is in the shop we are down on the beach, so come and find us there.

Waiverthen gear, sized to you

Launch off the beach

A quick orientation, a hand getting in, and you are on the water. We will tell you what the wind and the tide are doing first, and where to go with them.

Off the sanda beach launch, not a dock

What to wear

This is the one people get wrong. Dress like you are going for a walk in the sun and might get splashed.

On your feet

Flip flops, crocs or water shoes are a must. As we enter and exit the water there are potential hazards with sharp rocks, so this is the one thing not to improvise. Never barefoot.

Most days here

Warm and sunny

Board shorts, a bathing suit or athletic wear
A tee, a sun shirt or a rash guard
Anything you do not mind getting wet

When it breezes up

Cool or windy

The same, plus one light layer
Long sleeves, a hoodie, joggers or yoga pants
A wetsuit only if you run cold, or expect to be in the water a lot. Most people do not wear one

Sauna and cold plunge

Barrel sauna and plunge

A bathing suit, and a layer for the deck between rounds
A towel to sit on, which stays with you the whole session
Towels rent for $2 if you would rather not carry one

Also bring

Water
A hat
Sunglasses on a strap
Sunscreen, and we sell it if you forget
Photo ID
A towel, if you want one

Getting here and parking

Crane Cove Park, 701 Illinois Street, Unit A. We are in Building 49, on the Bay side. Parking is the part people get wrong here, so take public transport if you can, and arrive early on sunny days if you cannot.

Come by transit

MuniThe KT to Mariposa & 3rd.

Caltrain22nd Street station.

Bike or walkThe waterfront path, all the way from the Embarcadero.

If you drive

StreetAround the park, and read the signage. On a warm weekend it is full, and circling for a space is how people miss their start time.

Drop-offThe 18th Street access road, by the shop. Drop-off only, no parking on it.

RatesCheck SpotHero before you leave. A space booked ahead costs less than the one you find.

Paid options a short walk away

19th & IllinoisPaid lot
20th StreetPaid lot
UCSF garageMariposa & Illinois

Booked something at Mission Creek instead? That is our second site, a mile north on Berry Street, and it has its own page. Everything above is Crane Cove.

Look at the water before you leave the house

This camera points at the cove. You are looking for wind in the trees, whitecaps on the water, and whether anyone is out. Calm and empty on a warm afternoon usually means the wind has come up. If you want the numbers behind it, the tide calculator page has live readings for this stretch.

Before you go

Know where you are going

The whole waterfront is mapped and graded, Bay Bridge to India Basin. Pick your route before you launch, not on the water.

Open the map

Before you launch

Plan your paddle around the current

Tell it when you want to get on the water and when you want to be back. It reads the Potrero Point predictions and tells you which way to head first.

Open the calculator

We watch the conditions all day and pick routes to suit them. Mornings are usually the calmest and afternoons can breeze up. If it is not safe we will say so, and move you, reschedule you or credit you. See the cancellation policy for how that works.

Good to know

HoursOpen seven days, 9am to 5pm. Last paddle 3pm, last public sauna 4pm.

From 1 OctoberSame hours, closed Mondays. Sauna members keep their own access on a Monday.

Sauna members7:30am to 9pm, last sauna 8pm. See membership.

Do I need experience?For a rental, some. You should be able to handle a board or a kayak on your own on open water. If you have never done it, book a lesson first and you will get far more out of the day.

LessonsNo experience needed. We start on land and in the protected water at Crane Cove and build from there.

ToursFirst-time kayakers can take the Saturday 11:00am Bay tour and we get you going at the start, but it moves as a group, so come fit enough to keep up. If you have never been on a paddle board, take the Saturday 9:00am lesson before you join a tour on a board. The Bay Bridge tour and the full moon paddle both need paddling experience.

WaiverWe need a signed waiver before your session. You will find it linked in your confirmation email, and it is on your booking dashboard.

MinorsRenting: from 7 in a tandem kayak with an adult, or on a paddle board with an adult renting alongside. From 10 in a single kayak with an adult renting alongside, or on a board with an adult watching from shore. From 13 in a kayak with an adult watching from shore. From 16 to paddle without an adult. Lessons and tours start at 10 with a parent or guardian along, and at 13 on your own. A parent or guardian signs the waiver. The sauna and cold plunge are for guests 16 and over.

DogsWelcome on the dog-friendly paddle board and on any standard kayak, wearing an approved dog life vest and booties. We cannot launch a dog without them, and we sell both in the shop.

Changing and lockersChanging rooms and lockers inside the shop. We keep an eye on the lockers but we do not supply locks, so bring one if you want to lock yours.

Rinsing offHoses outside for clients. The shower is for sauna guests only.

BathroomsThe public restrooms are on the northwest side of Building 49, near the beach, open 9am to 5pm on weekdays, until 4pm at weekends and closing at 2pm on holidays. Those hours are set between the YMCA and the Port. Dogpatch Paddle does not have a bathroom of its own, so if your session falls outside them, plan for it.

WaterThere is a fountain in the public restrooms and no other water source at the park. Fill up before you come.

SwimmingNot permitted at Crane Cove. The Port forbids it because of submerged hazards left over from the shipyard. Wading is fine, and the cold plunge is the other way to get in.

Phones and camerasUse a strap or a waterproof case. The dry bag we give you is the safer option.

Storing your own boatRacks inside Building 49, at both locations, if you would rather stop hauling it. See storage.

Still wonderingForty-two more answers on the questions page. The park itself is covered on Crane Cove Park, and camp families have their own list on camper information.