Took the sea kayaking class and it was fun. Learned valuable tools to survive when capsized l. Then took sailing class and the experience was opposite. David, the main instructor, kept yelling at us while we were sailing. We are noobs. There is a better way teaching us than screaming at us. Afterall, it was new to us to control the flimsy boat and learning to adjust to the wind. Horrible experience. They really need to retire him and find a teacher who enjoys teaching. read more

Me and five other friends were looking for something fun to do on a random Monday and Arlin and Tyler completely took care of us! They were so sweet, patient, and friendly.. and this was all an hour and a half before closing. Such an amazing first time experience, thank you both so much! read more

Cal Adventures - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Berkeley, California

I took a sea kayaking class with Cal Adventures and was sort of traumatized by the experience, The wetsuits were old and leaky. The instructors had us go out into the 57 degree SF Bay to practice rescue maneuvers with minimal training (they said we would practice these on shore first, but we didn't -- instead Zane wasted time asking us what our "spirit" marine animals were). When I jumped out of my kayak to practice the rescue maneuver, I was shocked at how cold the water was (Zane had told us it would be "refreshing" -- actually, I immediately felt my blood turn into an ice slurry and got a cold shock headache). I started panicking from the cold water, and when I tried to pull myself back up onto my kayak, I couldn't because my life jacket had ridden up around my neck and was strangling me (turns out the jacket wasn't buckled properly, and the instructors hadn't checked us before we left to make sure we had our jackets on correctly). Eventually, after the assistant instructor failed to get me back up onto my kayak, Zane came around and helped me. But then he noticed that my kayak was leaking and taking on water and he had to call a volunteer motor boat to come pick me up. Meanwhile, one of my classmates sprained/broke a finger trying to execute the maneuver. Zane and his fellow instructors seem to feel like they are "too cool for school." He had us execute another maneuver whose point was unclear in which we formed a flotilla with our kayaks and then two students were asked to climb from their kayaks to the kayak on the opposite end of the flotilla. While they were trying to do that, Zane blew strong jets of water at them from his kayak. What was the point of that? Except, apparently, to entertain Zane. read more

Great experience! Really helpful, friendly, knowledgeable staff who helped us rent a double person kayak. The office is a bit hidden, don't be afraid to ask people for directions. Reasonable pricing read more

Tomales Bay Kayak Trip Expertly guided by Leo and Brad Meet at 9AM, orientation prep, meet and greet. (small group. yay!) In the water by 10:30 Paddle around the bay on a tour tailored for the participants. See Hog Island, oyster beds, Cormorants, Pelicans, jelly fish, bat rays, star fish, seals, crabs, and other sea critters. Lunch (BYO) Paddle into some coves and a tiny sea cave in the white cliffs. Back by 4pm tired and happy. The guides were knowledgeable about the bay, the wildlife, environmental impact, nature, kayaking, and safety. We were in good hands. It was a much better trip than if we had just rented two kayaks and noodled around all day. They made it fun informative and friendly. While in between sights, we learned a lot of useful kayaking tips. The equipment isn't top notch, but is clean and in operable condition. The worst thing was the seat. My ass didn't deserve that kind of punishment. It has better karma than that. Lastly- I forgot my own advice and cut the cheese in my wetsuit again. Dammit!!!! As a reminder to all similarly minded people- 1. It's a time delay death bomb. 2. You only hurt yourself. 3. The wetsuit mutes the sound, but the kayak amplifies it by 10. read more

Cal Adventures - It's even nicer in person. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Signed up for the sailing camp only to find out the club is situated in bad spot of the bay, susceptible to low tides and limited dock length, preventing the kids from going out in the water. Classes started late and the instructors not using the full class time for teaching sailing. read more

The Full Moon Paddle was voted the Best Romantic Date for Outdoorsy Types in the SF Weekly and i couldn't agree more. My girlfriend surprised me with this date by telling me we would be going on an "adventure" without telling me exactly what we were doing. When she told me to bring lots of warm clothes that were waterproof I started worrying. haha ;) Turned out we were going to be paddling through San Francisco harbour at sunset until 10pm and watch the full moon "rise" (yeah, i didn't know they rose either). At the risk of sounding like a big girl, i'm going to say it lived up to it's reputation and it was the most romantic date i've ever been on Sitting in the middle of the ocean on a tiny kayak, with no one around you for miles and miles except the one you love, watching the sun set in front of you and the faint noises of San francisco city behind you is absolutely unforgettable. The paddling itself is not difficult and pretty much anyone can do it. I would recommend that you try to go during summer as it is a lot warmer, if you go when it is cold, it could be a bit painful but it might just mean you need to paddle faster to keep warm. We were lucky enough to get one of the clearest nights all summer. The kayaks are tandems, and i'm not sure whether you can hire single kayaks. The instructors were professional and friendly. they talked to us while we were out on the water and ensured we have a lot of fun as a group as well as let us wander off by ouselves for some alone time. It was a fantastic experience and one i would highly recommend especially if you want to surprise and impress your loved one. What made it more special for me was that my girlfriend knew i loved sports and doing outdoorsy things, and even though she is not the most active person, she was willing to give this a go for me. It meant i did most of the paddling, while she sat there enjoying the view or laughing at the top of her voice at how i had to do all the paddling, but i was more than happy to do that for her . I can still hear her laughing every time i think back to that night hahaha!! read more

Most friendly staff! It was my first time paddle boarding, and I had a great time! Kyle taught me the basics and set me off, and he even checked up on me with a speed boat in the middle of the bay to make sure I wasn't stuck in the waves when I was just having a moment and not paddling. Thanks Cal Adventures! If it's your first time too and you're wondering what to bring, they provide everything -- wet suits, equipment, and life vests. Just bring yourself and maybe a bathing suit to wear under your wetsuit. read more

Cheap Sailing lessons? Yep. Most students don't realize how cool UC Berkeley is with all the sailing and boating equipment in their active adventures program. It's cheap fun for students and for the public. One really must make an appt. for a sailing lesson. Once you have a few, you can rent a boat for cheap and take it out yourself. read more

This is our first summer with kids attending Cal Adventures camp and I must say it was AMAZING! I have a child that is cautious, sensitive, and not into team sports. He fell in love with sailing and truly excelled at it. He had two friends going at the same time and all had a great time. They learned a lot and I was impressed with the updates each day of what they did. We will be back as soon as we can and am planning on enrolling our daughter too! I cannot recommend this place enough! read more

This is going to be a mixed review. Our group had 3 different teachers with 3 different teaching styles. One instructor told me he would flunk me if I didn't use the extension on the tiller. The other instructor told me to stop using the extension on the tiller, and the third instructor, well he was just too cute for words. Norm was very good at explaining almost to nausea, Doug way too little explanation, confusing information and not clear at all. Dave the cute one, very good at explaining and showing in practice. The dock at university and marina is okay a little rough around the edges. The crew, especially Dolman-- he is awesome-- very helpful, and incredibly mellow fellow. I'll be back next for intermediate sailing. Allot of bang for your buck and you get to SAIL! read more

I've taken a couple of classes here. The windsurfing class was fun, although beware that going out into the open water will take a lot of practice. Still, fun to try - you might love it! More recently, the sailing class was a waste of money. Instructor was visibly impatient and just plain rude throughout - apparently a good sailor himself, but not so interested in teaching beginners. I hear that Cal Sailing next door is more friendly and better value. read more

Berkeley students and the local community: this opportunity is one I recommend you take before you have to leave Berkeley! Seriously one of the best experiences in my life were here: paddling under the moonlight, learning to kayak, windsurf, etc. Check out the Cal Adventureship pass, which is a really cheap bundle package for learning to sail, windsurf, and kayak! I also know that when you come back, you can get free equipment rentals. The staff is amazing, and most of them are very knowledgeable and humorous. You get to meet some new people and challenge yourself. Check it out. -Matt read more

Wonderful private SUP (stand up paddle board) lesson with Mees today. Due to low tide, the lesson took place in the marina opposite Cal Adventures. I was able to learn the basics about SUP and was able to take a tour around the Berkeley Yacht Club area. I feel that I'd be able to rent SUP now almost anywhere (save for Crissy Field with all the kite surfers...). Thanks Cal Adventures and Mees for a great summer Sunday! read more

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my entire family signed up for the day long sea kayak 1 course. it was one long (but fun!) class at a reasonable price! the teacher was very knowledgeable and held his own, which is saying an awful lot because like i said, my entire family (sans non-swimmer mom) signed up for the course, which i could see being kind of intimidating as we all know each other far too well, but more importantly? this includes my dad. and don't get me wrong, i love love love my dad, but he is a leo through and through and has quite the gregarious (read: talkative) soul and also possesses a teacher's heart, meaning he can be an interesting student. every teacher can instantly think of a better way to present the material, even if they admittedly don't know shit about the subject. you know? but the unsinkable teacher managed to cram an awful lot of material into the 7.5 hours, while still giving us plenty of time to practice and review what we'd learned, and all in all, we all had a great time and felt very assured that we were being kept safe out there on the water. things that could be improved: for those of us who aren't familiar with sea kayaking at all, it would be helpful to know not just what to bring, but what we'll be wearing on the water (wetsuit + sandals + windbreaker + hat + sunglasses), and what the schedule may be like. we weren't sure if we'd be spending the whole time on the water or just a little bit. fyi, you spend a half hour going over safety, and then you're in! and you'll eat lunch wearing your flattering farmer-john-style wetsuit. ;) but um...i guess if your'e reading this? you know these things already. also, unrelated, we saw the wind surfer class out there on the water and DAMN have those people got balls, that water is fucking cold in march! but holy shit they made it look fun, that's definitely something to try out. read more

Pros: - Good sailing/windsurfing class structure - Very friendly staff - Good selection of beginners gears Cons: - Limited hours and unexpected closure without advance notice - No phone lines to reach the staff I took the beginner and intermediate windsurfing clinics with Cal Adventures. The classes were well structured, and the instructor (Sophie) was very helpful. Learned a lot in the classes that really helped me out on the water. Overall, the onsite staff for Cal Adventures are very friendly and awesome. What really turned me away from the place is how they would close down randomly or simply have no staff on site during their open business hours. I bought the 2 months rental pass ($130 for 2 months). During the summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day), they are supposed to be open 5 days a week. In the two months that I've been there, I come out every day they are open to windsurf, and would find the place randomly closed or unstaffed 1-2 days a week. Sometimes, they would attribute the closure to strong wind (20mph+), which is just about when it gets good for windsurfing! Some other times, there are simply no explanation, just a beautiful sunny day with moderate wind, and they are just closed when they are supposed to be open. Their staff frequently said that the place doesn't make much money on rental, so they don't really care if you get out or not on rental. It's the class and youth camp that brings in the most money. So if you buy a rental pass, you are hosed. If they treat rental customers this way, I don't find it surprising that they don't make any money on rental. I would highly recommend their class to get some structured instructions. However, unless you like wasting your time on random closure, I'd recommenced Cal Sailing Club (CSC) right next door (literally a few walking steps next door) for equipment rental. CSC has better rates ($90 for 3 months vs $130 for 2 months at Cal Adventures), opens every day regardless of condition, and have much better equipment. read more

If you live in Berkeley and want to expand your horizons, try something new, take a class here. I don't know if anyone ever really needs to know how to sail, or white water raft, but it sure is fun. read more

I learned to sail dingies then raced them, years ago. Greatly appreciate the classes and generous rentals.

I enrolled in their weekend windsurfing course with 8 other friends and we absolutely loved it! Mind you, the Berkeley Marina is probably not the warmest place or easiest place to learn how to windsurf. But the staff were so patient and attentive. The classes are small so you get a good deal of individual attention. Initially, I had a hard time staying on top on my board without falling flat on my back but my instructor was determined to make sure I learned how to balance, pull up my sail and actually catch some wind. For those of you who have a hard time paddling against the current, they will tow you to a more calmer area so you can practice the basics. Even if you are not a UC Berkeley student, the prices for the classes are very well priced. Your class includes gear as well as the wetsuits, jackets to keep you warm when you fall into the Berkeley Marina =) read more

It was a super windy day and they were wonderful in helping us get back to a safe spot to have our adventure. We even capsized our kayak and still had an amazing time! read more

Kyle and staff were very friendly and helpful. Classes were great and rentals are affordable. Also, very cute pups on premises :)

I participated in a small group Stand Up Paddleboarding class at Cal Adventures. It was a lot of fun and we practiced falling over, getting back on the board, etc. I feel like I learned a lot and would love to do it again. read more

Kayak was moldy and leaked a little. When I told the staff they just brushed it off as being typical. The water in the area smelled bad as well. I believe the kayak rentals at the Bay bridge are much better. Do not come here, staff seemed very inexperienced and were rude. They almost let me go without a life vest! read more

My 12-year-old son and I had a fantastic private SUP (stand up paddleboard) lesson w/Kyle Winslow today. He taught us the basics and helped us figure out wetsuits/gear before taking us to a tiny beach near the marina. He had us in the water and standing up right away. He was really great w/my son, praising his successes and encouraging him when he had a tough time. I highly recommend Kyle for kids. He was a great teacher for me too, giving me tips and tricks on how to get more bang for my paddle strokes. The gear and equipment was in good condition. The pricing was similar to what I've seen elsewhere. I'll be back for other lessons in the future for sure! read more

The classes and the instructors are GREAT, but coming back to rent is not such a great experience. The staff is unfriendly at that point and you pretty much feel as if you are on your own with no help at all. read more

I took beginning and intermediate sailing here and both classes were awesome! The teacher was great and made the class really fun. The prices are reasonable and you get to spend a lot of time on the water. And both of the classes I took were very small, so there was a lot of opportunity to ask questions and get feedback. For the last day of each class we did a longer sail and had a potluck. I'm definitely glad I took this class. read more

Exit University, towards the water... The lessons are inexpensive. The staff is great, friendly, helpful and professional. Norm is a great instructor. After your lessons, you can rent boats for $15 an hour. If you're lucky there will be a boat waiting for you in the water, and a person waiting for a boat when you get back. You can be on the water in 15 minutes. read more

I am halfway through the Basic Sailing Class. So fun! We have 8 people in class with two instructors. All ages, all backgrounds. A few people from other countries. My sailing partner is a guy from Paris! We all did so much better the second day. Super fun. I love it when you feel the boat catch the wind and you really start to fly. read more

The only place to get in a good day of windsurfing in the bay. Getting the 2-month pass allows you to practice your skills and try out different boards and sails. read more