Bay Area Sea Kayakers (BASK) is a non-profit 501(c7) sports club of several hundred sea kayakers who live throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Our interests include flat-water paddling, kayak-surfing, expeditions, and playing amongst the rocks, in conditions that range from mild to wild. Our club exists to bring paddlers together for companionship, safety, education, exploration, learning, and great food and drink! We're committed to safety both on and off the water, and our club holds insurance through Paddlesports Risk Management. We offer an inexpensive annual Skills Clinic to members, as well as numerous free clinics on skills, rescue, and safety throughout the year. We welcome as members all individuals interested in kayaking. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive paddling club and to sharing our enthusiasm, skills, and knowledge to increase equity and access to our sport.
BASK trips range from local to international, and are all member-initiated with shared responsibilities for safety. BASK does not supply boats or equipment, although some members are willing to share their equipment. You have to be a member or a guest of a member to participate in on-the-water BASK events and a signed activity waiver is required. Follow the links to learn more about the benefits of membership and to join BASK.
We invite you to attend one of our monthly meetings, either online or in person. They are free and open to the public; in-person meetings include food (suggested donation $8-10). The format of each meeting may vary a bit month to month, but they tend to include members sharing stories, featured speakers, club news, and information about upcoming events. It’s a great way to meet club members and learn about paddling opportunities. For more information see the Events page!
Would you like to speak at a BASK meeting or have an idea for a speaker? Contact the Speaker Seekers. Interested in what type of speakers we’ve had in the past? See a representative list of previous general meeting topics.
BASK Health Guidelines
For the safety of participants at all BASK paddles and other in-person activities, please stay home and join us another time if:
- You're experiencing symptoms of any communicable respiratory illness
- You're testing positive for COVID-19, even if you're feeling well
- In the past week, you've been exposed to someone with COVID-19 via shared air
If you develop COVID-19 symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 within a week of attending an in-person BASK activity, please let the event initiator know. This will allow the initiator to inform other participants, who can then choose to self-test or take other precautions such as obtaining pharmaceutical COVID-19 treatments if they develop symptoms.
Next BASK General Meeting: March 29 (In Person)
Time: 9:30-11:30 am
Location: Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Avenue, Albany
About: March is the month of BASK's Annual Meeting, in which we elect new officers for the next year. Join us to hear the latest club news, elect new officers, get updates on Mendo Madness 2025, eat a tasty lunch, and more! Our featured speaker Joe Weber will present on "Tule Traditions: Making, Paddling, Sailing and Racing Tule Boats."Thanks to the diligent work of the Nominating Committee, we have a fantastic slate of new Officer nominees. The nominees for incoming officers are:
- President: Brad Findlay
- Vice President: Evelyn Lee
- Secretary: Cathy Fogel
- Co-Members at Large: Theresa Brigandi and Eoin O'Donoghue
- Food Maven: Genevieve Shiffrar
- Treasurer: Sean Duffy will continue as Treasurer for his three-year term
Don't miss your chance to vote in the new 2025 officers!
We're excited to have Joe Weber speak to us about his heritage and the Tule boats. Joe is a member of the Hopper clan tribe and is half Pomo and half Lakota. He learned about Tule boat making from his uncle, and has been the Tule boat instructor for the last 11 years at Big Valley Tule boat races. A passionate advocate for native rights, he has supported environmental stewardship on several fronts, and was elected as Housing Committee Chairman for his tribe.
Photo from Joe Weber.
