Kayak Mendocino
Kayak Mendocino
4.5
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
93 reviews
Excellent
65
Very good
14
Average
7
Poor
4
Terrible
3
Claire S
Vallejo, CA64 contributions
Sep 2020 • Solo
The on shore communication with this organization was disappointing. Their strength lies in their off shore (on the water) navigation and communication, where I totally trusted their skills and assessments of potentially rough water, currents, more challenging caves like the “Rumbler” which was a little rough to paddle through on the day I went.
Here’s what they might not clarify on shore (before you go):
1) If you must bring a phone/camera, put it in a ziplock bag and zip it into your jacket or pants pocket in the rare and unlikely event you tip over or take on water.
2) Wearing waterproof Keen’s, sandals or water shoes is a must.
3) Pay when you arrive at the beach (opposite Van Damme Park). Look for the battered looking Kayak Mendocino van. They prefer cash but card is OK.
4) Feel free to bring your own water bottle. Unlikely you’ll want snacks since you’ll be busy paddling and it’s only 1.5 hours.
5) The paddling is not rigorous and they’ll give you basic instructions if you are inexperienced.
6) Wearing a light waterproof shell is helpful but not necessary. You won’t get very wet on top.
7) You will get wet on the bottom - wear pants or shorts that you don’t mind getting wet. Best to wear shorts if weather is not too cold. Or you can roll up your pant legs if you really want to wear long pants. Don’t wear jeans - they get heavy when wet and take longer to dry out.
Have a great paddle!
Now that I know what to expect I would definitely paddle with these folks again next time I’m in Mendocino. Being on the water, taking in the horizon, the caves and birdlife is a joy in turbulent times.
Here’s what they might not clarify on shore (before you go):
1) If you must bring a phone/camera, put it in a ziplock bag and zip it into your jacket or pants pocket in the rare and unlikely event you tip over or take on water.
2) Wearing waterproof Keen’s, sandals or water shoes is a must.
3) Pay when you arrive at the beach (opposite Van Damme Park). Look for the battered looking Kayak Mendocino van. They prefer cash but card is OK.
4) Feel free to bring your own water bottle. Unlikely you’ll want snacks since you’ll be busy paddling and it’s only 1.5 hours.
5) The paddling is not rigorous and they’ll give you basic instructions if you are inexperienced.
6) Wearing a light waterproof shell is helpful but not necessary. You won’t get very wet on top.
7) You will get wet on the bottom - wear pants or shorts that you don’t mind getting wet. Best to wear shorts if weather is not too cold. Or you can roll up your pant legs if you really want to wear long pants. Don’t wear jeans - they get heavy when wet and take longer to dry out.
Have a great paddle!
Now that I know what to expect I would definitely paddle with these folks again next time I’m in Mendocino. Being on the water, taking in the horizon, the caves and birdlife is a joy in turbulent times.
Written September 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ShanC.Ray
Wolf Creek, OR1 contribution
Aug 2020
Craig and Stuart were top notch. Everything is surrounded by safety. We had a tandem kayak and 12 twelve other kayaks on the ocean. we went through 2 different caves several times and had to come back to the narrower one when it wasn't safe to pass through the first time. We had a family in our group that had teens. But no small children.
Written August 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
smctac
Mendocino, CA11 contributions
Aug 2022
I have lived in Mendocino for almost 35 years and have never had such a FABULOUS experience as the one with Kayak Mendocino.
It was such a positive experience.
We were with our family…from age 9 to 74 and everyone had the same opinion… it was just amazing. None of us were experienced kayakers before this big adventure.
It was just so much fun…I cannot say enough about the quality of Kayak Mendocino. It was an exhilarating experience all around…every aspect. Most important….we all felt totally safe out on the water. The equipment was great…the guides were superb.
Mark and Cole were just terrific! They were fun and engaging and so informative.
I was also aware that our safety was the top priority which felt good.
It was all just a grand adventure. Thank you so much…we will definitely return.
It was such a positive experience.
We were with our family…from age 9 to 74 and everyone had the same opinion… it was just amazing. None of us were experienced kayakers before this big adventure.
It was just so much fun…I cannot say enough about the quality of Kayak Mendocino. It was an exhilarating experience all around…every aspect. Most important….we all felt totally safe out on the water. The equipment was great…the guides were superb.
Mark and Cole were just terrific! They were fun and engaging and so informative.
I was also aware that our safety was the top priority which felt good.
It was all just a grand adventure. Thank you so much…we will definitely return.
Written August 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kindy A
Mission Viejo, CA8 contributions
Jul 2021
Terrible communication or NO communication. We had 6 people who wanted to sea cave kayak, called - no one answers the phone and the voicemail is full always! We texted and no one returned the text. Found another company to take us out! I guess they didn't want to work that week.
Written July 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sccrref
Tucson,Az1,706 contributions
Jul 2021
Very enjoyable despite a large group. Probably 25, most 2 person, maybe 5-6 singles. Varied experience. My wife and have done a fair amount of sea kayaking but my sister in law had never been on a kayak. We all enjoyed ourselves. Didnt feel cheated on time despite the large group. Quickly took off. It should be noted they get you in and out of the water. Pretty much hug the shore and go through 3-4 caves and 1-2 narrow passages. Water cold but didnt need wet suits. Vest keeps you warm. You get a little wet on the bottom. Basic instruction before hand and guides do good job leading you.
Written July 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bettykid
Philadelphia, PA124 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Amazing time with awesome guides! We had a big group. Our guides kept everyone safe, together and moving. They provided us info about the sea life, ocean and caves. Great experience to kayak in and through sea caves!
Written September 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Caryn D
Orlando, FL11 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
On my 50th birthday my son and I thought it would be great to try something new and take this kayak trip. The area is very interesting to see, fog or shine. However, this most definitely not the company to go with if you are new to kayaking (though they wont tell you that in advance as all are welcome). The main guide, who I understood to be the owner, screamed at me when I misunderstood the secondary guide's instructions on how to paddle into one of the caves. He also screamed at my son. This ruined the experience for me. No one being paid that much money has the right to scream at his patrons for any reason, especially when they are doing their very best to accomplish the task at hand.
Written July 24, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tyler N
McCook, NE2 contributions
I took my family and young children on a trip with this company. I love to kayak and wanted to see some of the coast from the sea. The area was absolutely beautiful. The guide and owner was short and snippy with the clients. There was a family of guessing Japanese on the trip. When the parents did not understand the commands by the owner, he blew his top. It pretty much ruined the trip for the group. The guy lost his cool. The website for his business says absolutely no experience needed. It was a disappointment. My wife agreed.
Written July 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John W
Homer, AK5 contributions
Oct 2014 • Friends
I wanted to arrange a sea kayak tour as part of the bachelor party festivities for my brother's wedding. I initially called in July to make a reservation for an October trip. Each time I called, I was given a vague response about the weather and sea state being unknown variables and the owner (Greg) was non-committal. He always seemed scatter-brained when I called and apparently never bothered to record that a group wanted to go out on the day we did. He kept putting me off and had me call a month ahead, then two weeks ahead, then a week ahead, then two days ahead, and only finally committed to meet our group on the morning of the trip. In that last call, he said that he wanted to make sure that we were serious about it and would actually show up. I'd been calling him for months. That should have been a pretty good indication that we really wanted to take the trip. We assembled at the assigned time and place and it was Greg who didn't show up. He told me when I called that his bus had broken down. I completely understand that weather changes and that unforeseen mechanical difficulties can happen to anyone but from the get go this guy just didn't seem at all professional. He had plenty of advanced warning that a group of guys wanted to hire him and should have made sure ahead of time that all of his equipment was in working order. When describing our experience with a few locals, their response was along the lines of, "Yeah that sounds typical for him." We ended up going a few miles up the road to Catch a Canoe and Bicycles Too at the Stanford Inn where we were treated well and had a great paddle up the Big River. It was also less than half the price of Kayak Mendocino. He might offer a great tour but be aware that dealing with Greg might prove frustrating.
Written October 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John E
3 contributions
Sep 2016 • Friends
Craig was a NIGHTMARE and ruined our kayaking experience. Among the many subpar aspects of his customer service, here were the most disappointing:
- Early on, he was sarcastic and dismissive of people that did not "walk over to his demonstration area" as they were already standing near their kayaks by the shorebreak.
- It was very impersonal with 18-20 people for only him as a guide! Many people couldn't even get close enough to hear what he was saying much of the time.
- He took us in circles on a redundant route, going through the same caves multiple times.
- He was incredibly rude to a handful of people. He was yelling "WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAN?! PADDLE ON THE RIGHT! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" to a guy that wasn't paddle correctly in a cave.
- Two people fell out of their kayak, one of whom could not swim. They were freezing and uncomfortable and he was unbelievably rude to the entire group, yelling at people who were trying to help those who had fallen out. Moreover, he learned that one guy that fell out couldn't swim. While the poor guy was still stuck in the water freezing and hanging on to another kayak, he disrespectfully said "you can't swim? thanks for telling me now".
- After this incident, several people from the unnecessarily large group were commenting amongst themselves how rude, uncomfortable and disrespectful his "leadership style" was, if you can call it that.
- I STRONGLY RECOMMEND NOT GOING ON THIS TOUR. It was our friend's 30th birthday and she felt uncomfortable throughout.
- Early on, he was sarcastic and dismissive of people that did not "walk over to his demonstration area" as they were already standing near their kayaks by the shorebreak.
- It was very impersonal with 18-20 people for only him as a guide! Many people couldn't even get close enough to hear what he was saying much of the time.
- He took us in circles on a redundant route, going through the same caves multiple times.
- He was incredibly rude to a handful of people. He was yelling "WHAT ARE YOU DOING MAN?! PADDLE ON THE RIGHT! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" to a guy that wasn't paddle correctly in a cave.
- Two people fell out of their kayak, one of whom could not swim. They were freezing and uncomfortable and he was unbelievably rude to the entire group, yelling at people who were trying to help those who had fallen out. Moreover, he learned that one guy that fell out couldn't swim. While the poor guy was still stuck in the water freezing and hanging on to another kayak, he disrespectfully said "you can't swim? thanks for telling me now".
- After this incident, several people from the unnecessarily large group were commenting amongst themselves how rude, uncomfortable and disrespectful his "leadership style" was, if you can call it that.
- I STRONGLY RECOMMEND NOT GOING ON THIS TOUR. It was our friend's 30th birthday and she felt uncomfortable throughout.
Written September 17, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
laufenfrau
Earth17 contributions
Hey there! :=)))
Would like to know about your stand up boards. How wide and long? Soft shell or hard shell?
We plan to visit you guys in March this year. So, I have long john style (sleeveless) wet suit, as well as shorty, and skins with booties. Will this set up (allowing for enough protection and still allow me to move around sufficiently on a paddle board. We plan to go out with you in March weather. How many miles are we traveling with the cave tour? thank you.
Laurel B
Anderson, CA
Hi I will be meeting a friend next weekend we would like to go kayaking into the sea caves I don't know which company to book with? We are staying at Little River Inn. We both kayak do we need a guide?
Kayak Mendocino - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Kayak Mendocino Information
Excellent Reviews | 65 |
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Very Good Reviews | 14 |
Kayak Mendocino Photos | 51 |