California Canoe & Kayak

Due to the excellent service and follow up by JT I wanted to change my review to reflect this experience. They have held a company wide meeting on not getting to close to the live aboard boats and I have not had a problem with them since, I really appreciate all of JT’s efforts!

Drove down from SF for a day trip in HMB. We found this spot (a couple of kayak storing shipping containers and an office) just opening up for the day and snagged a single kayak and a double kayak for me and my parents. The staff set up the kayak seats while we filled out paper work. After storing our bags in the office cubby and getting suited up, staff gave us a quick lesson on proper paddling technique and told us where we could go and what to avoid. Suuuuuper helpful. He even pulled us out into the water so we didn’t have to get our feet wet and sandy.
Cons: harbor isn’t huge. Not a lot to see besides house boats, SUP paddlers and other kayakers, and some wildlife.
Overall really great service. Single kayak $ 24/​hr. Double kayak $ 40/​hr. Relaxed return policy allows you to go over your hour a little bit without penalty. Will be back!

Kayak Classes
I have taken several classes with CCK, L1 through L5 and I can assure you that «go paddle up to the boats in the harbor» is NOT part of the curriculum. In fact, all the instructors are incredibly competent, safety conscious, and professional, and they specifically advise their students to respect the locals’ privacy. I do know that, at any given time, there are scores of kayakers out on the harbor, some are CCK classes, some are CCK renters, some are HMB Kayak renters, some are Bay Area Sea Kayak groups and some are private individuals. I also know that cell phone reception is spotty out on the water, which would explain the confusion that arose when that previous reviewer tried to call.
Kayak Rentals
CCK has beginner-​friendly stand-​up paddle boards, a few recreational single and double sit-​on-​top kayaks as well as some sit-​in sea kayaks for the more experienced. Since they are new to this location, there is usually no wait to rent and the staff is friendly. They give a short, but very helpful orientation on how to safely paddle the kayaks or SUPs before they send you on your way. If there is no wait list, they are pretty chill about the charge if you go over your hour.