I recently returned from a paddle race in Maui called Olukai Ho’olaeu’a. It’s a downwind race that takes place on the north shore of Maui. About 500 paddlers participated in the weekend of races, impressive considering many had to make the trek to Hawaii. At the end of April, The Carolina Cup Paddle Race hosted 700 paddlers for a weekend of racing and clinics. Our sport of standup paddle is growing leaps and bounds by the month and shows no sign of slowing down. It's great to see a young sport takes root and blossom across our country and around the world.
Closer to home here in Marin, I have noticed a more and more folks with boards on their cars scouting out a place to get on the water. One major change I made this season to making paddling sessions a bit easier, was to store my board at a location right on or near the water. My location of choice is Blue Water Yacht Harbor in Sausalito. I keep my board in a rack right on a floating dock with direct access to Richardson Bay. While this may seem like a luxury, it streamlines my time to get on and off the water keeping my board in a safe, secure place. Plus with 24/7 access, great parking and a hose with fresh water, paddling just got a little easier. And how much does storage cost at Blue Water Yacht Harbor? $75.00 per month for a standup paddleboard and $95.00 per month for a kayak. While this may seem expensive, I have found that unless you carry your board or kayak with you all of the time, having your paddle craft at the waters edge increases your time on the water.
Also in Sausalito, SeaTrek has moved to a new location that provides storage right near the water. SeaTrek is now based at the Bay Model and pricing for storage starts at $50.00 per month for either standup paddleboard or kayak.
Don’t live in or near Sausalito and need board or kayak storage? Check the storage offerings at 101 Surf Sports in San Rafael on the San Rafael Creek/Canal. There are a lot of storage options available for all type of paddle craft. Storage plans start at $40.00 per month for a standup paddle board to $125.00 per month for indoor kayak/canoe storage with a valet service.
See you on the water and keep paddling.
