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Welcome to BASK

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.

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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.

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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: Saturday, March 23, (In Person)

    • Time: 9-11 am
      Location: Recreation Hall of the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Avenue, Albany
      About: Join us for an in-person meeting to hear the latest club news, vote in our 2024 BASK Officers, and enjoy a talk by our featured speaker, Josie Iselin, author, naturalist, and artist. Josie's topic is "Art and Algae: An Artist's Journey into the Science of Seaweed."

      Our nominated BASK officers are as follows:

      • President—Brian Alger
      • Vice President—Paul Randall
      • Treasurer—Sean Duffy
      • Secretary—David Longerbeam
      • Member at Large—Harriet Fryman
      • Food Maven—Elena Gogoleva

      The term for newly elected officers begins on April 1.

      Our guest speaker Josie Iselin is a local award-winning author, photographer, and designer of several books including Seashells, Beach Stones, and most recently, The Curious World of Seaweed. She is also co-director of a collaborative known as Above/Below, which seeks to elevate the level of recognition of our undersea kelp forests to the same level that is afforded the forests on land.



      Photo: Anne Hamersky



      After the meeting, we'll have refreshments on the patio of the community center, and if we're lucky, a paddle afterward! Please sign up if you plan to attend the meeting so we can get an accurate food count.

      Got ideas for meetings or locations? Contact Cris Lewis, BASK President