Fun Afloat: Where to Try Stand-Up Paddleboarding, Kayaking and Sailing With Kids
Where to try kayaking around Seattle and beyond
Why do it: Chris Vowels, kayak guide and owner of Columbia Kayak Adventures, says that kayaking is a water sport that can accommodate all abilities and ages. “I had a 78-year-old grandfather out the other day with his grandson.”
Recommended age: Vowels says ages 8 or 9, “when a kid has the focus and physical stamina,” is an ideal age to get kids kayaking. Kids should be fairly strong swimmers. However, you can take smaller kids (as young as 3 or 4) out in a double kayak on calm water.
Where to try it: Take a spin on Lake Union, followed by Mexican food, at Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Club on Portage Bay (kids under 18 need to share a double kayak with a grown-up). You can also try it at Greenlake Boathouse or Foss Bay Marina in Tacoma. Cascade Canoe and Kayak rents boats at Enatai Beach Park in Bellevue, offering kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards.
Fun day trip: Outdoor Adventures Center offers a 90-minute tour of the Sammamish River that launches near Redhook Brewery, ideal for beginners and families with kids ages 6 and older. Moss Bay offers options for groups of kids including a Kids Piggyback Tour which includes a lesson and a tour around Lake Union with a minimum group of ten kids. Combine kayaking with environmental insight when you tour the Duwamish River with Alki Kayak Tours. In the Richland area, Columbia Kayak Adventures offers kayak tours of inland lakes and rivers.
