This guided 2.5 hour kayak journey is outdoor corporate team building on the calm Alameda waterfront, with the San Francisco skyline across the water and the vast south bay all around. Groups paddle stable double sit-on-top kayaks from Ballena Isle on a tour reserved for your team, and nobody needs any paddling experience.
The tour is priced at $159 per guest and works for groups of 5 to 120, so it suits a small leadership team as easily as a full department in the Bay Area. Every guest is equipped with a life jacket, a paddle and a water and wind-resistant paddling jacket, and the guides give some basic instruction before the group sets out.
What's Included
- A guided 2.5 hour kayak tour reserved for your group
- Stab
This guided 2.5 hour kayak journey is outdoor corporate team building on the calm Alameda waterfront, with the San Francisco skyline across the water and the vast south bay all around. Groups paddle stable double sit-on-top kayaks from Ballena Isle on a tour reserved for your team, and nobody needs any paddling experience.
The tour is priced at $159 per guest and works for groups of 5 to 120, so it suits a small leadership team as easily as a full department in the Bay Area. Every guest is equipped with a life jacket, a paddle and a water and wind-resistant paddling jacket, and the guides give some basic instruction before the group sets out.
What's Included
- A guided 2.5 hour kayak tour reserved for your group
- Stable double sit-on-top kayaks for every pair of guests
- Life jackets and paddles for every guest
- Water and wind-resistant paddling jackets
- A safety briefing and easy instruction before launch
- Professional guides who stay with your group on the water
The Route
The island of Alameda is rich with history, and from the marina on Ballena Isle the group has paddling access to some of its landmark sights, setting out along the historic Alameda waterfront right after the basic instruction. Weather permitting, the route includes views of the USS Hornet, the WWII aircraft carrier docked on the West End, and the scenic two mile stretch of sand at Crown Memorial State Beach, with the Crab Cove Marine Sanctuary nearby. Whichever way the guides take you, there are wide views of the south bay, the coastal mountain ranges and the San Francisco skyline, along with sea birds and other local wildlife.
Why It Works for Teams
Every kayak holds two people, so partners have to talk, find a rhythm and steer together, which makes it one of the more natural team bonding activities outdoor settings can offer. The water here is calm and the pace is leisurely, so the session stays social rather than strenuous, and the guides make sure everyone stays together on the water.
Few venues handle team building for large groups as comfortably: the outfitter has hosted groups of nearly 50 at this base, and one corporate host even set up its own taco stand on the patio after paddling. That flexibility makes it a natural pick among offsite team building activities, and it is easy to pair with a meal, since the team has relationships with local restaurants and catering companies to arrange food before or after your time on the water.
For guests who would rather not paddle, fully electric cruising boats that need no boating license can be added so the whole team can join; they are separately priced.
Good to Know
- No experience is needed: the friendly staff teach the team everything it needs to know
- Expect to get a bit wet; the water-repellent jackets help keep guests dry
- Capsizing is rare and unlikely in the stable two-person kayaks
- The pace is leisurely, so it is only strenuous if your group wants it to be
- All participants wear life jackets and the guides are with you at all times
- Kids 6 and up can join, usually paired with an adult
About the Outfitter
This is California's oldest kayaking outfitter, with more than 40 years of experience leading, educating, playing and caring on the water since 1982, when the company pioneered commercial sea kayaking in California. The team runs guided tours, rentals, kayak and paddleboard classes and youth programs from two bases on the bay, and specializes in hosting corporate and private group paddles as well as custom water sport programming for conferences and large events. A bay conservation and community giving program, launched in 2017, supports local nonprofits and gets kids out on the water.
Plan Your Paddle
Guests give the outfitter a 4.8-star rating across 358 reviews at its Sausalito base and a 5.0 rating across 51 reviews here in Alameda. Share your preferred date and group size, and the team replies with a proposal; a 25% deposit secures gear, staffing and the date. At $159 per guest, it is one of the most fun outdoor team building activities on the East Bay shoreline and a standout among corporate team building outings.
