A San Francisco Bay paddle for beginners
Last week was beautiful for a hot minute here in San Francisco (now I'm living in fog again), so I took advantage and took off for a paddle at Crane Cove. If the name makes you wonder, take a look at the picture above and you should be able to get it. Yup: This boat launch and beach area in the Dogpatch neighborhood is named not for birds, but for machines. The cranes are vestiges of shipbuilding and shipping long past, but they still tower over the park today.
While Crane Cove is my ideal SUP location right now for a variety of reasons (mostly that I know it best), I won't say it's some kind of serene paddle. As the location might indicate, it's in close proximity to construction and traffic, so the music of lapping waves is just as likely to be punctuated with the sounds of a pile driver as it is with bird song. But that doesn't mean there's no nature. You're almost guaranteed to surprise a great blue heron somewhere along your turn on the water. There's also a resident seal known to attempt to climb onto boards to say hi.
The paddle is pretty simple: You launch off the beach and follow the shore north, passing boats, a boat works, waterside restaurants, and a fishing pier as you head in the direction of a larger pier, which you paddle out to the end of and around. Then you head toward shore again, under another pier, and loop back around the largest pier, returning on the bay side of the rotting pilings that dot the water. Because this area can be hazardous, I was taught to paddle out on the shore side and return on the bay side, rather than paddle through. A nearby rental shop, Dogpatch Paddle, has labeled this "ruin" Pompeii, and they provide a map for paddling Crane Cove that's better than anything I could write up.
Experienced paddlers can go around the big military ship and head for McCovey Cove to scoop up HRs next to Oracle Park if there is a Giants game on (I prefer a short cut, which I'll write up soon), but it can be a heck of a haul back, so bring company and check wind / tides.
What I like about Crane Cove:
- It feels safe to tackle it alone: You're never far from shore.
- The weather is usually sunny. The winds are often super calm, which means water like glass (scroll down for the Dogpatch Paddle live cam to check conditions).
- It's an easy out and back, so you can do it in ~40 minutes depending on conditions.
There is nothing like chilling on your board watching the expanse of the San Francisco Bay roll out south of you, with the sun on the water and huge container ships in the distance. Every time I do this paddle, I feel a sense of place and an appreciation for what we have (and what we have to lose). I used to live in this neighborhood, and my great aunt actually built ships out here in the 1940s, so it may be those nostalgic ties that does it for me, I don't know. But it's a great way to spend a morning. Not to mention there is really good coffee nearby and a great brunch spot, too (see my recommendations below).
The area is set to develop even more once the fitness center opens at the cove, so go now before even more people find out about it.
Paddling toward the area affectionately known as Pompeii. Especially at low tide, this area can be hazardous.
One of the coolest things about this paddle is that you pass a graveyard of float sculptures from the Chinese New Year Parade. This glittering blue tiger just popped up recently.
There is an under the bridge portion to this paddle if you like that sort of thing. I do.
What to know
Launch fee: FREE
Bathrooms: portable toilets at Crane Cove Park
Parking: $1 an hour a few blocks away on TBD
Cove map:
Boat rentals: Dogpatch Paddle
Dining: Farley's (coffee and light breakfast), Mission Rock (weekend brunch)
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