Kayaking around Treasure Island SF
Paddling around Treasure Island from the Oakland Inner harbor is and intermediate to advanced paddle. The currents can create standing waves in various locations around the island, and there is enough fetch that even mild winds can create good sized waves. Your kayak should be seaworthy, and you should be experienced and skilled before venturing out of the Oakland Inner Harbor. We selected a calm morning for this paddle – We also timed it so we would be leaving the Oakland Inner Harbor with the ebb, and returning with the flood tide. In spite of what I said about this being a challenging paddle, the day we went was one of the most placid times I’ve ever been in a kayak. We started from Jack London Square. There is good parking there, and it’s easy to get to from Oakland. To get to the put-in, Take the Broadway exit from 880 in Oakland. Go South West on Broadway (Towards the bay) for 3 blocks, and turn Left on Embarcadero. Head down Embarcadero in a South East Direction for about 6 blocks, and then turn right-ish on a road called “East.” In a few hundred feet, you will see Estuary Park on your Right. There is a large parking lot here where you can leave your car. There are bathrooms with running water, but not much else.
The Oakland inner harbor is a relatively safe place to paddle if you hug the outskirts and stay away from larger traffic. The scenery isn’t as natural as the island.
There is a public dock on treasure island that you can land on for a break.
From your kayak, you can gain a unique perspective of Treasure Island that you cannot see from your car. Fog can make the trip a little dangerous with boat traffic, but it has the advantage of indicating calm water. Of course, even if the winds are down, you still need to be careful of strong currents.
