San Francisco Bay is one of the world’s most impressive natural estuaries and an incredible playground for boating. Dolphin Club members explore the Bay in our fleet traditional wooden boats, open-water shells, kayaks, and stand-up paddle-boards. Our boating community includes olympic rowers, ocean adventurers, and many who never touched an oar before joining the club.
Young or old, competitive or mellow, there’s a boating style for everyone.
Once trained, members may row on the Bay within the limits of our boating safety rules. Nearby destinations include the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, Angel Island, and the San Francisco city shoreline.
Members organize rowing outings on our coastal quad James Storm and our historic six-seat barge Wieland (built in 1887). We also row and compete with our neighbors at the South End Rowing Club.
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Looking after our swimmers is at the heart of Dolphin Club boating. Rowers, kayakers, paddlers, and motorized craft keep an eye on our frequent club swims.
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Sometimes you just want to grab a stand-up paddleboard (SUP), kayak, or prone board and enjoy being in Aquatic Park. Some of our members do paddleboard yoga, others keep an eye on their friends who swim.
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For our members who prefer flat water, the Dolphin Club has a satellite boathouse at Lake Merced with a half-dozen flat water rowing shells and storage for personal shells.
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The club has 15 traditional lapstrake wooden rowing boats. Many were built at the club, and some are over 100 years old! They need love, care, and maintenance to keep them going. Tuesday Boat Shop is open to members and non-members alike.
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Our swimmers depend on motorized support for navigation and protection from other boats. We have four motorized boats used for swim piloting.
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Members occasionally get together to explore the further reaches of San Francisco Bay by kayak and row boat. A group of members maintain an annual tradition of rowing to Sacramento.
Surfskis are lightweight, sit-on-top kayaks well suited for exercise and paddling on rougher waters like San Francisco Bay. The club has several surfskis and some members enjoy them as an alternative on windy days.
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Four seat coastal rowing races on San Francisco Bay were once a big deal. Teams from around the Bay Area would compete in a series of regattas at local clubs. Sometimes they’d be huge events that could draw crowds of thousands. In 2024 we’ve resurrected this tradition with races between
Because of the challenging nature of San Francisco Bay, and the uniqueness of our fleet, we don’t offer rentals or classes to the general public. But club membership is open to all. Once you’re a member, you’ll have access to classes and mentoring to get you out on the water.
If you are curious about membership at the club, we’ll be happy to show you around. If you’re an experienced rower from another club visiting SF, it is sometimes possible to match you up with another member to go out in a double or team boat.
Our fleet of traditional boats needs lots of love and care.
Members and non-members are invited to join Tuesday Boat Shop every Tuesday, alternating between day and night events, where you will learn to look after the unique heritage vessels at the club.
Tuesday Boat Shop also includes a communal meal.
