Ballard Kayak & Paddleboard Tours — Attraction in Seattle

June 2023 Me and my sister came here for the Ballard Locks kayaking tour (where you kayak through the locks) and it was amazing! We got lucky for when we came for the tour: it was low tide, the weather was bright and clear, there was plenty of water in Lake Washington from the spring runoff, and the locks weren't busy. We were also the only people there, so we got more of a personalized experience.

I highly recommend coming during low tide, as you get to see more things (like star fishes and mollusks). If you're coming in the summer and the season has been dry lately, you might not be able to go through the locks. The water to operate the locks comes from Lake Washington, and they like to make sure the lake level stays at 22ft. If there's not enough water, they will switch to a timed operation rather than just when there are boats wanting to come through. When we emailed the tour company asking for the best time to come for the tour, they told us if before July, come on the weekend for less busy locks; after July, come on the weekdays. They usually only have 1 or 2 tour groups that don't go through the locks each season. They also recommend the morning tour for calmer waters. Lastly, I recommend wearing gloves or putting sunscreen on your hands. I was wearing gloves, but my sister wasn't and ended up with sunburns on the back of her hands. Also highly recommend a hat with a brim and sunglasses.

Before we started, our guide Lindsay gave us some tips and tricks on paddling efficiently. We were in sea kayaks, which are longer than normal kayaks and have a rudder at the back to help with steering. The rudder is controlled by the person in the back with foot pedals.

We set out from Shishole Marina out into the Sound. Paddling through the marina, we could see some sea lions lounging and sleeping on the docks. We saw quite a few tiny jellyfish in water. We also saw a couple seals swimming around and poking their heads out of the water! Very exciting. Sadly did not see any seals on the way back. Turns out they are most active in the early morning and around sunset (since this is also when the fish they eat are most active). The sea lions were most definitely still there when we came back.

As we entered the Sound, the waves and wind picked up. Lindsay was a great guide and pointed out interesting sights and landmarks as well as the history behind them. It helped that the day was clear and we got to see a lot. He answered all the questions we had and offered fun facts about the Ballard locks, the Ballard community, the Sound, Lake Washington, and even Olympia National Park.

Reaching the locks, the operators directed us where to hold on on the side of the chamber. There are these floating walls for boats to tie onto (and kayakers to hold onto); they don't want people and boats moving around while the chamber is filling or emptying of water since they might damage the locks or each other. Going toward the lake, we had the locks to ourselves, and going back to the Sound, we shared the locks with 3 other boats. I can definitively say I preferred it when we had the locks to ourselves: less noisy and smelly.

Sitting in the locks, the water level changed very smoothly, and we didn't notice we were moving until our tour guide pointed it out. Going toward the lake, we shared the chamber with a lot of tiny jellyfish. Lindsay and the lock operators were obviously very familiar with each other, and we learned a lot about how the locks operated. We also learned that, during the autumn salmon migration, salmon fill the locks to bursting! Definitely something to look forward to!

We spent about 15 mins on the lake side. We saw the Alaskan boats that dock in the freshwater lake during the off-season. There was also a shipwreck, which was strange to see in a freshwater lake. The shipwreck was the home of a seahawk, or osprey.

All in all, the tour was a lot of fun, and Lindsay was a top-notch guide. I highly recommend this place and we would definitely come again for their...

I took an eleven-year-old with me on the Ballard Locks tour today. This is her comment, "We had a great time splashing our guide with water. It was fantastic." It was her first time kayaking and our guide did a wonderful job explaining all of the safety procedures and rowing technique before we got on the water (he made sure she was listening and understood), so that we both knew exactly what to expect. While on the tour, he gave her a lot of individualized help. He told us many interesting facts about the wildlife in the area, as well as the construction of the locks. We even got to have a snack by a large group of blue herons, gulls, ducks, and geese once we got to Lake Union. It was a ton of fun, there was no rush, and we left smiling and a lot more knowledgable than when we started!

I have also brought friends to Ballard Kayak to rent paddleboards and kayaks. It's a beautiful location right next to Golden Gardens, looking west at the Olympics. It is especially nice at sunset/in the evening, and since you start out in a marina behind the breakwater, you have a lot of time to get comfortable standing up while the water is still glassy. These boards and kayaks are all really easy for beginners to use--they are really easy to stand up on and the kayaks seem almost impossible to flip. I will be adding Ballard Kayak to my usual itinerary for when out-of-town friends and family...

A few weeks ago my friend rented a kayak from Ballard Kayak & I just used my personal paddleboard. It was windy & they asked upon arrival if we still wanted to go. We did but my friend’s kayak overturned when he was taking a photo and a boat’s wake hit his kayak at the wrong angle (he admitted it was his fault bc of being distracted). I was able to flip his kayak over and help him back on, but we lost the paddle. We ended up needing to call them to report we would be late, but they sent a dingy for us. My friend went and I tried to paddleboard back but the wind was taking me away from shore and though I was making progress, I wouldn’t have hit shore probably until after Golden Gardens’ beach ended. The owner came and asked if I wanted a ride back and graciously did that feed of charge. We offered to pay for the paddle and did, but the owner was super kind, gave us wholesale price & offered some education on the ride back about wind patterns and safety necessities, which I admit I was either ignorant or too casual about. This was a good lesson to understand the dangers of wind patterns and I’m so grateful they helped us and educated us. Super grateful and will definitely come back in calmer waters and being a...