Info & Staff

Have an upcoming class or trip with The Kayak Foundation? Below is all the kayaking info you need to have a safe and fun time with us.

What To Wear & Bring

Kayaking and standup paddle boarding are watersports—you will get wet! We suggest:

•  Quick-dry shorts & shirts or a swim suit. Cotton tends to be chilly if it gets wet.  A windbreaker is helpful on a breezy day.

•  A hat—secured with a clip or strap. It can get windy on the water.

•  If you wear glasses, we recommend clips or “croakie” style straps. If you wear contacts, consider whether you are comfortable wearing them if they get wet.

•  Sunscreen is helpful.

•  Phones and handheld devices: If you have a waterproof pouch for your phone or device, great. If not, we recommend that you leave it in our secure container before heading out on the water.

•  We recommend bringing a dry set of clothes to change into after your class or paddle session (Lockers & changing room nearby at Pier 2).

Weather & Conditions Info

Our programs take place rain or shine, but strong winds or lightning will cause cancellation. We reserve the right to cancel or limit classes or trips due to weather or water conditions.

Events may be cancelled for water quality caution if it has rained 1 inch or more in the previous 24 hours.

Full refunds are made if The Kayak Foundation cancels a program for any reason.

Reservations, Refunds & Cancellations

We reserve the right to cancel or limit classes or trips due to weather or water conditions. Events may be cancelled for water quality caution if it has rained 1 inch or more in the previous 24 hours. Programs may be cancelled if a minimum number of participants (typically 2 or more) are not registered at least 48 hours in advance. The Kayak Foundation will make a full refund if it cancels a program for any reason.

If you cancel a reservation more than a week before a class, trip or session, The Kayak Foundation will refund 100% of the fee. If you cancel less than a week but more than 24 hours in advance of a class, trip or session, The Kayak Foundation will refund 50% of the fee. There is no refund if you cancel a reservation within 24 hours of a class, trip or session. Private or special classes, trips may have different cancellation provisions.

Equipment Info

We provide your kayak or standup paddleboard, paddle, and life vest—everything you need for a safe and fun experience.

Safety Info

All paddlers are required to wear a life vest when on the water — no exceptions—and will need to follow the directions of our Instructor and staff.

Paddlers must be able to hear and understand instructions and communicate with the program instructor and staff, enter, exit and sit in a kayak without assistance, hold and move a kayak paddle, hold their breath under water and keep their head above water while wearing a life vest.

Waiver

All paddlers must sign a waiver before they can go out in a kayak or on an stand-up paddleboard.

View Waiver

  Staff

Tom Potter, Co-Founder

Tom fell in love with kayaking in 1989 and has been paddling ever since. He co-founded The Kayak Foundation to support and grow the kayaking community in and around Brooklyn.
He has helped hundreds of students achieve their paddling goals: having fun, keeping safe, learning skills, and winning American Canoe Association and British Canoe Union certification. He is an ACA-certified Level 4 Coastal Kayaking instructor; was co-founder and first Chairperson of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse; is a former ACA whitewater instructor; and is a former co-tournament director of the US National Kayak Polo championships.

Matt Frey, Executive Director

Matt has been paddling one way or another since he was a kid. He has been sea kayaking for a couple decades. Nothing makes him happier than seeing people of all ages get out on the water. He has paddled all around the NYC metropolitan area as well as the coasts of British Columbia, Maine, Baja, among others. He is an ACA-certified Level 4 open water coastal kayaking instructor, as well as a Level 2 SUP instructor.  Matt is a fan of dinghy sailing too.

Terry Ellison, Director

Terry Ellison is an ACA-certified Level 2 Kayaking and SUP Instructor, as well as a Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse volunteer and Trip Leader. He loves getting people out on the water for the beauty, thrills and community of paddling.

Karen Ostrowski, Director

Having lived in rural and urban areas, Karen appreciates the escape that being on the water in a metro area can bring. She enjoys sharing that novel experience with her students. Karen is an ACA level 2 Kayaking and SUP instructor.

  Guides

Address & Directions

We are located at One15 Brooklyn Marina, 159 Bridge Park Dr, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Whether you enter from Pier 6 located near Atlantic Avenue or Old Fulton Street, follow the path to the One15 Brooklyn Marina between piers 3 and 5. You’ll know it when you arrive: you’ll see the moored sailboats.

Classes and programs typically meet at our home base at the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse. Your guide or instructor will provide information upon registration.

Nearby Transportation

There is indoor public parking at the One Brooklyn Bridge Park residential tower. Free parking in the neighborhood near the park is extremely limited and cannot be counted on, but you could try. We highly recommend taking public transportation, biking or walking to the park. BBP is accessible by subway (A/C to High Street, F to York Street or 2/3 to Clark Street train station) bus (nearest buses are the B25, B61, B63, B67) or arrive by East River Ferry or NY Water Taxi.

Biking

If biking is your preferred means of transportation then the Brooklyn Bridge Park is the perfect place for you. Whether you enter from the North or South Entrance of the park, there’s a bike path that will lead you to Pier 4.

Make your Kayak or SUP program reservation today. Interested in a private
trip or program? Contact us at info@kayakfoundation.org