How to Kayak Into McCovey Cove for a Giants Game

For a truly unique Northern California experience, kayak into McCovey Cove for a San Francisco Giants game. No matter the time of year, fans of the game owning some sort of sea-faring vessel splash into the inlet to enjoy the roar of the AT&T Park crowd and the energy of the game from the chilly waters of the San Francisco Bay.

Owners of a kayak, canoe or any kind of flotation device can paddle into McCovey Cove free of charge during games. If you don’t own a kayak or canoe, City Kayak provides the equipment needed to make this unmatched experience happen. The company offers a McCovey Cove Experience package, including a kayaking lesson, kayak rental, a life jacket and a paddle. Customers can also request a dry bag, paddling jacket and splash pants.

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Located at South Beach Harbor, City Kayak is set just next to AT&T Park, only a 10-minute paddle to McCovey Cove. Check-in starts 30 minutes before each game, with the last launch at 3 p.m. Customers have access to the equipment until 5 p.m., or the end of the game. The company is also open for select evening games starting after 6 p.m.

For game day, be sure to bring a waterproof AM radio to listen to the game, a hat and layers of clothing, as the weather in the Bay Area can change every hour. And be on the lookout for splash hits, defined as Giants home runs landing in the cove, and McCovey Cove Dave, a retired Hewlett-Packard executive who patrols the waters in a kayak at nearly every Giants home game and has caught a record 12 splash hits.