Artist Boat

Public Kayak Adventure Tours

Artist Boat is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to promote awareness and preservation of coastal margins and the marine environment through the disciplines of the sciences and the arts. In accordance with our mission, Artist Boat strives to provide all our programming at minimum cost to our participants, whether that be through grants for our school programs or low fees for our public and private programs.

Our goal of providing safe, low-cost programming is reflected in our Public Kayak Adventure Program by our commitment to providing a high-quality, turn-key experience for our participants at an affordable rate. All our tours are guided, interpretive tours via kayak to places on Galveston Bay carefully chosen for their natural significance. All our lead guides are ACA certified kayak instructors and all are professionals with degrees in science or art. Most of our participants are beginners so every tour includes all kayak equipment and begins with kayak instruction on land. Four-hour trips may include a watercolor demonstration providing the chance to create a personalized souvenier and express your artistic side during a relaxing break.

IMPORTANT: Read Registration Requirements & Policies Below!

IMPORTANT: An informative itinerary and medical waiver will be emailed to all registrants and is required reading before trip.

Register Now for a Public Kayak Adventure!

$50 per person for 4-hour kayak adventures

$25 per person for 2-hour kayak adventures

Instruction and all gear is included.

Destination Descriptions

Map of Public Kayak Destinations

Learn about our discounted kayak adventures at the new Coastal Heritage Preserve!

Registration Requirements

  • You are responsible for reading and following the Age, Arrival, Reschedule and Cancelation policies.
  • Registration closes 5 hours prior to the trip.
  • Payment is required at time of booking. We take Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
  • Name, age and weight is required for all registrants.
  • Address and cell phone is required for the main contact person from your party.
  • Due to the unpredictability of pregnancy and the potential strenuousness and remoteness of our destinations, pregnant women may not participate in our kayak adventures.

Age Policy

  • Children must be at least 7 years of age to participate in 4-hour trips.
  • Children 5-6 years of age may participate in 2-hour trips to the East End Lagoon.
  • If children are under 50 pounds, you must provide a Coast Guard Certified Personal Flotation Device.
  • For younger children, we strongly recommend the 2-hour trips to the East End Lagoon.
  • Adults with younger children should expect to do all of the paddling.
  • An adult from the same party is required in the kayak with each child under 13 years of age.
  • Children 16 years or older may attend without an adult present as long as a parent or guardian signs the waiver and medical release.

Arrival Policy

  • Check-in begins 15 minutes prior to the time of the trip.
  • Instruction begins at the time indicated on your itinerary.
  • Instruction is required to participate in the kayak adventure.
  • If you arrive late and miss the instruction session, you will not be allowed to participate in the kayak adventure. This is considered a late cancellation and no refund or reschedule is permitted.

Reschedule Policy

There is a $7.50 processing fee for reschedules. Reschedules must be done at least 24 hours in advance of check-in time.

Cancelation Policy

If You Cancel

Early Cancellation - Call our office at least 24 hours in advance of the trip check-in time. This allows time for somebody else to register for the seats you canceled. You may choose to reschedule or get a refund. In either case, there is a Processing Fee of $7.50.

Late Cancellation - If you cancel within the last 24 hours prior to the trip, then you will forfeit the refund and there is no rain check. In consideration of our other customers, we do not wait for you if you are late. Plan ahead and allow time for traffic delays. Arriving late is a Late Cancelation.

If We Cancel

We kayak rain or shine. It is a rare occurrence to cancel, but we will not kayak in unsafe conditions, so if there is lightening or extremely high winds at the site, we will cancel a trip. Trips will be canceled at the kayak site ONLY at the time of check-in. This is because weather may be inclement at one site but not another. In this case, rain checks are issued and are valid forever.

American Canoe Association Resources

What Paddlers Need to Know About Safety

Paddling Practices, Ethics, & Conduct

Register Now for a Public Kayak Adventure!

Artist Boat is not responsible for items lost or damaged during the trips.