Equipment Rental

UC Berkeley students are RecWell members and are eligible to register for offerings at the student price.

1. Log into CalCentral and look for the RecWell Waiver under Notifications or Tasks.
2. Review and accept the waiver.
3. Student pricing and access to our facilities will be enabled the following day by 7 am. If you continue to experience issues, please email RecWell@berkeley.edu for assistance.

If you have already accepted your waiver and it has been more than 24 hours, there may be an issue with your registration status. Students must maintain official registration status to keep their student membership active. Please review your CalCentral account to clear any holds and avoid interruptions to your access. For more information about holds, visit Cal Student Central.

All visitors need to make a reservation on the Recreation & Wellbeing online store. Users can reserve up to 5 days prior to the start time of the rental and can cancel their reservation up to two hours before the rental start time.

• Reservations are limited to 2-1/2 total hours, from check-in to check out. Participants will need to show a copy of their reservation before they are allowed access to the UCAC or the equipment. 

• Watercraft rentals are limited and participants may schedule one reservation per day.

• Reservations can be made up to 30 days in advance, at the start time of the rental.

UC Berkeley Recreation & Well-being staff reserve the right to close the UCAC at any time.

Users can view available rental days and times on the Kayak and Stand-up Paddleboard Rental page. You can visit the Recreation & Wellbeing online store to get started and search “Rental” or the Watercraft Rental Programs tab.

• Log on to your account at shop.rs.berkeley.edu.

• Click on your username (or UID) in the upper right.

• Click profile.

• In your profile, click on Programs, then select Registrations.

• Find your reservation and click Cancel.

• Students who do not show up for reservations may face future restrictions.

• Adventures will provide you with a life jacket (PFD), wetsuit (optional) and spray top (optional).

• If the air temperature added to the water temperature is under 100F, we will require you to wear a wetsuit (provided). Please wear a swimsuit under the wetsuit.

• We require wearing shoes in our boats (sorry!) due to sharp shells in the bay mud, and dock hazards. Shoes must be secured at the heel (NOT flip-flops)

• You may bring your own equipment if you have it. You will get wet, please bring a change of clothes to change into afterwards.

• Changing rooms are extremely limited. We encourage you to arrive as prepared as possible.

  There are no lockers at the UCAC. You may choose to leave your gear on land at the UCAC, however we cannot be responsible for personal items stored at the facility (typically not an issue). Do not leave gear, or anything else, in cars in the parking lot.

• Any items left behind (water bottles, equipment, personal items, etc.) will be discarded at the end of each day.

• Restrooms available via the public bathrooms in the parking lot east of the UCAC.

• Paddlers are required to clean and disinfect their equipment after use, with the assistance of UCAC staff.

• All paddlers must follow the direction of Berkeley Recreation & Well-being staff at all times.

• Berkeley Recreation & Well-being staff reserve the right to close the UCAC at any time.

Accessibility and Accommodations

The UCAC is accessible to all. However, at low tide the ramp up from the docks is difficult. For additional accommodations, please contact the Customer Service Center at crcinfo@berkeley.edu.

Program Withdrawal & Refund Policy

Applies to all RecWell programs except Wilderness First Aid (WFA), Wilderness First Responder (WFR), and Youth Programs.

Program withdrawal requests must be submitted via email to RecWell@berkeley.edu or through the Action Request Form and are processed by RecWell Customer Service Center staff.

• Refund requests received more than 3 business days before the program start date will be approved, minus a 15% administrative fee deducted from the program registration fee.
• No refunds will be issued within 3 business days of the program start date or after the program has begun, regardless of when the registration was completed.
• Refunds are processed Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., excluding UC holidays. Requests submitted outside these hours will be reviewed the following business day.
  • Example: If your program starts on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, or Monday before 9 a.m., your refund request must be submitted no later than the Tuesday before to meet the 3 business day deadline.

Wilderness First Responder (WFR) & WFR Recertification

Please note: Wilderness First Responder (WFR) and Wilderness First Responder Recertification courses are offered in partnership with NOLS and are subject to the NOLS Cancellation, Payment, & Attendance Policies. Please contact NOLS for more information.

Wilderness First Aid (WFA)

The Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course is not eligible for RecWell’s standard refund or transfer policies, and it requires at least 15 days’ notice for requests due to administrative processes with our external partner.

Please review program dates carefully before enrolling. Program fees are not prorated or adjusted for missed classes. Credits, refunds, or make-up classes will not be provided for missed classes, partial attendance, tardiness, or non-attendance.

Full attendance is essential for participant success and may be required to complete the program or qualify for sequenced offerings (e.g., Sailing 1-A to Sailing 1-B).

Participants who arrive late may be unable to join the class if safety briefings or required instruction have already begun.

For safety reasons, the Instructor and Program Manager reserve the right to remove participants from the program if attendance requirements are not met. Removal from a program due to attendance or safety concerns does not qualify for a refund or credit.

All programs will need to meet a minimum number of participants at least 72 hours before the program start date. If an offering does not reach that number, it may be canceled. This approach helps us ensure a high-quality experience for all participants and allows our team to plan effectively.

If a class is canceled, we will update the website and notify affected patrons via email with options in advance of the program start date.

• Student Rate: Available to officially registered UC Berkeley students. Please accept the RecWell Waiver in CalCentral prior to registering. Student eligbility will update in our system the day after the waiver is accepted.
• Alumni Rate: Available to UC Berkeley graduates with a degree conferred. If your eligibility is not reflected in our system, please contact the Customer Service Center with your full name, month and year of graduation, and major. Verification may take up to 72 hours and must be completed prior to registration to receive the alumni rate.
• Faculty/Staff Rate: Available to UC Berkeley faculty and staff with an active campus appointment. If this pricing option does not appear at checkout, please contact the Customer Service Center for eligibility verification.
• Member Rate: Available to active UC Berkeley RecWell members, including UC Berkeley student members. Membership must be active at the time of registration.This rate does not apply to UVA Access Pass or Golden Bear Pool Pass holders.
• Non-Member Rate: Available to members of the broader community who meet the program’s age requirements.

Eligible customers may register for programs through our online platform or in person at the Customer Service Center. Full payment is required at the time of registration. Participants must accept the RecWell Waiver at the time of purchase to participate in RecWell programs and access RecWell facilities. 

Enrolled participants who request to transfer a registration payment from the original payment method to another credit or debit card will be charged a 15% processing fee.

Price Adjustments

• Students: Each academic year, students must accept the RecWell Waiver in CalCentral before their student RecWell membership is imported into our system, typically within 1-2 days. Students may request one retroactive price adjustment per academic year if they paid the non-student rate before their membership imported. The request may be submitted up to 3 business days after the program start date.
• Non-students: Please confirm your membership status before registering. The rate paid at the time of purchase is final and cannot be adjusted.

Transfer requests must be submitted via email to RecWell@berkeley.edu or through the Action Request Form at least 3 business days before the program start date. Approved transfers are processed by Customer Service Center staff.

Some programs may be ineligible for transfer due to program age restrictions, certification requirements, waiver acceptance limitations, enrollment capacity, or other reasons.

Transfers to a program of equal value will incur no additional fee. Transfers to a program of greater value require payment of the difference at the time of the transfer. Transfers to a program of lesser value are subject to a 15% processing fee for the any refund.

Late Transfers

Transfer requests submitted less than 3 business days before the program start date are not guaranteed and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Assistant Director of Customer Service, Program Manager, or their designee. Late transfers may be subject to a 15% processing fee, or approved only as account credit to be processed by the Customer Service Center staff for future enrollment. No transfers will be approved after the course has begun, except in the cases of skill level misplacement identified by the instructor. 

Most of our programs offer a waitlist option. When a program is full, click the registration link and follow the prompts to join the waitlist. If a spot becomes available, the Customer Service team will email the next person on the waitlist with a deadline to accept and pay. Openings not claimed by the deadline will be offered to the next person on the list.

If a program is scheduled to begin within 3 business days, the Customer Service team may reach out to everyone on the waitlist to gauge interest for a last-minute opening. The spot will be offered to the person closest to the top of the waitlist who responds and confirms interest by the stated deadline.