Location and Hours of Operation
Our location is "back the Noyo River"
at Dolphin Isle Marina on the Southside of the Noyo River. Click here for a map with directions.
Hours of Operation
Memorial Day-Labor Day we will be open daily from 10am to 5pm*
October-March - Call for reservations for rentals, tours, or classes.
April, May, and September - Reservations can be made for rentals, tours, and classes during the week. On the weekends, we will be open from 10-5*.
*Except for the Second Sunday's when we open at 1pm. On Friday August 6 and Sunday August 8, we will open at 1pm.
All of our tours and classes are by reservation.
Please call (707) 962-1623 for reservations.
The location for your adventure is confirmed at the time of your reservation.
Our Whitewater of the Sea and Rock Gardening Adventures usually launch and land at Noyo Beach. To get to Noyo Beach from highway 1 in Fort Bragg, take North Harbor Drive under the Noyo Bridge to where it ends at the Beach.
Our Noyo River Meander, Sunset Bird Paddle, Coastal Exploration, and Essential Kayak Skills launch and land at Dolphin Isle Marina which is one of our favorite "off the beaten path" places in Fort Bragg with Fort Bragg's most affordable breakfast. Click here for driving directions and a map. We are in site #46A (starred below).
Registration, Payment, and Cancelation Policies
How to Register
Reservations must be made for all tours, lessons, and classes.
Call LFK at (707)962-1623 or email us at liquidfusionkayaking@gmail.com with the names and dates of the events that you would like to register for. We can answer all of your questions and get you signed up.
Payment
Payment for tours and lessons is due at the time of registration.
LFK accepts visa, mastercard, cash (US only), or check. ($35 fee for returned checks).
Cancellation Policy
You may cancel and receive a refund minus a $25 office fee if you contact LFK 7 days prior to your adventure. There are no refunds for cancellations less than 7 days notice.
LFK events run rain or shine. LFK reserves the right to modify event and event location when weather or water conditions necessitate.
There will be no refunds for no shows.
If LFK cancels an event for any reason, a full refund will be given.
Responsibility and Liability
Participants will be required to sign a release of liability/assumption of risk form and photography/video waiver before departure. Minors under 18 not accompanied by their parents must bring a release form signed by their parent or legal guardian.
Please contact LFK if you have any questions.
About Liquid Fusion Kayaking
Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Story
Funness . . . this is a new word that has been invented to describe what we are about.
In July 2005, Jeff had been teaching kayaking for 10 years. He thought that teaching kayaking would be more fun for himself and others if he had the freedom to teach where and when he wanted. Thus, Liquid Fusion Kayak Company (LFKC) was born. Although, LFKC's home base was San Diego, Jeff and LFKC toured all over the west coast to where there was kayaking funness. During Jeff's kayak gypsy wanderings, he found lots of paddling funness on the Mendocino Coast and vowed to return there again and again and again.
One day on the Mendocino Coast, he met Cate who was very into funness as well. Eventually, Jeff found himself spending more and more time on the Mendocino Coast, and Cate found herself paddling more and more and more. In the spring of 2008, Liquid Fusion Kayak Company was reborn on the Mendocino Coast as Liquid Fusion Kayaking (aka LFK).
Liquid Fusion Kayaking is about sharing the funness of kayaking and the natural world with others. From mild to wild, we enjoy bird watching on calm waters as well as rock gardening in the whitewater of the ocean. We feel blessed to be able to paddle the waters of the Mendocino Coast and want to share these magical waters with others - whether guiding adventures or teaching skills for more advanced exploration.
Come paddle with us and experience the magic of our mild to wild funness.
Liquid Fusion Kayaking's Mission Statement
From mild to wild, Liquid Fusion Kayaking has a kayak adventure for everyone - from family tours that require no experience to specific skill lessons for advanced paddlers.
Our goal is to provide personal, fun, interactive, and educational adventures for all ages and abilities that garner appreciation for wildlife, nature, and kayaking.
Jeff Laxier
Jeff Laxier
Liquid Fusion Kayaking owner Jeff Laxier is a patient instructor, guide and mentor. Jeff has fallen into a passion of teaching many kayak disciplines, since his start in the winter of 1996.
He is certified by both the American Canoe Association(ACA)in Advanced Whitewater Kayak, river kayaking and the British Canoe Union (BCU) as a Level 3 Sea Coach and holds a 4 Star award in both surf kayaking and sea kayaking, along with a 3 Star award in Canoeing. He is also certified as a Wilderness First Responder, CPR, Red Cross Lifeguard, A former member of the San Diego Mountain Rescue Team and the U.S. Marine Corps. Jeff has a dedication to exhilarating outdoor activities that know no boundaries.
Sea Kayaking
River/Creek Kayaking
Surf Kayaking
Cate Hawthorne
Cate is a high energy person who loves sharing her passion for learning and the outdoors with others. Cate has assorted teaching credentials and a masters degree in education. After 13 years working in public schools, Cate moved from the classroom to the water. Kayaking is one of her many outdoor adventure pursuits on the Mendocino Coast. When not kayaking, Cate is likely to be mountain biking or running in the redwoods. Cate is also an avid birder. Ask her sometime about birding while mountain biking.
Cate's Liquid Fusion Kayaking Blog
Cate's Woman on Water Blog
Customer Comments and Reviews
"Wow!!! Phenomenal . . . definitely the highlight of our visit to the Mendocino Coast." - Joan at the conclusion of a Sunset Bird Paddle.
"This was one of the most informative nature tours that we have experienced." - Susan
"We are looking forward to going kayaking with you again." - Bob and Dianna
"Jeff is an incredible kayak instructor. He is outstanding for all levels and all types of kayaking. If you are at all interested in this sport, I highly recommend Jeff." -Larry Bock
"Never in my life have I completed four days ( no less consecutively) with the thought that I improved my knowledge and skill level 100% over the prior day. It doesn't get much better than this!"-Jane Hardy
"This was the best kayak surf session I have ever had!" -Jack Brislesy
"It is really inspiring and empowering to get your feedback. I feel supported in my effort...I have lots of paddling options..but your input in terms of using my hips, legs and
wiggling my toes all helped." -Lynn Sharpe-Underwood
"There was no wasted time. The instruction was well planned out, yet flexible to meet individual needs and competencies." -Michele Martin
"You were very patient and your instruction was very helpful. I now have a good feel for where I need to be in catching waves and what I need to work on." -Jon Brindle
Was the time well spent, organized and efficient? "Yes, I felt the lesson was a good combination of verbal explanation, demonstration followed by execution." -Kevin Cadieux
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I Choose Liquid Fusion Kayaking?
From mild to wild, Liquid Fusion Kayaking has a kayak adventure for everyone. We love paddling and know that you will love paddling with us. Our tour and class sizes are small and each event is customized to fit the interests and abilities of the group. All Liquid Fusion Kayaking events are run by Jeff or Cate who are professionally trained kayak instructors, knowledgeable about the local wildlife and history, and love sharing the waters of the Mendocino Coast with others.
We paddle the Noyo River, Noyo Bay, and Mendocino Coastline so much that we know where all the wildlife hang out and have named many of the rocks and coastal features. Come paddle with us and find out their names and how they were named.
If you are interested in learning to kayak or improving your skills, Liquid Fusion Kayaking will get you on the way to paddling perfection. Jeff is a BCU Level 3 Sea Coach and ACA Level 5 Whitewater Instructor and a truelly gifted paddler who will inspire and challenge you. Cate is newer to the paddling world and has a fresh perspective on teaching and learning basic skills. She is an expert teacher and knows the tricks to skill mastery. As a teaching team, Jeff and Cate combine their skills to make a dynamic learning environment for their students that involves guided practice, immediate feedback, individualized instruction, and video analysis.
Where are you located?
We are on the water - except our office which is in our home. All of our kayak adventures are by reservation. We run the majority of our kayak adventures on the Mendocino Coast out of Fort Bragg's Noyo Harbor. For more about our location, check out our location page.
Do you rent kayaks?
We provide kayaks and the necessary gear for our adventures. We run guided adventures because we want to insure that you have a safe and enjoyable time paddling our coast.
Do I need to be experienced?
We have adventures for those with no experience. These are all guided adventures that are designed to be comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. We provide all the equipment that you need and have several options so that you can choose from our mild to wild continuum. We also teach kayaking. Check out our classes if you are interested in learning to kayak.
If you are an experienced paddler, check out the variety of tours and classes that we offer. We offer a discounted rate if you use your own gear but have kayaks and gear available for all of our adventures.
Can kids participate?
Kids love kayaking and we love sharing the outdoors via kayak with them. Kids are engaged with the special activities that we have for them. We recommend our Sunset Bird Paddle or Noyo Meander for anyone ages 3 and up. We use stable and comfortable tandem sea kayaks for our tours that are great for kids and adults. 3 and 4 year old children will sit in the lap of a parent in the front of one of our tandem sea kayaks. 5 years and up enjoy the front row seat of a tandem.
What about adventurous children? From mild to wild, we have options for everyone. Ages 9
and up will enjoy our cruising the wild -coastal exploration. And for those that like a lot of adventure, 12 years and up will be thrilled by our Wet & Wild - Kayaking ROCKS!!!
Check out our newly developed pages for kids. These contain educational materials on the wildlife and wonders of the Noyo River and Pacific Ocean as well as information for kids on kayaking.
In June 2009, we will be unveiling our new "Kayaking Kids" adventure. Be sure to check back.
What do I wear?
Wear your street clothes on our Noyo Harbor, Sunset Bird Paddle, or Mild Coastal Exploration Tours. We provide waterproof splashwear that you will put on over your clothes. Lightweight tennis shoes tend to work best for footwear on these tours. We recommend that you leave all valuable jewelry behind and have a retainer strap for your glasses or sunglasses.
For our rock gardening adventure, classes, enthusiast, and advanced tours; please refer to each page for a description of attire and call or email with any questions.
What type of kayaks do you use?
We use all types of kayaks dependent upon the adventure. Typically we use our tandem sea kayaks for beginner and recreational tours because the are stable, comfortable, warm, dry, and efficient. We use single kayaks for our rock gardening, enthusiast, and advanced level tours and classes.
On our Kayaking ROCKS!!! adventure we use sit-on-top whitewater kayaks because it is a wet and wild adventure. Whitewater kayaks(sit inside) are also available with prior proper training.
For our other tours, we use the type of kayaks that you "sit inside." We use these because they are warmer, faster, drier, and more efficient. These boats are more stable than most sit-on-top kayaks and a capsize on our recreational level adventures is highly unlikely. In the event of a capsize, paddlers come out of the boat just like they would if they capsized a sit-on-top kayak.
Paddlers enrolling in our enthusiast level adventures need to have self-rescue and buddy rescue skills, and paddlers participating in performance level adventures need to have a reliable eskimo roll.
Please contact us if you have any questions.
Should I bring my camera?
It is up to you. Many people bring their camera and find that they are so engaged in the tour that they forget to take photos. For the shutterbug, we have an amazing tour with scenery and wildlife that you will enjoy capturing on film. We don't assume responsibility for your camera so we recommend that you bring a waterproof type or waterproof housing, and/or a dry bag. Contact us prior to your tour if you need to rent a dry bag from us.
Or let us take the photos for you. We typically carry a camera with us during events and take photos and video. At the end of the day, we upload our photos into our photo gallery so that you can see photos and videos from your adventure. You can share the photos and videos with your friends and can purchase prints, downloads, or merchandise from the gallery.
Check out our photo gallery.
Can I bring my dog?
Has your dog paddled before? How big is your dog? Do you have a CFD (canine floatation device) for him or her? Our dog, Bear LOVES kayaking and we are working out the details to share paddling experiences with dogs. Please share any ideas that you may have with us.
What if the weather is bad?
What if it rains or is foggy?
We run our trips rain or shine. Waterproof paddling gear makes paddling in the rain and fog magical.
What if the ocean is rough, has big swells, or fog?
If ocean conditions are not going to be favorable for our scheduled adventure, we will modify the adventure.
The Noyo River is protected and is accessible most of the time. Storms with gale force winds are pretty much the only condition that will make us cancel a trip. If we cancel a trip for any reason, you will receive a full refund.
(707) 962-1623