Kenmore outlines summer waterfront programs and life‑jacket requirement

Marita Colburn, Kenmore’s recreation program supervisor, detailed summer boating and paddling programs at the city’s waterfront on the Let’s Talk Kenmore podcast and reminded listeners that the city requires Coast Guard–approved life jackets for anyone on a man‑powered vessel in Kenmore waters.

Colburn said Kenmore operates three boathouses — at Log Boom Park, Rhododendron Park and the recently renovated park off 170th (identified in the episode as Talaquides Park) — and that those facilities host a mix of rentals and organized clubs. “They have outrigger paddling organizations as well as dragon boat paddling organizations as well as programming for SUP, which is the stand up paddle boards,” Colburn said.

Why it matters: The city’s waterfront offerings provide year‑round recreation, youth camps and competitive programs that local residents use for fitness, youth development and community events. The life‑jacket ordinance the city passed in May 2023 changes how rental operators and individuals must carry and wear personal flotation devices in Kenmore waters.

Most important details

• Clubs and programs: Colburn named the Kenmore Waterfront Activity Center (KWAC) as an umbrella for man‑powered paddle programs at the tip of Lake Washington. She described an outrigger group (identified in the episode as HWOPS), a dragon boat team that practices in Kenmore and races regionally, and the Kenmore Community Rowing Club at the Kenmore Public Boathouse. Colburn said the outrigger group runs practices up to five times a week from about March through October and that dragon boat activities are open for ages 12 and up, while keiki outrigger paddling accepts younger children.

• Rentals and options: Log Boom Park’s boathouse offers rentals of single and double kayaks, canoes, stand‑up paddleboards, hydro bikes and other commercial‑grade equipment. Colburn encouraged online reservations and described a one‑way rental option that lets users paddle to Bothell Landing and return by bicycle on the Burke‑Gilman Trail.

• Youth and competitive rowing: The Kenmore Community Rowing Club (KCRC) offers youth summer camps for ages 13 to 18 ranging from introductory “learn to row” sessions to high‑school crew training. Colburn noted that local North Shore School District athletes have competed at the national level in recent years.

• Safety and life jackets: “Life jackets are required now since this ordinance to actually have your life jacket on your body, to be wearing it, coast guard approved life jacket, to be wearing it, zipped up, buckled the whole bit,” Colburn said on the podcast. She said rental operators provide properly sized life jackets and that the city maintains life‑jacket loaner stations at two waterfront parks and that Washington State Fish and Wildlife operates a loaner station at the public boat launch adjacent to the Kenmore Public Boathouse. Colburn said donated, Coast Guard–approved jackets in good condition may be dropped off at City Hall for redistribution to loaner stations.

Other practical details and access

Colburn recommended that newcomers fill out online waivers before trying a club or a rental and noted that many clubs offer trial sessions (for example, up to three practice visits before joining the outrigger group). She said clubs and the KWAC publish practice and festival schedules on their websites and that scholarships and membership discounts are available for some programs.

Ending

Colburn encouraged residents to try waterfront activities, citing health and community benefits: “The collective effort, definitely. The teamwork. Yeah. A lot of value in that, for sure,” she said. The podcast episode lists the named local clubs and the waterfront boathouses as starting points for residents seeking more information or reservations.