How to Watch an SF Giants Game by Kayak in McCovey Cove This Season

For many, watching the San Francisco Giants play at Oracle Park is a staple of summer in the Bay Area. But catching a game while floating in the bay outside the stadium, on the waters of McCovey Cove — that’s a truly unique experience.

Affectionately known as “the drink,” McCovey Cove was named after first baseman Willie McCovey (1938–2018), the baseball hall-of-famer who played for the Giants for 19 seasons. The cove is directly behind right field, and is a prime location for enjoying the ballpark energy even if you don’t have a ticket to the game.

During warm-weather games, fans and visitors alike float out on the cove on kayaks and paddleboards, and many of them are seeking a chance to snag a “splash hit”: a home run hit over the stadium that lands in the water.

McCovey Cove’s floaters even have their own local celebrity: “McCovey Cove Dave” Edlund, whose commitment to the cove has won him the most splash hits on record.

“It’s really been a lifetime love of baseball,” Edlund said, whose memorable moments in the cove include the 93rd splash hit he snagged on Mother’s Day in 2022, which he dedicated to his late mom. “I always give maximum effort — and there is competition for any ball that comes over.”

But you don’t have to be McCovey Cove Dave — or even an expert paddler — to get out on the water for your own shot at a home run ball. If you’ve ever seen the kayakers enjoying McCovey Cove on TV and thought, “I’d love to do that someday,” then this guide is for you.

Jump straight to:

• How can I rent a kayak for McCovey Cove?
• How much experience will I need?
• What should I bring onto the water?
• Will I get a splash hit?

What day and time should I choose?

“Catching a Giants game from the cove is a true bucket list experience,” Giants Chief Information Officer Bill Schlough said. “It’s great to be at Oracle Park, but it’s next level to be able to do it from the cove.”

So first, check the Giants’ schedule for a home game coming up. Day games, typically starting at around 1 p.m., are prime for a quality floating experience in the sunshine. “Come to a day game on a weekend,” Edlund said. “That’s when you’re gonna have the most fun.”

If you’re planning to head onto the water for an evening game, check what time the sun will set that day, and make sure you’ll feel comfortable potentially being on the water in the dark, depending on how long the game goes.

And don’t forget to keep an eye on the weather for your chosen date — the best days to be out on the water will forecast sun, little wind and low tides.

How can I rent a kayak?

You have some options.

Dogpatch Paddle opened a new rental spot in August, taking over the Mission Creek boathouse from UCSF. You can still rent from their Crane Cove Park location, but Dogpatch Paddle’s new location will be a much shorter path to McCovey Cove (around a 15 minute paddle instead of the 30-40 minutes it takes from Crane Cove), according to owner Adam Zolot.

“You show up, we give you a life vest, we give you a paddle, we give you a little safety briefing and then send you off to the game,” Zolot said.

Kayaks will be available by reservation for Giants game days, including the evening games, starting August 26 at the new location, and the company also plans to put rafts out in the cove where paddlers can anchor to watch the game.

“There’ll be multiple places where you can dock yourself and not float around out there and drift out into the Bay,” said Zolot.

City Kayak is another one of the closest spots to McCovey Cove — and owner Ted Choi recommends making a reservation for busy days so he can adequately plan their boat inventory with staff.

During the summer, City Kayak is open Friday through Monday, and you can book single or double kayaks by the hour or for the entire game. They also rent stand-up paddleboards, but first-timers may find kayaks to be the more stable option.

City Kayak staff will outfit you with a boat, life vest and paddle, plus show you a map of how to get to the cove and any other waterfront destinations on your list, like the Mission Creek houseboats or the Cupid’s Span sculpture along the Embarcadero.

You can use the bathroom and stash items in the bag check area so you don’t have to bring any valuables in the boat — or risk leaving them in your car. 

If you’re hoping to catch the first pitch, it’s a good idea to give yourself a half hour to an hour of buffer time when making a reservation. So if the game starts at the usual 12:45 p.m. or 1:05 p.m. times, consider booking your kayak rental starting at noon.

How much experience will I need?

Don’t worry if you’re not an experienced kayaker — in fair weather, Choi said, even the newest to the sport should have no problem reaching the cove and beyond.

The paddle from Pier 40, where City Kayak and the public launch spot that Edlund uses are located, is just 10 minutes along the breakwall of a protected harbor.

You’re unlikely to end up in the cove by accident, but basic swim skills are advised for anyone heading out for a paddle. And there’s no need to leave kids and pets at home as long as they’re comfortable on the water.

“Except for the windiest days, you should be able to go to McCovey Cove, paddle in Mission Creek, and have a great time,” Choi said.

Schlough also advised getting comfortable with the idea that you might get wet — and that no trip to the cove is complete without someone getting a dunk in the drink. “If you just stay dry in the raft, eh, that’s not the true experience,” Schlough said.

How can I launch my own kayak?

If you’re bringing your own watercraft, you can use the public launches at Pier 40 and Mission Creek. Just remember: every person in the kayak or stand-up paddleboard must have their own life jacket.

Both access points are easily transit accessible via Muni, Caltrain and ferry. Metered street parking in the area, however, can be steep, so City Kayak charges $20 to park in its lot on a first-come, first-served basis, regardless of whether you’re renting a kayak or not.

If you’re launching your own boat from Mission Creek, be sure to check the tides first. There are two bridges to pass under on your way to and from the ballpark, and the fit can get extremely tight when the creek is high. Some people even opt to go out in inflatable rafts or other watercraft — don’t forget to bring a paddle so you can navigate the light currents in the cove.

How much of the Giants game will I actually see from the water?

Let’s get this out of the way: No, you can’t see the actual field from the cove.

But you can see most of the scoreboard and some of the outfield crowd from below. And as of the 2024 season, there is now a large TV screen facing the cove so you can watch the action — and even do your best to anticipate any potential splash hits:

Schlough said the idea to add the screen came from Alfonso Felder, the team’s chief operations and experience officer.

“He was the one who said, ‘We’ve talked about this before, but let’s actually do this,’” Schlough said. “Let’s give our McCovey Cove-based fans, our water-based fans, the opportunity to watch the game alongside the 40,000-plus inside the ballpark.”

What should I bring onto the water?

If you’d rather paddle around and enjoy a play-by-play of the game by ear, as kayakers have done for years before the screen was installed, you can tune into KNBR 680 from your kayak, but Edlund said with the new screen, first-timers probably won’t find a radio necessary. Pro tip: A radio stream from your phone will be on a delay of several seconds, so try to bring an actual radio if you want to listen in.

Also on the packing list:

• Lunch or dinner (a Mission burrito is this author’s personal go-to)
• A cooler that floats, for beverages and food
• Bungee cords, if you’d prefer tying your kayak to a buoy to avoid having to adjust to the cove’s currents.
• A dry bag (you can borrow one from City Kayak) to keep your phone and any other gear dry
• Layers, water, sunscreen and a hat to protect you from the elements — Choi said many visitors underestimate how warm and windy it can get out on the water.

There are bathrooms on or near the cove, so make sure you go before you launch, Edlund said.

And if you’re bold enough to launch on your own for a night game, bring extra layers and a headlamp — and have a plan for getting back to shore safely in the dark, especially if you’re newer to kayaking.

Finally: Will I get a splash hit?

Manage your expectations — but stay hopeful. Just 106 home runs hit by Giants players have made it to the cove, and all but one were from a left-handed batter. The vast majority of splash hits are off right-handed pitchers, so certain pitcher-batter combinations are more likely to give you a shot at chasing a baseball down in the water.

“The home runs don’t land randomly,” Edlund said. “The No. 1 skill is being where the ball will land.”

He recommends warmer days when there’s less wind for the best chances at snagging a splash hit.

Among Schlough’s favorite cove moments are the 100th splash hit by LaMonte Wade Jr. in 2023 and what was supposed to be the first-ever right-handed splash hit from Buster Posey — a title later claimed by Heliot Ramos, whose ball Edlund expertly scooped from the cove.

Posey “hit a ball that was destined for the cove, but unfortunately it hit one of our water cannons,” Schlough said — so while his two runs counted, the splash hit did not.

If you want to improve your odds, Schlough recommends getting to the stadium early in the day for batting practice — which starts around 2–3 hours before game time — when splash hits might be more likely.

Remember: On a warm summer day, you’re unlikely to be the only paddler out in the cove, and the competition for home run balls can get truly fierce. Back when the ballpark first opened and all-time splash hit leader Barry Bonds — who hit 35 of the 106 total by Giants players — was still at the plate, the team even worked with a local animal shelter to form BARK, Baseball’s Aquatic Retrieval Korps: a team of Portuguese Water Dogs who retrieved balls from the bay.

“Once someone starts hitting splash hits? Everyone wants to go to the cove and kayak,” Choi said.

An earlier version of this story was originally published on May 9.