behind opening the kayaking business was down to his father’s legacy of saving a river. Dickson grew up near the Napa River. “We were very familiar with what would become a healthy, biologically diverse waterway in the Bay Area,” he says. A $400 million living river restoration and flood control project was spearheaded by his late father, Dave Dickson, who worked for the county. “We saw that evolve,” Dickson says. “We saw bird species nearly double.” Dickson recognized the recreational opportunities on the Napa River and the potential to encourage
Most of their tours are done on the Napa River, following the tide up the river from the estuary past the town and into the forest. However, when the moon is dark and the fog rolls onto the warm waters of Tomales Bay, Dickson heads west to lead bioluminescent kayak tours there. “It's like Fantasia under your kayak,” Dickson says. “This light-
Middle left, Suki Waters operates WaterTreks Eco Tours along the Russia River Estuary. At bottom, Tomales Bay is teeming with dinoflagellates during July. [Photos courtesy Napa Valley Paddle and Suki Waters]
the community to embrace their rehabilitated
waterway with eco- tourism. He opened Napa Valley Paddle ( napavalleypaddle. com ) in 2012.
34 NorthBaybiz
July 2025
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