🗺️ PaddleSplash Course Notes:
Fewer Turns. Faster Times. Still Pay Attention.

First things first: mileage is approximate.

Your GPS may disagree. Your watch may disagree. Your paddling buddy may insist their watch is the accurate one. That's part of racing. 😎 The important thing is to follow the buoys, know your course, watch for shallow water and make it back across the finish line.

After all, DNF is still DNF — even if your GPS says you paddled farther than everyone else.

5-Mile Race — Goodbye, 26 Turns!

Good news: the old 5-lap, 26-turn sufferfest is GONE. 🎉 This year's 5-mile course is a one-lap out-and-back with just a few turns, so we're expecting some faster times! Head toward Rainbow Bridge, make your turnaround, and enjoy the view — it's our crowning glory. 🌈 Then settle in for the trip back.

8-Mile Race — Same Idea, Just Keep Going

The 8-mile follows the same course as the 5-mile, except when you reach Lake Natoma Island, you're not done adventuring yet. Keep going toward Nimbus Dam. Continue to the Nimbus turnaround buoy, make a right-shoulder turn, and head back. And yes, please turn at the Nimbus buoy. Nimbus Dam is a landmark, not an invitation. 😳

2-Mile Race — One and Done

The 2-miler heads out in the same direction as the 5-mile, but your turnaround comes much sooner. Look for your buoy near the cliffs on your right, well before Lake Natoma Island. Make a right-shoulder turn at the turnaround buoy, head back toward the beach, then make a left-shoulder turn around the red Hippity Hop finish buoy before crossing the finish. One trip out. One trip back. A few turns. No need to pack lunch.

⚠️ What to Watch Out For — 2, 5 & 8 Mile Racers

• All three courses share part of the same return route, so keep an eye out for shallow water along the left shoreline as you return from the bridge toward the beach/turn area. Maps are marked with Orange X’s where water may be shallow.

  • All Racers: As you head back from Rainbow Bridge, don't hug the left shoreline or cut the corner too tightly as you approach the start/beach area. The water gets shallow here — give yourself some room. Your fin will thank you. 😉

  • 5-Mile: Continue along the left side of Lake Natoma Island to the turnaround buoy just beyond it. Make a right-shoulder turn, then return on the right side of the island to avoid the shallows on the left.

  • 8-Mile: On your return from Nimbus, stay left until you reach Lake Natoma Island, then merge to the right side of the island to avoid the shallow water on the left.

  • 2-, 5- & 8-Mile Finish: Approach the beach wide toward the left and make a left-shoulder turn around the red Hippity Hop finish buoy before crossing the finish line.

  Bottom line: Watch the water, don't shave the corners too closely, and give those shallow areas some breathing room.