About Us

Located in beautiful Mission Bay Park on the south end of Santa Clara Point, the Mission Bay Aquatic Center is the ideal location for a watersports haven. All within a short walk of the facility, you can surf the waves of the Southern California Coast, row the sheltered waters of Mission Bay, sail the blustering afternoon westerly winds, kayak the nearby coves and bridges, or ride the best wakeboarding equipment and boats available. Nowhere else in the world can you find such a diverse mix of watersports equipment and instruction under one roof! Many similar facilities nationally and worldwide have looked to the MBAC as a model of excellence in watersports and instruction.

The Mission Bay Aquatic Center is a regional boating safety center as part of a program funded by the California Department of Boating and Waterways. The Department of Boating and Waterways funds boating facilities, boating safety education and supports boating law enforcement in California. A portion of the equipment at the Center is provided by the Department to enhance boating safety education in California.

Facilities

This 24,000 square foot redwood facility, located in the heart of Mission Beach, houses over 13 motorized watercraft, 50 sailboats, 100 surfboards, 25 windsurf boards, 90 kayaks, 40 rowing shells and 1 mission: to ensure a safe, enjoyable watersports experience.

Friendly staff members greet you in the reception area, check you in, and direct you to your class. Afterward you can wait in the lobby lounge area, complete with fireplace, or head to the changing room and lockers to stow your belongings.

Classroom instruction is held in one of our two indoor classrooms, complete with blackboards, projectors and VCR/DVD Televisions. The adjacent grounds provide the perfect complimentary classroom setup where you can enjoy the beautiful Mission Bay scenery while learning what you need to know prior to hitting the water.

Our rowing and kayaking classes use the H. Del Beekley Rowing Center, which also houses the San Diego State University Men's and Women's Varsity rowing programs, as well as the Mission Bay Rowing Association. Our sailing equipment is stored in the boatyard, as well on San Juan Cove moorings.

The west dock is conveniently situated to accommodate launch of sailboats and keel boats, and also provides a sheltered area for swim testing.

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History

The Mission Bay Aquatic Center was started in 1970 when Glen Brandenburg, an SDSU student at the time, signed up to take a sailing class at the then City run sailing facility. Part of the way through the class, the instructor suddenly stopped showing up to teach and Glen assumed the role as the new instructor.

Associated Students of SDSU and UCSD Recreation assumed the lease of the then dilapidated old boathouse in 1975 and the Mission Bay Aquatic Center was born. Since then the Universities have built the facility in to the world reknown program it is today.

Incidentally Glen Brandenburg is still the MBAC Director.

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Eligibility/Affiliation

The Mission Bay Aquatic Center is a cooperative collegiate waterfront facility jointly owned and operated by Associated Students of San Diego State University, and Campus Recreation of University of California San Diego. All San Diego can enjoy the classes that MBAC has to offer. SDSU and UCSD students get a discount on classes because student fees from those universities offset their fees. Current identification of your student, faculty, or staff affiliation with a San Diego county college or university is required to qualify for certain lower fees or discounts.

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Hours of Operation

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Contact Information

Main Phone Line: (858) 488-1000
Fax Number: (858) 488-9625
Address: 1001 Santa Clara Place, San Diego, CA 92109
Email Address: mbac@sdsu.edu

For a complete listing of phone numbers and email addresses, see our main Contact Us page.

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Transportation

Don't let lack of transportation prevent you from enjoying the Mission Bay Aquatic Center!

Map / Directions to the Mission Bay Aquatic Center

From SDSU:
Take the San Diego Trolley Green Line from the SDSU Transit Center to the Old Town Transit Center. Transfer to San Diego Transit Bus 8** to Mission Blvd. and Santa Clara Place.
From USD:
Take the San Diego Trolley Green Line or the San Diego Transit Bus 44 to the Old Town Transit Center. Transfer to San Diego Transit Bus 8** to Santa Clara and Mission Blvd.
From UCSD:
San Diego Transit Bus 30 provides free service from UCSD with valid UCSD/SDT ID bus sticker to Mission Blvd. and Hornblend St (between Garnet and Grand Ave). Transfer to Bus 9** to Santa Clara and Mission Blvd (normal transit fees apply).

For more information call San Diego Transit at (619)233-3004. Many students arrange carpools after the first class session. If you need further transportation assistance, please call us at (858) 488-1000.

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Parking Information

Don't let parking ruin your day! Parking can be tough on sunny summer weekends. be sure to give yourself ample time to find a spot and refer to this map for alternate parking locations just a short walk away.

Alternate Parking Map

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