Clavey – Three men, some dogs and a whole lot of boats.
In what seems to be a long time ago, we opened our doors to river outfitters looking for Avon Riverboats, stout ash oars and drybags that would stand up to the most abusive of conditions (read customers and guides). As those items were the extent of our elaborate, one page, black & white catalog that first year, we needed a name that said, this is no frills, professional, whitewater rafting equipment.
Clavey was the obvious choice.
The largest rapid (and the only class V) on the wild and scenic Tuolumne River, Clavey Falls is everything we’ve ever loved about being on the river. The camp at Clavey is awesome, with the confluence of the Clavey River (so nice and warm from its shallow decent over the hot California rocks) burbling in from the right, a slow moving pool of trout filled water to fish or swim and a fantastic hike up the banks of the Clavey to some of the Sierra’s best diving pools.
Clavey Falls itself is one of California’s great whitewater rapids. The highlight of a unbelievably great river trip on the T. Ask anyone who’s run the Tuolumne. They all have a Clavey story. And of course, if we ever opened a second location, we would simply call it: Son of Clavey.
Over the years, not so many things have changed. Sure we sell kayaks. And yes we sell car racks. But never has our commitment to quality, professional grade equipment to get you and your family on the water been stronger than it is today. And while the rest of the world might be looking for a cheaper way to build products in China, Clavey is committed to buying and selling quality products made in the USA. Not everything of course, but everything we can.
When you call Clavey or stop by our shop in Petaluma, California, you’ll speak to one of these guys right here:
 Jeff Silky Kellogg - When he’s not kayaking in his backyard of Tomales Bay, snapping oars on the ever intimidating whitewater of the Carson, or swearing the names of outfitters who don't pay their bills – you’ll find Jeff terrorizing the flora and fauna of the Inverness Ridge as he rips down the single track at unreasonable and unsafe speeds with his daughter on the handlebars.
 Tom Che Meckfessel -Between keeping the website fresh as a daisy, making our catalog the envy of our competitors and driving his kids all over the hell’s half acre for their thousand plus soccer games a year, Tom is, to say the least, a busy man. So please, Please, PLEASE don’t ask him how the surf is. We at Clavey HQ are extremely busy and if Tom gets more than two surf-related questions a day, we have to take a pay cut. But when the beach has no break, you’ll find him on the river with the rest of us non-surfing types, whipping up gourmand meals and keeping a weary eye on his private stash of Ranier Ale.
 Scotto the Skipper Galbreath - A Northwest native, Scotto was kicked out of Portland to make room for more Californians during the great Oregon locals purge of the 90s. Having since had the moss professionally shaved from his body, Scotto can now be found belly up on his boat, basking in the sun’s golden rays, working hard to turn his white fat tan. “If God didn’t want us to drink beer during working hours,” Scotto argues “Why did he install a refrigerator in our warehouse?”
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