Given the numbers of reviews here which mention the "owner" being rude, this is what I came here to write, amongst other things. The rental started out fine - a young woman helped me figure out the boat size, get me checked in, and familiar with the route and map. Then she disappeared, and someone changed the boat she ordered (which we carefully figured out was right for me) to a different longer boat. I'm not sure why. It was a cloudy day and there were about 75 available green plastic boats. She had mentioned there was a new boat, even shorter than the 14' one she put me in, but somehow it was too hard to get to (according to the rude gentleman who took over for her. He was saying snarky things to me, like would I mind if the boat they gave me was 5" longer than the one they promised???? It made not sense. I was solo kayaking in the afternoon. The young man who put me in the boat told me before he pushed me off that he would be going over some safety points. That consisted of one tip - always keep your lifejacket on. Speaking of safety - I have about 12 years of experience kayaking and having a whistle is pretty important. They had to search several PFD's to find one with a whistle. I had to ask for that. I was kayaking SOLO! Should have been a given. They have a set way of putting people in boats which starts with sitting on the metal grated dock. I am in my 6th decade of life, and getting down to sitting on the ground like that isn't a slam dunk. Plus I had a scraped knee (us oldsters have falls). The guy wasn't reading the room. When I asked him to adjust the foot pedals, he snapped back that he was going to do that next. Anyway, they recommended I make my way across the wide channel to the other side where the houseboats were, but I felt wobbly right there at the dock and thought better of that and instead hugged the side of the channel we were already on. There was no instruction as to what to do if the boat tipped over. Not that they could have given me a whole wet exit lesson - I already knew what to do, but I certainly didn't want to capsize and with all the motor boat activity that afternoon, I knew the paddle would be a bit nerve wracking. On the way out (after just 30 minutes, having returned to the dock to get out of the water) I told the young woman at the check out that they need to add an "in case of emergency" phone number to the waiver. Her response was silly "we are the emergency phone number". Yes, well if I were to capsize and perhaps drown, you might need to reach someone ON MY END. Duh. Rude man had some parting remarks I wasn't interested in. Because of his snarkiness alone, I'll never be back and am telling others. I think he is in the wrong business. read more

The staff is a little curt, but they do their job well. No issues with the rental or the kayaking itself. As long as you're no nonsense and focus on kayaking, this place is pretty good. read more

Service and pricing was great! Standup paddle boarding is not easy, but it was super fun for my buddies and I! Great way to admire the views of Seattle! It was super warm in the middle of October! The water felt great read more

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The place is great but I overheard the owner Ray being so verbally abusive to his employees that I would never return. It's sad to see a business owner treat people this was. read more

I was visiting a friend in Seattle and we decided to come here on a beautiful sunny Monday afternoon to paddleboard. I heard it gets pretty busy on the wknd. We end up renting the boards for 2 hours which come out to be around $50/pax + tips. All 3 of us had to give our driver license in order to rent the boards (to ensure you bring back the boards). There are free lockers you can use to put your shoes in. Keep in mind, there are no locks to those lockers, do not put any valuable in those lockers. You can ask them for a dry bag to put your wallet, phone, water, keys. Before you head out to the water, they will give you a fitted life jacket. I really appreciate that they gave me a DRY life jacket and not a wet one. Although the life jacket stink a bit but it's expected. After we got our paddleboards, we paddled towards the right side to Lake Union. The water was pretty calm and look out for boats and yachts. This was considered a HOT day in Seattle. You can paddle towards the side and jump into the water if you want. Jumping into the water was sooo refreshing on a hot day like this. and you get a beautiful view of Seattle , Space needles, Gas Works Park. Paddling towards Gas Works Park was a breeze since we are going with the current. Paddling back was a bit more work since you are going against the current. It took a bit more time paddling back but we made it back right before the 2 hour mark, plus we were getting hungry. read more

Agua Verde Paddle Club - Paddleboarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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A great spot to rent kayaks and paddle boards, located right on the water and under the popular restaurant of the same name -- the location is pretty hard to beat! It's easy to explore in either the direction of Lake Washington or Lake Union. The staff was helpful and we rented 2 double kayaks. They were really easy to get started and you pay the full amount after returning back to the dock. They have dry bags and lockers available to store your things. I would recommend if you're looking to spend a day on the lake and would come back to rent from them again. read more

Agua Verde Paddle Club - Kayak on the lake - Paddleboarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Staff were incredibly rude and unhelpful with the exception of one guy. The owner made snarky remarks to us as he walked away that the "clock is ticking" because I was helping my wife set up her kayak which we brought. He continued to walk away as I said we paid so why does it matter if it's our own money that's being wasted. Will go anywhere else but here moving forward. read more

I'd recommend the cafe- great Mexican food! But the paddle club for me was a rip off. I wanted to demo a couple boats that I'm interested in buying; and since they do not allow demos, I was willing to pay the $24 for an hour rental, to try 2 different boats, but that was a big "no". So I tried boat #1 for 15 minutes and tried to convince them to let me try #2 for 10 minutes, but that was a big "no". Then for some reason, they charged me $38 (for a 15 minute paddle), and sent me on my way. BTW- Northwest Outdoor Center let me demo a boat "for as long as I needed"; didn't charge me a cent; and I ended up buying a used boat from me. Will review them next! Great customer service over there at NWOC! read more

Staff was so helpful & friendly. It was my first time kayaking and they helped our group get in/out of the kayaks as well as use learn to use the rudder. We had a time limit of 1 hour so I recommend keeping track of the time by bringing a water proof watch so you do not go over time! (You can kayak for longer it will just cost more) They give you dry bags to keep your personal items in as well as life jackets. I would also recommend wearing water friendly footwear such as sandals. Overall we had a wonderful experience and it was so fun! read more

As visitors to the area we didn't know how busy a hot day out would get! Despite the nearly 1 hr wait we had a very enjoyable experience. Everything ran smoothly from check in- life jacket fitted, complimentary dry bag, quick and clear instructions to mount your boat/board. We took off towards Lake union and were able to make it to gas works park and back within about the hour. I also like that they prorate every 10 min beyond the initial hour. read more

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I have been here a couple times, and really enjoyed it. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, the equipment is nice and in good condition (no smelly life jackets!) and the area is wonderful for kayaking around. Even as beginners we saw so many beautiful house boats, big boats, amphibious planes and local waterfowl- it was really fun! We're hoping someday to buy our own kayak but until then we're going here. Tips: On hot days get there early, else you'll wait in a line. Bring your ID, you need it. read more

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Rating is mainly due to location because it's right on the water - this means no need for you to carry the kayak or stand up paddle board to a launching point. Pricing isn't too bad: - single kayak $20/hour - double kayak $26/hour - stand up paddle board $23/hour We came as a group of 11, but they split us into smaller groups for check in. It was a bit confusing, as one employee told us to send our first group of 6 to the front desk, but then we were told they only do 4 pieces of equipment at a time, so since we all wanted singles, 2 of our group had to get back in line. So we ended up with 3 small groups, but they did launch us back to back so it wasn't too long before we were all together on the water anyways. It was a beautiful day. We got to see sea planes, boat houses, the skyline. Can't complain about that. There were lockers available, but it's either bring your own lock, or it's $3 to rent one. You pay after returning, and each group has to have someone pay, rather than having it all on one tab. We were told our time out there was 1 hour 10 minutes and I do think we were charged a prorated amount, since we got 3 single kayaks, 1 SUP, and 1 lock which would total $86 without tax, and I got charged $109.93. Of course, they're not in the wrong to prorate, but I've been to some rental places that have still charged an hour flat if I only went a little over like that. Still, I probably will come back one day because I'm curious about the mirage eclipse they have for rental since I've ended tried that before. read more

Agua Verde Paddle Club - 9.11.19 - Paddleboarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I've taken a few people here. Everyone always has a good time. Kayaking is fun especially on a nice day with boats everywhere. I like the waves, makes me giggle like a little girl. The cash register girl was kind of aloof and the older guy in charge is kind of douchy but I don't really care about that. The guy that was instructing us on how to get in our kayaks was nice. He helped my friend who has cerebral palsy get in and out of his vessel. I recommend this place. It's great on a hot day, it's nice and cool on the water. Good times will be had by all...unless you don't like water, then don't come. read more

Agua Verde Paddle Club - My friends having a blast. - Paddleboarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

As my family and I traveled a distance to this place, Father's Day weekend, we were turned away due to early closing! The time quoted in person reflected differently than the posted sign! Walking on the deck towards the rentals, and told they weren't open any longer, as other customers were leaving! Not a good look! Guess we arrived right after close time lol read more

Agua Verde Paddle Club - Different hours than what's on the sign! - Paddleboarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We just waited in a long line here to find out they don't allow dogs on the paddle boards or kayaks. The employees working here saw us in line multiple times, getting the life jacket on our dog and didn't say anything until it was our turn. Their website does not say no dogs! So frustrating. The signs say it's one ID per group, but also when you get up there, they ask for ID for everyone, after we left ours in the car. read more

I just went last week with some friends. Kayaking here is a great option keeping active while staying mindful of social distancing during the caronavirus outbreak. There are lots of seabirds and not many boats are on the water. We paddled around the arboretum last week and paddled around lake union the week before. This week we are coming back to explore a different area. The owner and crew were very gracious. This is definitely an underrated activity. They definitely deserve more business than they have been getting so I'm just trying to get the word out there. Please support them and spend a few hours on the water :))) read more

Arrived on a lovely Sunday afternoon to kayak with our Japanese exchange student (his first time). We rented 2 single kayaks and one double kayak. We were given great instruction, PFDs and a dry bag, and all extra items were left in a cubby at the rental area. It couldn't have been a better experience for for our student. My husband and son, who have kayaking experience, took the single kayaks. I was steering the double kayak with the student in front. We checked out the houseboats and then went carefully and quickly through the Montlake cut. Kayaking a little further, we turned right into the small waterway through the arboretum. Immediately we saw a heron! There are places to pull out the kayaks and switch riders, so the student was able to practice with a single kayak in the very calm waters. When you do not have the experience, it takes a while to understand how to steer and paddle both forward and backward, and it took our student a while to figure it out. In the meantime, we found 6 turtles sunning themselves on a log! We went to the end of the arboretum by the overpass and took some great photos under it. Switched back to the student in the double kayak at the fenced walkway/pier and headed back. We only got a little splashed by the boat wakes back in the cut. Nearly 3 hours of a tiring but magical experience for our student and us. This is a great business. No wonder they have been here over 20 years! read more

I had a great time kayaking with my friends yesterday. The location was awesome... However, the customer service was not. From the rude register girl, to the life vest guy, sarcastic safety girl, and money register girl, everyone seemed like they hated their job. It sorta put a damper on the whole experience. And they had the nerve to ask for a tip on the receipt... Yeah, how about no. Other pros included a free waterproof bag to put your belongings in and plenty (2 hour/paid) parking close to the dock. read more

Agua Verde Paddle Club - Land ho! #Seattle - Paddleboarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I read some of the previous Yelp reviews about the staff and was worried about coming here. However, after going I had a pretty normal experience coming to this place. The staff was good and my group of 5 didn't have to wait that long even though it was a really hot Saturday. It is kind of far for me so I will likely stick to spots on the east side. However, if I was on the west side it is a fine place to go. read more

There was some weird 60ish year old white dude that was one of the most condescending people I've ever interacted with, and he was incredibly rude for no reason whatsoever. On a Monday morning where there were 5 in our group and we were the only ones there. We've been here a dozen times or more. Get a life pal. read more

Loved my recent experience with Agua Verde. Boyfriend and I came recently for a casual active date, but we only had about 2 hours. The girl at the front desk quickly went over the details and had us signed & ready to go in 5 minutes. She told us about the two directions. One is more relaxed going west towards Lake Union where there's a great view of the downtown skyline, the Space Needle, the boathouses, and Gas Works Park (might even see some close-ups of seaplanes takeoff or land). The other is going east towards Union Bay & Lake Washington, which takes you through Montlake Cut. The waters there are quite choppy especially when lots of boats are out. The expansive view of Lake Washington is definitely worth it. I had so much fun and it was a great way to see the beautiful Seattle waters from a new perspective. Highly recommend it! read more

Agua Verde Paddle Club - Paddleboarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great example of what happens when there's no competition and lots of tourists available to bring their business here. Unchecked bad behavior. Gist of this post: "Millionaire owner "fires" and bullies young customer". I'll start with the pros: this club has an excellent location, breathtaking views of the water, and has a great supply of kayaks and paddle boards. Also, there's a restaurant upstairs with ~ okay Mexican food for Seattle (but great water views) which is very convenient and could add to the experience. And the cons: passive aggressive employees (each of the three times I went there), led by a downright aggressive owner. It's possible when I met him today the owner was having a nervous breakdown. In a surreal bullying session I experienced while trying to checkout the owner disclosed to me that he is a millionaire (quote) and he is firing me as a customer (also quote) for an undisclosed offense I brought to one of his employees (Kayla) whom he trusts so much he doesn't even need to tell me what the problem is. I'm too perplexed to detail at length his off the charts behavior, but I am glad that he was able to refund my membership fee (a wooping $330 for the season!). As he was yelling repeatedly and without a chance of a conversation "do you understand what the words "limited reservation means"? limited? limited? [etc]" I understood the seed of discord had to do with me inquiring earlier about their reservation policy for members! I wonder how often he inflicts this bullying and intimidation tactic to other unsuspecting young women. Could the insecure millionaire boss ready to fire customers on a whim explain why his employees come across as bitter? read more

Got there with just enough time to rent before they closed. My girl already had a board, I was renting for myself. Older dude with white hair, who I could tell before he opened his mouth was going to be an idiot, looks at our paddle board and says "are you ready to go right now? Because time starts now. You have ten minutes, so you should go get your board ready before you rent" We scramble, run back and forth, I get back within 10, the door is half closed and there's a couple in there. He talks to them and motions to me. "You see, that's why I don't do this", as he makes them finish their paperwork. He then turns to me like he hasn't seen me before and says "single kayak?" I say "paddle board " and he tells me they are already "Locked up" but he'll rent me a kayak. I say nope, he just repeats the drivel about they are locked up. Ya, no. I say thanks and leave. Yeah, I get it, if we were early I wouldn't have to have dealt with this douchebag in the same way, but I just don't want to give people like this my money. Sounds like another reviewer had a bad experience with what sounds like the same person. But they do rent paddle boards and I'm sure they float, just don't care to find out. Good luck. read more

This review is for the paddle club but I'd probably give the restaurant a similar rating. Both are bad, but not terrible. As far as the paddle club goes, the equipment is top notch. You are renting kayaks for about $25/hr, and they are good quality. Customer service is oddly bad. The people working there seem to hate their jobs, and the kayak "orientation" is legitimately stressful because they are barking a script at you. Unless you seriously want Mexican food before paddling, go to the WAC. It's more affordable, and the people working are far less high strung. You're closer to the arboretum, anyway, and don't have to endure the hell that is paddling the Montlake Cut. read more

Very satisfied with service, thank you for a great experience. I will definitely be back and highly recommended. Stuff are very polite and professional. read more

The older gentleman who works here was quite unnecessarily rude - I will not be returning with my UW groups and have actively discouraged others from even bothering. We tried to organize a large group reservation and it was incredibly challenging, the website was unclear and it was difficult to get anyone to even answer the phone. Would recommend the UW Waterfront Activity Center over the AV Paddle Club (they aren't affiliated with the Agua Verde restaurant, which is great BTW!) read more

Was looking for a place to go kayaking with some city views and this did not disappoint! Everyone we interacted with was so helpful and kind, the pricing was very reasonable, and we had a wonderful time on Lake Union! read more

Agua Verde Paddle Club - Paddleboarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Such incredible views, so peaceful, super high quality kayaks and other equipment. They even provided a free dry bag and everyone was super helpful and smiley! Would recommend that anyone visiting Seattle come check this out! But don't forget that kayaking is a bit of a workout!! read more

Agua Verde Paddle Club - Paddleboarding Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I generally find the positive in everything, and I've rented from half a dozen kayak rentals on Lake WA and Lake Union. Feel free to check out any of my prior reviews for my perspective and attitude toward service. Tried these folks today, July 4, 2019. They were dead, and had employees just looking for things to do. I was shocked at the complete lack of customer service and the rigidity of their process. The woman working the front counter at 2pm today was a complete witch. We had 7 people of which 5 were present and 2 were 20 feet away waiting by the water. She sent us back into the waiting line because not everyone walked up to the counter to greet her in unison at the same time. They only take one group of customers at a time at the counter and everyone else has to stage across the sidewalk in the cattle cage. If you don't get this, they have various people who will continuously remind you. They start the clock (literally) the second you sign the contract, and do not give you credit for adjusting the kayaks, putting your personals away, etc. And if you're one minute over when returning, as she says, they'll charge you for it. I've never seen a kayak rental business like this. Most are friendly, care about their customers, and provide flexibility so you get your full hour or two on the water. My sense is anyone rating these folks more than one star have either 1) not rented kayaks before, or 2) been raised in an environment of abuse. Seriously, every other choice on Lake Union is far superior this place. I walked away and will never go back. I'd encourage you to do the same. They don't deserve your business. read more

We had such a fun Sunday at Agua Verde! The prices are very reasonable: $18/hr for a single kayak and $24/hr for tandem. They provide waterproof bags for your valuables. Lockers on site don't have locks - so definitely bring yours. We chose to kayak in Lake Union, but you can also go all the way out to Lake Washington. That was just a little bit too ambitious for us newbies. After a 15 minute kayak past the Canal bridge, you get a breathtaking view of the downtown landscape and the surrounding mountains. We also just floated around a little bit to enjoy the sun and the views, and rest up before we paddled back. They also have stand-up paddle boarding for a comparable price. Friendly staff and great location. Best thing is you can eat back all those calories you have just burned by feasting at the connected Agua Verde cafe! Win. read more

Rey Lopez is the owner of this business and if you want to feel unappreciated then do business with him. I researched and found that his business was the closest to me that would receive a very hard to find kayak in the color I wanted (it's not produced often these days). I tried to contact him multiple times via his website's email address, leaving multiple voicemail messages on the business phone and with his employees, but he never responded to me. I told him it's apparent that you don't need my business and I'm tired of waiting for a reply. Only then did he respond and he told me about a fire at his house (he previously had a fire at his business too). I gave him the benefit of the doubt and that was my big mistake. On October 31st he said his business was closing for the season so he had to have FULL payment for the kayak then (there is no accounting rule to support this, especially since the kayak hadn't even been built yet) and the delivery date was December 5th. My only requirements to Rey were: kayak pickup on a non-rainy day and leave the kayak wrapped when I come to inspect it. No status reports were provided after he got my money so I contacted him on December 6th. He said he was going to pick up the kayak order on Tuesday so when did I want to pick up my kayak. I said Tuesday, if the weather isn't bad. He then said he's returning on Wednesday and asked me again - now I'm starting to get really frustrated. On Wednesday I contacted him asking if I could pick up the kayak on Thursday (good weather forecast for that day). He said no one will be at the shop then so I said I'm so frustrated with you that I'm cancelling my order and he said good, I can easily sell this kayak. I ended up buying a kayak from one of his competitors which I recommend to everyone. BTW, after I paid Rey for the kayak, two business ladies contacted me saying they could get me my kayak and they did not require full payment prior to pick up - tough lesson learned. read more

My best friend and I have been coming to Auga Verde Paddle Club once a week for about 2 months. Each time we come, we have been treated super well and have had great customer service (Edwin is our favorite:)) The views towards Lake Union and towards Lake Washington are breathtaking, and if you need a moment to yourself to take in and enjoy beauty in the quiet, paddling towards Lake Washington is always a plus! So glad to call this one of my favorite places in Seattle! read more

I've been to other kayak rentals and this one is by far the worst in service. Definitely won't be back. Staff was rude and seemed annoyed with all the customers, even mentioned that it was a frustrating day at the paddle club. That's not something you tell a customer. They're all kids, but they need to be better trained to have patience with customers who are new to kayaking. Clearly, my friend didn't know how to get in and out of the kayak and they rolled their eyes in annoyance. Every place has a different launch with a different way of getting in the boat, which is normally demonstrated if you're new (normally they ask if you're new to kayaking also) which they did not and proceeded to pass snarky remarks. read more

The people here were incredibly rude I have never seen such rude service they were bad every clown question we had they didn't answer or the condescended it was bad do not recommend read more

We've been here several times to rent kayaks and have always had good/friendly service & didn't have to wait too long. I like that they have the closed kayaks that you can steer with pedals and not the open top ones. We always head towards Lake Union to check out Gasworks Park & see the Seattle skyline. I recommend going around 10:30ish...before it gets too busy and too hot. I know we'll be back. read more

Pricing system is good - rented a paddle board. Customer service was just so unfriendly that it really tainted the whole experience. When I was leaving the dock, the dock person was talking so fast I couldnt actually understand what he was saying. But what really did it was when I came back to dock, I was 15-20 ft out from the docks standing in the paddle board, a male staff member shouted at me "GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEES" which definitely could have been worded...differently... (im a woman, and I consider that particular phrasing to be harmful for fairly obvious reasons). When I docked and got off the board, another staff member lectured me for coming in too fast. They didn't tell me how to correctly do the whole docking thing beforehand, but I felt embarrassed to be yelled at and then lectured in an very unfriendly tone. It made me not want to come back. While I was there, I also witnessed the manager rudely telling off an employee - so maybe the rudeness is coming from the top and the staff unhappy. Who knows, but I don't plan on coming back. read more

This place is awesome! Because I am a dork, i booked a time they were closed on a Tuesday. They let us go anyway and went above and beyond for us! Kids, check the calendar ! I felt safe and all Covid precautions were in order! The kayak was in good order and the staff was incredibly helpful even though I had made such an error. Great place! read more

Not customer service friendly at all! Especially, some dude with long stringy blonde hair.

Great customer service! Quick and easy process, just wait in line, they walk you through the map of the lake, show you how to safely transfer yourself into the kayaks and then you're free to go! It was so liberating to just kayak in lake union! Staff there really enjoy what they do as they are so friendly! Reasonably priced. read more

Out of town visiting local friend! The service was quick and friendly, while the rules of the road- err lake - were clearly spelled out for us through the whole check in process. Rented Styrofoam paddle boards for $23/hr that day. As usual you leave an ID and pay for however long you stay minimum 1 hour. Would recommend renting a locker :) read more