Ballard went above and beyond to make our tour happen. Our interactions with the owner were great. Emma, our guide, was The Best! She was friendly, fun, safe, knowledgeable, energetic and made it feel like we'd been paddling buddies forever. We got lucky and were approached by harbor seals - one even climb aboard! The picnic on the beach is a nice touch. We had a 10/10 experience with Ballard and would highly recommend them. read more

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Genuinely just a good time. Shoutout to Blake for being such an awesome tour guide. So knowledgeable about Washington state history and geography, tide changes, boat structures, and types of birds. It made you want to learn more about the subject matters on your own time. I did not know that he also kayaks with us on the side because one may easily get lost, especially with the stronger currents off to the opposite end from where you exit from the dock to then start the kayaking journey. Remember to look at the weather before you make a booking. They offer vests here in case you tip over...u will not with Blake there unless you really make an effort to do so. The vests have a place to put your phone in that you can easily unzip so you can take out your phone for pictures. They even provide shades for you, if you did not bring any...like I forgot! Blake does a good job with orienting you to the kayak boat so that you can confidently function in and navigate with it. Would recommend this experience for anyone new to the state so that they can appreciate the beauty of Washington nature and see where else to explore on their off-days read more

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Great tour of the Shilshole bay and Ballard locks. Tour guide and owner of business, Blaine, was friendly, knowledgeable and had stories to share. We saw plenty of wildlife including baby and mother seals, salmon jumps, herons, ospreys, sea stars and more. I'd definitely recommend this kayak tour. read more

Ballard Kayak - Kayaking under pier for sea stars and sea anemones - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We had so much fun on the Ballard Lock tour. Blaine met us where we were athletically and engaged all of us in the tour with history, facts, and interesting stories. We loved being on the water and seeing things we wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Also, Un Bien for lunch - OMG, so good! Highly recommend for all levels. Again - SO MUCH FUN!!! read more

Ballard Kayak - After - and we didn't take many pics because we were having a lot of fun! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We booked the Ballard Locks tour with Lindsay and had a blast! Lindsay was a great tour guide. He is very knowledgeable, patient, and funny. His passion for the wildlife and Puget Sound was very obvious given his breadth of fun facts, which made the tour very enjoyable. The tour started off with a brief introduction and demonstration on how to paddle so don't worry if this is your first time (PS no swim test necessary). Out in the water we were able to spot a heron, many seals (pups included), star fishes and sea anemone! We didn't see sea lions in the water but there were a bunch on the deck at the starting point. The Ballard locks was incredible! You don't really realize the water is filling up and then the next thing you know, you're so much closer to the people staring at you from above. All in all, this was one of the highlights of our trip and we highly recommend if you're visiting Seattle! Thanks again Lindsay for a wonderful experience! read more

We did the Ballard Locks tour with Emma as our guide, and it was easily one of the highlights of our trip to Washington. The weather was perfect, and the Puget Sound was absolutely gorgeous! Emma was a great guide - enthusiastic, patient, knowledgeable. We saw harbor seals with their pups, herons, an eagle, salmon jumping out of the water. And going through the locks was very cool!! Highly highly recommend!! read more

Ballard Kayak - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We went on the Ballard Locks tour and absolutely loved it. Blaine and the rest of the team were excellent, welcoming and informative, sharing a lot of great historical context and information and making sure the trip was comfortable, accessible, and fun for everyone. Seeing so many seals was a particular highlight, they were around us in the water and chilling on the rocks at the marina. I would recommend this tour to anyone. We will definitely come back for more in the future! read more

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Easy access to dock. There is parking nearby. Friendly greeting with life jacket assistance. Directed us to Dan on the dock. He was super helpful in getting us into the double kayak. Helpful again upon our return. Had a lovely experience out on the water. read more

We did the Ballard Locks tour with Blaine as our guide. What a great experience! So appreciated Blaine's attention to proper kayak paddling and safety. Blaine's many tidbits about birds, marine life, tides, history of the Locks and Seattle made the trip even more enjoyable. Being locals and having visited the Locks many times with out-of-town guests, it was fabulous to actually experience the Locks on the water. Highly recommend for locals and out-of-town guests. read more

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What a wonderful experience, start to finish! We took the Ballard Locks Tour and it was great. Nice comfortable paddling ride out to the locks, learned a lot about the history of the area on the way, then thru the locks, super cool! On the way back, we saw amazing, colorful sea stars (starfish) on the underwater dock pilings, and then were followed for awhile by two very playful harbor seals. Overall, incredible experience. Highly recommend! read more

This was an amazing experience! I rented a single two hour kayak and had a blast! The check in process was super simple and the staff were very courtesy and professional. The online reservation system is a breeze. The gal who assisted me was named, Anna, and she was great. You cannot go wrong with views like these! I saw so many jelly fish, sea lions, and grey herons during today's outing, it was incredible! This was my first time kayaking with Ballard Kayak and highly recommended checking these folks out, I certainly aim to do so! Prices are very reasonable and they also have Paddleboarding, tandem kayaks, and tours. read more

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Great experience! Everyone was super nice and communicated well. Had a lot of fun on the water on their paddle board. We ended up rescheduling twice. Once due to weather, appreciate their commitment to safety. Second due to me needing to change. Both times were super simple and taken care of for me. I'll be back for the Locks Kayak tour! read more

Great place to kayak in summer. Salt water, fantastic views. Ballard Kayak people are always friendly and helpful. Am a happy, repeat customer! read more

I went with on this embankment with my Girl Scout troop as we were on our final trip together. We had a reservation at 9am for the 3 hour kayaking tour and once we got there, the guides Lindsay and Anna were super welcoming and were super charismatic. They made the instructions clear, easy and fun to follow. Once on the water, the energy did not stop there. Both Lindsay and Anna had countless amount of puns and information on what my group was looking at. We even got lucky enough that the seals were playful and jumped on the tail end of some of our kayaks which was a super rare yet fun opportunity to see. Regardless, we did see a few signs of wildlife including the seals, jumping fish and jellyfish. I can speak on behalf of my entire troop of 6 people in saying we had an amazing time on the water. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone groups big or small. read more

Ballard Kayak - Near the marina with seals relaxing on the rocks - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We had such an amazing morning on the water with our guides Lindsay and Patrick. We did the locks tour and it was really cool to go through and learn about the locks and how they work, but the wildlife was outshining the locks by a mile. It was like all the animals were putting on a show. The salmon were jumping, seals playing and eagles soaring! Such an amazing day! I highly recommend this company and this tour to locals and visitors. read more

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Very informative and relaxing. Family friendly and provides a good hybrid of current local insight with historical perspectives.

We went on the Ballard Locks tour and had a great time! Guides Blaine, Lindsey and Terri were great in guiding and explaining the history and habitat around the area, which are informative for us who are local residents. I do wish we could do a little bit more of Lake Union (or as one way, get shuttled back). read more

My daughter and I went out for a couple hours Sunday evening. Kat was our guide, and was knowledgeable, patient and professional. We saw harbor seals, herons and 3 seagulls chasing a bald eagle about 20 feet off the water. Beautiful time on the water. read more

I had a fantastic experience with Ballard Kayaks & SUPs! I did a two-hour self-guided rental. Blaine set me up with all of the necessary gear. He was clearly very knowledgeable about kayaking and the area and gave me a couple of great suggestions as to where to go and what I could see. It's always refreshing to deal with someone who is passionate about what they do. The gear was great; the sit-on-top kayak was very easy to maneuver. Yes, I did get wet. But- I always chuckle when reading this in other reviews- I was on the WATER in an open-top kayak! Duh! Seeing a juvenile bald eagle up close, watching the boats come in and out of the harbor, checking out the sea lions, tiny jellyfish, and exploring a local inlet made the few sprinkles worth it. Plus, they give you a waterproof jacket to use. Thanks again, Ballard Kayaks! read more

We took the 2 hour Sound tour. This was only our second time kayaking: my husband and I felt right in our element. The entire group was so much fun! Our guides: Lindsay and Cat were the absolute best!! They made the entire experience so amazing and surpassed any expectation we had. This event was packed with fun and so incredibly enjoyable. Thanks to Lindsay and Cat for making this the best experience ever!! And....the seals....oh my!! I was in heaven!! The entire trip went well!!! Amazi read more

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Wow, one of THE BEST paddleboarding experiences I've ever had! The online reservation process is easy and straightforward, ALL of the staff are so friendly, and the location is perfect (Shilshole Marina/Golden Gardens Beach- have to find street parking because most of the parking lots are closed off). I actually came a week ago with my friend, but the water was too choppy that we could only go out for 15ish minutes and had to come back. The staff were so kind and didn't charge us for the time. We came back to try earlier today (morning times= calmer waters apparently) and it was perfect. Paddleboarding out on Lake Union is nice too but there are usually way too many people and boats out... The experience is too hectic and not enjoyable. I highly recommend coming here to kayak/paddleboard and renting from Ballard Kayak!!! read more

We had a great time paddling around the Shilshole area in kayaks for a few hours. Saw LOTS of sea lions, birds, etc. VERY easy rental experience and good in/out access to the kayak. Thanks to Blaine for setting us up! read more

Easy to make online reservations. You should get there at least 10-15 ahead of time, as there was a bit of a line and with social distancing everything takes longer. Parking is street parking so keep that in mind as well. Sign the waiver beforehand. Once they go over the safety instructions and you are all set. You can rent dry bags, I brought my own. They don't have lockers so don't bring anything you don't need with you. I jumped in the sound and it was cold but for an 82 degree day, it was bearable. read more

Loved the Ballard lock kayak tour!! Would highly recommend! Lots of wildlife and the guide/owner is very knowledgeable and friendly!

Absolutely add this to your MUST DO list! The only regret I have is not doing it sooner. Our guide Jay was GREAT! Knowledgeable, funny, confidently calm, and very personable! I was a bit nervous since this was my first time in a kayak, but quickly found out I had nothing to worry about and was able to enjoy EVERY minute of our tour. It helps when your guide can make you feel safe so that you can spend your time soaking in the surroundings...which included multiple sightings of the playful puget sound SEALS!! We actually lost count of how many we spotted because they were popping up all over the place. My guess would be 8? I'm most definitely doing this again and recommending it to all my friends and family. I'll be sure to get a pic or two of the seals next time!!! I'm sure everyone is a great time...but if you can, get Jay! I wish YELP would let me make the stars into a Star-fish rating from me! read more

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I rarely leave reviews online, but I don't want other people to have the same experience we did. It was my brother's birthday, and we were excited about getting out on the water for a couple of hours. This place literally cancelled our reservation LESS THAN 30 MINUTES before we were supposed to show up. We were already on an Uber ride heading there, and they had the audacity to EMAIL us the cancellation notice. Our reservation began at 2:30pm and it was nearly 2pm. We didn't receive so much as a text or call. When I called to inquire, the guy nonchalantly said the call/text notifications "should" have gone out that morning, and the reason our session was cancelled was because of "high winds." That was it. Well, guess what? When we arrived at our destination (since we couldn't exactly ask the Uber to turn around), we saw plenty of people paddle boarding and enjoying their time at the beach. The wind level was LOW that day. Even if the wind levels justified cancellation (which they didn't), they could have notified us in the morning instead of waiting until the last minute and not giving so much as an apology. My guess is that they overbooked, but who knows? There are lots of great places to go to in Seattle, so please spend your hard-earned money elsewhere. Avoid Ballard Kayak & Paddleboard Tours like the plague. read more

Ballard Kayak - There were no high winds and Ballard was completely unprofessional. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I had an unforgettable experience with Ballard Kayak. The staff were super nice, friendly and helpful! I took my friend who was from Texas to this place and we both really really enjoyed our kayaking time. I highly recommend this amazing place! :) If I could give them 100 star I would. read more

Ballard Kayak - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Lindsay is an awesome tour guide!! We had so much fun kayaking on Puget Sound. He pointed out a lot of wildlife and gave great historical commentary about the sound. Thank you so much, Lindsay! read more

Our guide was amazing and reassuring to our groups needs. The evening was a bit cloudy and she thoroughly explained the route and reason behind why. We were able to see a baby seal and a herring in the sunset tour. Highly recommend! read more

Ballard Kayak - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My mother-in-law and I just did the Ballard Locks kayaking tour and it was awesome! So fun and Lindsey was an amazing tour guide -- so much knowledge about Puget Sound, the locks and the history of Seattle. If you like to kayak and experience the beauty of Puget Sound this tour will it disappoint! read more

We've been on a few tours with Ballard Kayak and they're always a fun time! The tour guides are so fun and always take good good care of us. The p read more

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This was a great day for my wife and I and our two visiting nephews from New Jersey! Our guide Blane was fantastic - truly a unique and memorable experience! Would recommend it highly for locals and guests!! read more

We loved our experience with Ballard Kayak. We rented a tandem kayak and had to move our reservation to accommodate our plans in the city and they were so helpful in doing so and informed us about potential wind issues that could occur later in the day. Our instructor gave us some good tips about getting into and out of the kayak, tips about where to explore and what to see afterwards. He suggested watching the locks just down the road and we never would have known about them if he didn't suggest it! Overall it was a great experience and we can't wait to kayak with them again when we're back in Seattle! read more

The staff at Ballard kayak were knowledgeable, friendly, and patient. The sunset sound tour was beautiful and great for beginners! Would highly recommend. read more

Ballard Kayak - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Oh wow, was that an amazing adventure for me and my older Girl Scouts. Lindsey and Anna, our knowledgeable guides were so much fun. Not only did we kayak, but we were also able to go through the locks AND had a baby seal jump on our kayaks several times. My girls are still talking about the adventure. read more

Fiancé and I rented a double kayak for 2 hours. It was super easy to reserve online on their website and when we got there, the staff was incredibly helpful and friendly and got us out onto the water quickly. There was a lot of street parking and public guest parking available in the marina when we went, so parking wasn't an issue for us! It was a blast kayaking around the puget sound and the price for the rentals was not expensive. Totally worth it. read more

Let me just say, AWESOME! They easily accommodated my group of ten, we saw an amazing sunset (and plenty of marine life!), and the staff made everything so easy. The person in the back of my kayak had never done it before and can't swim (they are double kayaks) and it started off a little stressful but by the end it was a breeze. Everyone who works here is clearly skilled, and very friendly. No judgement whatsoever. They go out of their way to make the experience excellent. The owner is also fantastic. One of the nicest and most knowledgable people I've met. He spends most of his time on the water and that lends to his expertise. This tour is fantastic! My group will definitely be returning :) read more

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My husband & I along with our two kids (10 & 13) did a kayak tour of the locks and loved it! Lindsay was an excellent guide! He pointed out notable sites and taught us a lot about the region. We saw harbor seals, sea lions, osprey, herons, & a bald eagle! Would highly recommend! read more

I'll start off by saying that I had really high expectations after thoroughly reading a lot of the reviews for Ballard Kayak. My boyfriend and I were negotiating different companies, but we ultimately paid $120 for a tour and I expected the experience to reflect that. We stopped by yesterday (Saturday) when the weather was phenomenal and the view of the mountains was the clearest it has been all summer-- all great perks for the occasion. The first frustrating part of our experience was that I was not notified about where to park. I am not from Seattle and expected to be able to park in the marina parking lot that is attached to Ballard Kayak. I was wrong. Despite arriving 20 minutes early, we were turned away by the parking attendant and had to scramble to get a spot on the street during what I imagine was one of the busiest times of the year (a weekend with perfect weather). It was a complete mess. We also had a difficult time locating their booth, but a quick phone call cleared that up. I'd highly recommend you ask all of these questions ahead of time to not be scratching your head at the marina. I am still not sure if these explicit instructions were ever sent to me because they were not easily accessible and not with my confirmation email. Our guide was Fraiser, a young man in his freshman year of college. I didn't remember seeing his name in the reviews that I read, but I still had high hopes for the experience. Fraiser was very quick to get us out onto the water, but seeing as it was our very first time kayaking, it felt way too rushed. Once in the water, Fraiser was always polite but answered "I don't know" more times than I can count to rather simple questions that I expect someone a bit older to know right off the bat. I wouldn't exactly describe our experience a "tour" as much as a guided kayak train. Fraiser mentioned 2 or 3 tidbits of facts about a house here and there, but I didn't feel like I got anything substantial out of the actual "tour". It was disappointing. Marine life was lacking as well, which I know we cannot control, but was nevertheless disheartening. We saw 1 blue heron and a quick glimpse of a seal's head in the distance. That's about it. Overall, I cannot say I would recommend this company. The owner clearly tries very hard to impress his clientele, but we were left feeling rather mediocre about it all. We wish we got more out of it. read more

I can see where they gets 5 star reviews total class operation, very safe and really nice kayaks, we really really enjoyed this! read more

Ballard Kayak - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Seattle, Washington