Five stars, without hesitation! EZ Kayak Tours & Rentals lived up to the Yelp reviews that led me to them, and then some.
We were hosting out-of-town guests, and I was in charge of booking. The others had kayaking experience, but this was my first time. I was comparing prices, launch times and reviews, not thinking about kayak lengths or seat styles. Thankfully, Gio thought of the things I didn't even know to ask about.
The website made it easy to see available time slots and choose single or tandem kayaks. We booked four singles and received a text from Gio shortly afterward. When I mentioned my husband was over 6'4", he offered to reserve a longer kayak for him. I would never have known to request that, and I really appreciated the thoughtfulness.
Communication was excellent from start to finish. Emails and texts covered what to wear, what to bring, what was included, where to park and when to arrive. The online waivers were easy, and the reminders before our trip left us with no unanswered questions. They even reminded us about the park entrance fee. Our military pass covered that, and parking itself was free. We found plenty of spaces when we arrived, even on Labor Day.
Several companies launch from the same area, so we did have to ask around briefly to find our group. That was the only small moment of confusion, it's a small launch area and it was quickly sorted out.
Gio greeted everyone and got us set up. They provided life jackets, hats if needed, dry bags and phone pouches on lanyards so we could still take pictures. Each kayak also had two bottles of water and a snack box packed with granola bars, peanut butter crackers, chips and bananas. These were not skimpy little snacks! We were told to take home anything we didn't eat.
The Wilderness Systems brand kayaks were in great condition and very comfortable. Most of us had 12-foot kayaks, and my husband had a 14-foot one. I felt sturdy and secure in the sit-in kayak and never felt like I was about to tip over. Getting in and out was much easier than I expected. Between Gio's safety briefing and our guide Russ's paddling instructions, I felt comfortable getting started.
Russ was fantastic and made me so glad we chose a guided tour. He pointed out plants, shared local history and helped us look for wildlife. We saw a turtle and a bald eagle's nest high on the cliff, although the bighorn sheep stayed out of sight that day.
At Emerald Cave, Russ helped us get in position and explained how to back in so we could paddle out easily. He also took photos of our whole group together, which meant none of us had to be missing from the pictures. Those are memories I'll cherish, and he AirDropped the photos to us afterward so we had them right away.
On the return trip, we stopped at a beach to enjoy our snacks and took a short walk up to an overlook with a beautiful view of the river we had just paddled. Russ showed us the old river gauger's home site and also pointed out the cliffside catwalk, cable car and river-measuring structures along our route. We would have missed so much of that history on our own.
We went on Labor Day Monday, a non-motorized day, and absolutely loved how peaceful it felt. There was plenty of room to paddle, float, talk and enjoy the scenery alongside other kayakers and paddleboarders. I would definitely choose a non-motorized day again.
When we returned, Gio was waiting on the beach, waving and taking pictures of us coming in, just as he had promised. He sent those to us later, giving us even more photos of our day. Getting ashore and returning our gear was easy, too. They really took care of us from beginning to end. And don't forget to tip your guide. Russ certainly earned our appreciation!
We've lived here for seven years, and my only regret is not doing this sooner. Thank you, Gio, Russ and EZ Kayak Tours & Rentals, for helping us share such a wonderful day with our guests and showing us another reason to love where we live.
We're already looking forward to booking with EZ again. The only reason we would choose another company would be a scheduling conflict or unavailable time slot. Even then, they would have very big shoes to fill. Gio and his team have set the bar incredibly high! read more