I was hoping to learn sailing this summer but this place is very disorganized. The people…read moreconducting orientation have apparently not even been out on the water. And discourage you saying the water is really dirty. They have you take two classes on land on your own and then take a boat out on your own by coordinating yourself on Slack. It's not really a place to learn with a coach. Might be fine if you're just here to rent - can't speak to that.

This is a review just for kayaking:…read more On a beautiful Sunday, we wanted to kayak. We first went to another sailing pavilion that was unfortunately closed and then tried Community Boating. The office / guest services area inside is pretty well staffed and they have bathrooms and lockers so seemed promising. Unfortunately after you pay it becomes clear the main intent of this place is sailing. If you want to do anything else, do not come here. I had to chase multiple people down for us to get assistance with getting paddles and we had to go out into the water on our own with little to no direction. In the end, we didn't even get to spend the full 2 hours you pay for out on the water because it took so long to get setup on our own. Don't come here for anything but sailing!

James, our guide on our rafting trip, was amazing. He is an amazing guide who taught everyone in…read morethe raft how to navigate in the water as a group within the first few minutes. James loves what he does and has many years of experience. He speaks multiple languages fluently and is knowledgeable in everything! James made our rafting trip truly memorable. Not one second of the journey was boring with him as guide!

Bought a new Pyranha Scorch small kayak! Order went well with delivery within a few weeks. Jim…read moreanswered all questions and was very knowledgeable about kayaking was buying! Transaction went smoothly! This was a 2nd kayak after 45 years with same brand!

Stopped in very last minute as they were closing on a slow late summer Tuesday. Was driving…read morethrough and wanted to see some loon's if at all possible. The dog and very competent daughter greeted upon walking in off street. Marty the Owner came out and recommended paddle board and directed to nearby lake. They were spot on! The family of 7-loon's right in area Marty recommended (great long paddle). What an experience! So grateful found these folks... our country needs more like you these days. Thank you Marty, grown daughter and dog!

This is a great shop, very impressive. With EMS gone now we have fewer choices when looking for…read moreoutdoor wear. I really liked what they had for men's and women's outdoor clothing. Interestingly enough, they also carry a decent selection of used gear: backpacks/sleeping bags, etc.. Great experience in this wonderful shop.

Whenever I travel, I look for opportunities to get on the water, preferably in a kayak. This was…read moremy first time paddling the Charles River. I was staying in East Cambridge so traveled upstream to the Allston location which didn't turn out to be as scenic or straightforward as I had first thought, though once on the water, the trip was beautiful. The website says the easiest way to get to the Allston location is by mass transit (the Harvard stop on the Red Line) then another 1.5 miles on foot. I was using my gps (make sure you start out with lots of battery power for this trip) but even then, I took a wrong turn when trying to cross the bridge and get to the correct side because of road traffic (you have to fund the foot path that goes under the road which I found only because I happened to see a large group of students and followed). Also, the "1-mile stretch of the walk along the river was actually blocked by temporary fencing so you actually had to walk on the opposite side of the street and can't see the river at all. I would recommend using a car service to get here, if you're unfamiliar with the area. The launch area consists of a check in kiosk (remember to fill out your waiver online to save a little time) and a storage shed for the equipment (no restroom, as far as I could see and nothing else anywhere close by. No need to reserve ahead of time, as they had many kayaks (single and double, thankfully NOT the sit-on-tops), paddle boards and canoes. You can borrow a dry bag at no charge, they set you up with your paddle and pfd, then you get in at water level from the floating dock. I did the one way trip to Kendall Square (5 miles, $10 feet), passing under 7 bridges, lots of green space plus a number of beautiful crew boat houses. This section of the river is flat (no current) and the wind wasn't strong at all. So lovely and peaceful with some geese and cormorants along the way. There were a number of other paddlers and a few crew team practicing so you aren't totally alone but I found it perfect. As you get closer to the center of Boston the noise from the road and people using the paths which lines the shores picks up, but there's a screen of vegetation all along the river so it still very scenic. Between the last two bridges, the wind picks up and there were quite a few sailboats on the water, too (looked like there was a public sailboat launch on the Boston shore. There were also a few boat tour boats, but not a lot which was really nice. The end point is located in a small canal leading to Kendall Square. The set up there has a tent over a table for check ins and a little trailer for checking out. Note that when I went, this lower area of the Charles River was still unfortunately plagued by toxic algae, so be careful about getting the water on you and wash off as soon as you can. Staff at both ends were pleasant and efficient. Total cost was very reasonable ($45 + $10 one-way fee). They tell you the trip takes between 2 and 2,5 hours (I did it in less, but you should take it slow and enjoy it, if you have the time!)

I booked a kayak here and travelled to the Kendall Square location. I should have gone the other…read moredirection - the most difficult part was near the Kendal Square location, and I was paddling against the wind and current most of the way. Other than that, it was a great trip! It's a nice mix of peaceful trees and city views. I also paddled through a sailing team practice, which was cool. The boats were in great shape. The life jackets were showing their age, but I guess that's what you get with rentals. They estimated 1.5 - 2 hours for this trip, and it took me about an hour.

I booked a kayak at the Kendall Square location and landed here. I should have gone the other…read moredirection - the most difficult part was near this location, and I was paddling against the wind and current most of the way. Other than that, it was a great trip! It's a nice mix of peaceful trees and city views. I also paddled through a sailing team practice, which was cool. The boats were in great shape. The life jackets were showing their age, but I guess that's what you get with rentals. They estimated 1.5 - 2 hours for this trip, and it took me about an hour. I docked a star from this location, because the workers didn't really seem to know what was going on when I returned the boat. I needed to let them know I came from the other location and the responses were "that's cool" and "okay" and "I don't know what to do with that". Turns out you have to check out in a trailer at the end of the dock and tell them, but no one seemed to know. Still a great trip!

TL;DR - Paddle Boston at Kendall Square is my go-to for kayaking on the Charles. The staff is…read morealways friendly, prices are fair, and the views of Boston and Cambridge are unbeatable. Their season passes and Fourth of July rentals make the experience even better--highly recommend! _______________________________ I love being outdoors, especially on the water, and Paddle Boston has become one of my favorite spots in the city. I discovered them shortly after moving to Boston and working in Cambridge, and it has been a go-to ever since. Their kayak rentals are fairly priced and offer an amazing way to enjoy the Charles River with unbeatable views of both the Boston and Cambridge skylines. The staff is always friendly, helpful, and welcoming. Their kayaks are perfect for the calm waters of the Charles, not overly advanced but not basic either, just right for a relaxing paddle. I also love that they offer season passes for frequent paddlers and special rentals for the Fourth of July Boston Pops Fireworks, which is truly the best way to experience the show. While I typically take the T to get there, parking nearby on Main Street has never been an issue. If you are looking for a fun and easy outdoor activity in the city, I highly recommend Paddle Boston at Kendall Square.

This passed summer, my girlfriend wanted me to try canoeing and it was surprisingly fun and…read morerelaxing! The staff was very helpful in finding the right size oar for you as well as the life jacket. Then, they push you off in the canoe and best of luck on your journey!! Joking, but you are pretty much on your own though, but it's so easy to figure out even though it's my first try. I forgot the price, but it barely puts a dent in your wallet for going around the river for a few hours. There's ample parking as well, and if you need a special canoe/kayak, you can request it ahead of time and they'll have it delivered. Also, they had a day where you help bag trash you find along the river and they comp you for today's canoeing. I can't wait to come back again next summer!

Think they own the whole area around the boat house. There are family's with kids and dogs walking…read moreand playing around the boat house, they drive their cars where ever they want and park them on the grass when there is plenty of space for them to park in the parking lot.

Our friend group went kayaking during the long weekend and everything went smoothly…read more They have different kind of rentals and a large number - we did not have rental bookings in advance. Life jackets are provided of course and we have to sign waivers. The river route is so long and scenic and will definitely take hours. The staff are really helpful as well. My only complaint is that they only have fixed full day rental rate. I wish they also have half day rate for people who only wanna spend a short time. - 7.5/10

Spent the day on the river with some friends and had the best time! With more than five rentals you…read morereceive a discount if you call - they made that super easy! Check in was smooth, gear was great and everyone was super friendly. We had a beautiful day!

This place is amazing. The scenery is beautiful, it's located in a great area (across the street…read morefrom Nantasket Beach), and the staff is truly wonderful. Very helpful, knowledgeable, and keep everything clean. I go there as much as I can. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

We went here during Phase 3 of COVID as we are trying to keep social distant and entertain our…read moretoddler. I called the day before to confirm we could rent a kayak for 2 adults and take our toddler. I was happy with the social distancing measures they had in place. They had a sign to please wear a mask and keep space. Once you rented your kayak you had to wait to go on the dock until the party in front of you had left. They requested you sign the waiver online so there was no handing out of pens and paper. We lucked out with the weather the day we went because the water was fairly calm. You could head over to worlds end, get out a swim if you wanted and there was a few other places to get out. Overall great experience, we will definitely be back.

Our extended family had an absolutely fabulous time in June at an important family kayaking event,…read moremade possible by Aquahoppers; thank you Donna and WT!! Donna was extremely accommodating regarding our arrangements (which were not straightforward!) and her flexibility and suggestions made our whole morning go incredibly smoothly. They delivered 8 single kayaks at 8:30 in the morning, which completely eliminated any hassle for us, and met us at the end of our kayaking and took care of everything. Mobile kayaking is a great concept! Donna and her 1st mate were super friendly and very pleasant and fun to work with. Simply fantastic and highly recommended.

What a great couple. What a great service. Why bother loading and aggravating getting the kayaks to…read morea lake when these 2 will just meet you wherever with the kayaks and off you go. Reasonable price and superb knowledge between them both. They take the time to set you up and take the time to make sure you had fun. They obviously love what they do and want everyone else to enjoy it too!

Always super easy to understand and be notified of any changes based on weather. You can always…read morebook ahead of time for the boats you want to rent. If you're going many times, look into getting a season pass

I went to the location in Medford to kayak. While I was there I accidentally left my watch in a…read morewaterproof bag, which my mom gave to me with her initials engraved in it, it was priceless and extremely important to me. I called them 4 TIMES in the span of a week, even getting someone else to call them to ask about it, The first time being only an hour after i left. Every single time they said they had no updates and they DIDNT EVEN TRY to look for it. They even forgot my name, number and every time without fail they asked me what my watch looked like again but they never even searched or sent me a follow up email. If they had looked when I called the first time, they would have IMMEDIATELY found it because it' was at the top of the waterproof bag section. This watch means so much to me and I now have left the country so there is no opportunity for me to get it ever again. I really hope they can improve their customer service because this is extremely disappointing and hopefully others can see this and not leave anything there because you will NEVER get it back. I will never be using this company again and i suggest nobody to book anything with them for their lack of respect and care for any of their customers.