This is my second time water rafting, the first time I went it was with a different company. I went…read morewith a group of 5, and we had a blast overall. However, I am confused on why they don't offer helmets especially with how many rocks there are. Our guide, Jake did openly swear at one of the customers for hanging onto his kayak, I understand it can be chaotic when people fall into the water and other people are frantically trying to get them back on the raft but it is very unprofessional in my opinion to be openly cursing at people for no reason. It could also be their first time rafting, and to have someone curse at you your first experience is not a good look. I also want to note the other guides were super helpful, it was just that one moment I noticed that threw me off!

The guides gave a thorough safety and intro talk before our drive to the launch…read more once on the river they guide you as to which side to stay on. It is important to stay on certain sides to avoid bigger rocks and your team has to work together. there are simple showers but you need to supply your own towel, soap and shampoo. We were a group of older adults and had a great time!

The setup: Mother's Day was coming up and I always try to find something unique and different for…read morethe momma of my kids as well as the mother-in-law. And I stumbled upon Urban Paddle and booked it for a 9am adventure. We lucked out that every variable and condition was ideal: weather, tide, calm water, almost no other boat-related traffic. We're a party of 7. The 'Urban Crew' numbered at 5. We were spoiled from start to finish with a group of really cool and helpful workers that were informative, fun, professional and made sure we were always safe and engaged the entire hour. (Make sure to watch their 6-minute YouTube video ahead of time so you know all about the proper paddling/rowing techniques when it comes time to hit the water.) The 'Urban Crew' were also invaluable because the owner was constantly taking pictures and videos and at the end airdropped them to us which was a nice 'cherry on top' since you can't really snap pictures for big chunks of the time when you're on the water. Is it expensive for an hour? No doubt. Did everyone absolutely love kayaking and getting to see everything from the Colgate clock to the back of the Statue of Liberty's head to the NYC skyline, not to mention all of the stunning yachts all docked and looking completely out of my price-range? Of course. Was it the funniest thing to see my mother-in-law somehow leaning back in her kayak like she was on a hammock while the father-in-law did all the hard work? Yup. (Did a cranky security guard try her best to be a stick in the mud regarding confusion over some parking-related issues when we were about to leave? Oh yeah.) I'd suggest clothing/footwear that you don't mind getting wet as well as sunglasses and sunblock (that sun is no joke bouncing off the water). Highly recommended. (The Mrs. is already plotting when to go back and I think she's even pricing kayaks to buy with that stimulus check that's burning a hole in her wallet.)

Overall this place is solid. My boyfriend and I went for the LED kayaking. The view was beautiful!…read moreThe difficulty was a 2/10 but honestly it does depend who you are and where your skill level is now. Our guide was perfect and he talked to us all night! Only bummed I never received the photos taken from that night. The entire trip takes a little over an hour. Parking is a little confusing but you have to find the parking authority and tell them you are there to kayak and pay $5 for a pass to put on your car. Overall great experience. I strongly advise not to put your hand into the water (who really knows what is in the Hudson River)

The Foundation I class taken 6/06/26 was led by Matt who was an excellent instructor! Although I…read morekayak on my own on lakes, I learned much more about the sport through Matt's instruction regarding kayaking on moving water. The entire team was professional and helpful. Looking forward to taking Foundation II! Yvonne

Every season I look forward to kayaking with Hudson River Expeditions and their entire team…read morewhether it's on a tour or a rental on my own, it's one of the most enjoyable things I do for myself each summer

I joined one of the beginner paddle board classes with a friend on Sunday a week or two ago. I…read morethink the class had about 7 participants total, with two teachers. I came in from Manhattan, and took the PATH to get back home. The walk from the station to Pier 13 isn't short, so I can see why Google Maps suggests the bus to get to Pier 13. Personally I plan to snag a ride share from the station to Pier 13 in the future since I run late to most things and the walk took a while. Although I've been paddle boarding before, this class highlighted that I had never been taught some paddle boarding basics during my prior adventures. We hung out pretty close to the docks most of the time because the water was so choppy that day, but I believe the instructors said under better conditions the class sometimes ventured further out. For those of you wondering about how clean the water is - I personally did not mind falling in and was splashing my hair with the water to cool down as needed. The water felt fairly clean, and was "brackish," as the instructors liked to say. The instructors for this class were great, namely Ben (I believe that was his name anyway). He was fun, easy to talk to, and 100% willing to jump into the water to demonstrate re-mounting the board for people that had fallen. They cover how to get onto your board from the dock, how to hold your paddle, which parts of your body you should be engaging to paddle, paddling while kneeling, paddling while standing, tips on steadying yourself, and re-mounting the board. By the end of the hour I felt way more confident, and was interested in signing up for their other classes where you get a guided tour of the nearby areas. There was mention of paddling to an island nearby for one of those classes. Would highly recommend this as a weekend activity. There's plenty to eat and drink on the piers/walkways around there after you get done.

What an amazing time! A safe new and enjoyable adventure. We learned a new skill, the people in…read morecharge made sure we had an amazing experience.

Fun time kayaking on the Delaware River with a group of 13! The serenity of the river and nature…read morewas incredible. The water is warm even though it was only 70 ish degreees.

(This was a few months ago so the details could be a bit iffy.)…read more This was a very impromptu trip and everything at Edge of the Woods makes doing that easy. Head to the website, book the date & time you want and you're done. www.watergapadventure.com/river-trips A few things worth noting: They offer multiple trip lengths. The standard 4-, 6- and 10-mile trip (Smithfield to Portland) are all booked generically and then when you get there you tell them what you want to do. All pricing is the same which believe me compared to others companies, that's very different - in a good way. They do offer two other longer trips but those require calls to the main office I assume to assess river conditions; your own competency and shuttle availability. The main office in Delaware Water Gap is very easy to find and there was plenty of parking on a quiet post-Labor Day Monday. You check in, you're handed a laminated map, life jacket and given a brief route explanation and then you're off in the van. One problem arose and it was kind of a PIA but it was worked around. Most companies have different types/sizes/models of kayaks and quite often, will ask you what you prefer. Not here. When we left the office, the guy driving didn't say a word to me until we get to Smithfield Beach to unload. He had a few kayaks pre-loaded in the carrier but definitely did not look at them before we left. One of them had a broken foot pedal that he said couldn't be used, another was very much designed for a smaller individual (i.e. if you're taller and/or taller & larger it ain't happening safely) which only left two tandem models. Using a tandem as a single individual is not the end of the world but especially when the seats are still left in the two person configuration (i.e. one front and one back versus the rear one being placed more towards the middle), it's a PIA to maneuver the craft and you are paddling harder to get the job done compared to a single. The scenery along the route was decent. You could see a bit of the Shawnee Resort and Golf Course, an old stone bridge abutment in the middle of the river, under and along 80 and then when you get into the Water Gap itself with the high cliff sides. Very picturesque. Once you go under the old train viaduct in Portland, you give the office a call for the shuttle to meet you at the out point which is at the Portland Pedestrian Bridge. The whole experience was about four hours door to door to cover the ten miles on the water plus the shuttle to & from the pick up and drop off points. Lots of nice scenery, due to the low water level there wasn't much in the way of current except for the area around viaduqt in Portland and even that wasn't bad. I'm not a big fan of the equipment here but I wouldn't let that deter me from coming back in the future for one of their northern longer trips.

I've never met a friendlier, kinder group. People of all ages. They share rides, gear, and mad…read moreskills. They knew so much about the Adirondacks and local rivers, but even more, they also travel to Southern rivers. It's great to see a group that really bonds with each other. I was tired of groups where people just wanted to paddle and go home. Here, day trips always have a Happy Hour tailgate party where folks share snacks and stories. I've heard the camping trips are fantastic. I was afraid to sign up when my skills were new, but the instructional weekend keeps giving...people keep coaching and helping. Or, you can also be in a tandem canoe with an expert. That's how I broke into moving and whitewater adventures. Best sport I ever did...and I"ve done a lot...because this group is so professional and warm.

AMC is great! I've been a member for about 8 years now and have been a student, taught students and…read morelead lots of paddling trips around the northeast region. I thought I went to learn to kayak, but I came out with so much more... Friends, community, and hundreds of memories and amazing experiences on and off the water. Trips are lead by volunteers so if it's not free, it's really inexpensive for you get involved.

Seamless trip - easy to ensure that you are fully equipped for the trip with wetsuit rental and…read morelunch grab bags. River guides always on hand for any 'involuntary out of raft experiences' or if anyone got stuck. Perfect balance of feeling adventurous for the kids and safe for the adults.

What a disaster. I have gone twice with Girl Scouts and again with boy scouts. My first adventure…read morewith the girl scouts was generally enjoyable. Nothing notable to report but not overwhelmingly great either. The last time I went with the Boy Scouts was one of the worst weekends of my life. There was some river guide who named himself "zombie". He has the worst chip on this shoulder ever. First, he got nearly naked on the bus clearly wanting to show off all his tattoos. Inappropriate in front of a bunch of kids. If he was discreet then fine. He was showboating and it was gross. Then while on the river, I splashed with a paddle. It is indeed against the rules and I was wrong for that. However I knew I messed up the second I did it. A reminder would have been sufficient. Oh no. Zombie came over immediately and berated me loudly in front of everyone (including the kids). Yikes. I said "understood, I'm sorry". He then continued saying he was "gonna hike me out of 'his' trip" if he saw it again. What? He was going to evict me from the boat in the middle of nowhere and walk me home? Alone? What the hell is wrong with this guy? I don't care how capable or good of a river guide he is. If he's going to talk to customers who paid for the trip like garbage, then he doesn't belong there (especially around kids). Major jerk. Then we camped there overnight. Some camp site decided to have a rager party. Like thumping music turned up to full volume that could be heard for miles. No one came to quiet them down. At midnight I had to walk over myself and ask if they could please let us sleep. They said no and it kept going. I called the campsite phone # and got a voicemail. No one was there to help. Needless to say we didn't sleep at all. Just a generally unpleasant experience. You need to get rid of this zombie person. You can't call yourself "zombie" then demand to be taken seriously. Give me a break. You need someone who can patrol the campsite and keep order and the campers safe. Don't go here and waste your money.

Had the best time for a bachelor party trip, rented the party raft for our large group and it was…read moresuch a fun time. The customer service was top notch and I can't wait to come back to do it again

Not worth the price…read more We were charged 30 dollars per person for a 45 minute tube float that was advertised as 2 hours. The tubes were very dirty and of poor quality, as was the shuttle. The really frustrating part was that the owner lied to us about where the public accesses are when there is one beside their establishment and the place we were dropped off was public as well. We had our own inflatable kayak that was easy to transport and having heard that there were no nearby accesses we asked if there was any way that we could use our own and take their shuttle and they refused. The river was very slow and was not at all like a rapid it was more of a lazy river. The only positive thing about this experience was our shuttle driver who was honest with us about the access and was very kind.