I would highly recommend the Fort Gorges kayak trip. My family of 4 had a wonderful time! Our guide was fun but also provided lots of interesting facts. read more

This was an amazing experience. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and shared many historical facts as well. We had a beautiful calm day for paddling. I would definitely recommend it! read more

The staff is so helpful and friendly. I was solo and a little nervous since I haven't kayaked in year, but the staff put me right to ease and I had a great time. I also learned a lot about the area from the guide, Joe. He was very knowledgeable and it was super interesting. I would highly recommend this the tour to Gorges Island to anyone, even if you have never kayaked before. read more

Everything an about it was great except I didn't really care much for the views while kayaking. But I couldn't have known. Otherwise, the guide was great and was very attentive to my needing hearing accommodations. I got a great workout and everyone was so friendly. read more

This was easily the highlight of my trip. 2hr Tandem Paddle at Sunset We backpacked into Portland feeling a bit unprepared but ready for adventure, and Portland Paddle made it happen!! We stored our bags with the kind folks manning the station -- they were all SO friendly and they even had a lil puppy chillin with them. Our guide was Harry and he was AMAZING!! He helped gear us up, put us through a mini safety/how to lesson, and took us out! As someone who's never kayaked on the ocean, I felt extremely ready with Harry at the helm! He was super knowledgeable of history, the boats, the wildlife, and the marina. He was so fun to yap with and patient with our shenanigans and jokes on the water hehehe. We saw many beautiful boats, including historical reenactment sailboats, sea birds, Osprey and their nests, and talked to some locals on the water. Harry said it was the windiest he's seen all summer when we were paddling back - be prepared to get a good workout in!! It was sunny out so no need for thick garments- even the water didn't feel icy cold like I expected. None of us tipped but even if we did, we would've been safe in this weather. For people's reference if you're wondering what to wear: Swimsuit, leggings (shorts would've been fine on a day like this), water wicking long sleeve top, hat, sunglasses, Tevas. They provide life vests, water shoes, and dry bags!!! THANK YOU HARRY FOR MAKING OUR TRIP SO SPECIAL read more

Portland Paddle - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

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We had a blast paddling on the ocean. They were great, fantastic. I would do it again with them. Thank you.

Either the guide (Joe) was lying to us or this trip was falsely advertised. We paid in advance for 3 adults and when we arrived, Joe informed us we would be using tandem kayaks. I said I was expecting single kayaks and he said it was "at the guide's discretion" and that it would be easier for HIM to manage the group if everyone were in tandem kayaks. What is noted in the description is, "Each child under age 16 must paddle in a tandem kayak with an adult." This leads the buyer to believe they will otherwise be using a single kayak and there is absolutely no mention of "the tour guide's discretion." We were a group of 3 adults and my husband was forced to tandem kayak with a complete stranger. "Joe" said, "Trust me, you'll like it" and "I think it's more fun this way" He repeated himself several times and then said to the group, "Oh look, she's giving me that mom look" and then said to the group, "She's giving me the evil eye" His behavior was beyond inappropriate and no, I did not like it one bit. read more

I took a lesson with Joe G about paddling better, faster and stronger . In just 3 hours I significantly improved my forward stroke and feel ready to start racing on Monday nights ! read more

Easiest scheduling experience and reasonable prices. 2 hours for a tandem kayak for $50. Gear was in great shape. Did a self-guided tour of the area and the customer service gave us a quick, yet thorough, overview of the 'exploration' area and other tips. It was fun just navigating through the water and seeing Portland from this perspective. We were rookies and didn't plan to bring snacks/drinks, but there's a little island that you can easily get to and land for replenishment/take a break, with an excellent view of Eastern Prom. Would certainly consider doing a kayak guided tour next time, since we were kind of floating aimlessly around with the only goal of soaking up the last bits of summer. Still, it was very fun! read more

Staff was super friendly and flexible with details. They were helpful with getting us in and out of the water. We saw some beautiful sights. read more

Great sunset paddle, Great guide, awesome experience, perfect length of time. Smaller group was was great also

The staff explained everything very well and get you set up on the boat and answer all of your questions. It is a great location on beautiful water very fun time would definitely recommend. read more

I had a great time, if I was in Portland longer, I would have rented Kayak and went out myself. Our guide Joe was knowledgeable and very experience. He was also very knowledgeable about Fort Gorges. read more

Portland Paddle is a popular activity for locals as well as tourists. You can take kayak lessons, rent by the hour or by the day. Their Sunset Sea Kayak tour is highly recommended. They also have a Fort Gorges Sea Kayak trip. Portland Paddle is located at the Eastern Promenade. read more

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Had such a lovely time with the portland paddle team out on the water- highly recommend for anyone who wants to experience maine at its best thank you to the team for being so knowledgeable and helpful in getting set up! read more

Suzanne took me and my coworkers out for a beautiful morning on the ocean and to explore Fort Gorges. Suzanne was so kind and knowledgeable and I left with such an amazing experience and some great bird fun facts. Would 10/10 recommend to anyone read more

Very kind and helpful staff! Beautiful Casco bay and perfect activity for some adventure and exercise in Portland! Pomroy rock is very neat for a swim! Highly recommend! read more

Portland Paddle - Two paddle boarding pros! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

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I think Portland Paddle is a *must do* at least once while you're in Portland regardless if you're a local or a visitor! No matter your skill level, it offers an incredible and unique and immerservice way to see Casco Bay/Portland from a different perspective! Open from mid-May to mid-October, they offer sea kayak tours and lessons, SUP tours and lessons, SUP yoga, rentals, deliveries, and more. Our first experience with them was the Sunset Kayak Tour. At the time it was $45 pp. Some things to note: 1. Online we were given the option of separate kayaks; when we arrived we were told that they had decided to put us in a tandem kayak instead. If you've never used a tandem sea kayak, it's quite the learning curve, but the staff does an exceptional job at teaching you, and making sure you feel both safe and confident before taking off. Despite wanting separate kayaks, my partner and I ended up having fun being able to experience this together! However... that wasn't what we had necessarily signed up for, y'know? 2. There was nothing sunset-y about our tour. According to their website, "The hour just before sunset is the best time to be paddling on the waters of Casco Bay. The sky tends to explode with color and the seas often become glassy and calm. This trip involves a leisurely paddle just far enough along the waterfront or into the islands to enjoy a panoramic view of the sun setting as we paddle back to the East End Beach." Despite choosing the very last tour of the day, the sun was not close to setting. Maybe that's our fault for going in summer when the sun sets later? I don't know, but segue... 3. Our tour guide also cut our tour short by about a half hour. After bringing us out to see the seals*, they said we were a "very fast group" so we could "just head to shore and call it a day". Kind of a bummer when we spent the first 30 to 45 minutes doing group bonding by sharing where we were from and what we liked the most about summer, then being taught how to wear a life jacket, then being taught how to hold our paddle while wearing a life jacket, then sitting on the shore in our boats learning how to kayak. All in the all we were maybe on the water for fifty or sixty minutes tops. 4. The tour guide was exceptionally knowledgeable about Maine, and Portland, and the seals, and the islands, and Casco Bay... but they weren't entirely accurate. I don't think this matters unless you're a local who's lived here for a long time and knows the area quite well; the ten tourists we were with loved her enthusiasm and fun "facts" she shared. So... would I do Portland Paddle again? ABSOLUTELY. And would I recommend it to everyone? ABSOLUTELY! Personally, I just don't need the narration or the lesson, because again a) I've kayaked before and b) I live here. I think it's neat that they offer 10% off for Eastern Prom residents; I think it would be neater if they offered 10% off for Portland residents. I'm excited to kayak to Fort Gorges in the future, as well as try SUP yoga, and I'll definitely be trying out their Crescent Beach location when everything is open for next season! *The highlight for us was being able to kayak near seals who would pop up at random (sometimes quite close) just to look at you, as well as kayak - from a respectful distance - around the island they were sunbathing on. VERY COOL. read more

Portland paddle is awesome. Peter was great tour guide explaining the rules of kayaking! great experience! read more

Didn't want a tandem and a single kayak for my family of three and was accommodated no problem with three singles so we could all have our own individual experience. Lots of fun. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable in marine biology which made hunting tide pools after the tour a great learning experience for us and an added bonus. Would highly recommend as an excellent way to see Casco bay with some nice folks who know the bay. read more

As part of a days-long visit to Portland in late summer, I signed my boo and me up for a sea kayak tour to Fort Gorges since we tend to enjoy activities where we got to know the history of new places. Alonzo totally delivered! It was an amazing 3 hours spent getting geared up and paddling thru Casco Bay to Fort Gorges, followed by a relaxed walking tour thru the cool structure. It was a beautiful warm Sunday afternoon, the water was cool and refreshing, and our small group all got along and bantered as we made our way to the fort and back. Alonzo even helped take our photos with the fort backdrop. It's definitely the major highlight of our Portland getaway. Also as part of the ultimate Maine experience, I totally recommend following up the tour with a snack of dressed up twin red dogs at Tomaso's Canteen, about 5 min away by car and only $5 during happy hour! read more

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We had a wonderful experience trying tandem kayaking in Casco Bay for the first time thanks to this very well-run business! The safety precautions & instructions were clear and thorough, the equipment was in good shape and it was a gorgeous day. The $45/2hrs was quite reasonable for the joy of moving through the water and watching the gulls, cormorants, and osprey! read more

I called was the Ft tour was recommended as something for all ages, good for my husband with a limited attention span and even kids. The day of our trip the winds were blowing against on the way to the fort making it nearly impossible for me and my husband to reach it even though were are decently athletic and work out often. Toward the end our time at the fort our guide watched a storm approach and did nothing so we got got in a torrential down pour, winds, and lightning on the water. The storm now shifted the direction of the wind against again so we had to paddle against it to make it back to land. They have no contingency plan in place and we were told it "would be much more expensive we couldn't paddle in and had to call Sea Tow and take a long time"?!? I understand the storm was out of their control but they had no organization or structure to handle the situation. read more

I did not want to do this. Not my thing. But I surprised hubby during our stay in Maine for our anniversary because this is something he has always wanted to do.... Surprisingly it was pretty amazing. The sunset was gorgeous, the either was perfect and the four was perfect! Towards the end we even seen baby pup seals , & seals.. One was even swimming around us. The pictures are not even close to the experience. And our tour guide Andrew was great! read more

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We did a sunset kayak trip. The leader of our trip was amazing. She really could not have done a better job than she did. At the end of the day, I don't think I like open water kayaking. That's what I learned from this trip. Everything we saw was from far away and it all didn't feel very exciting to me. Plus, I couldn't really see it. The trip didn't feel relaxing because we had to constantly be paddling, which isn't a normal movement for me so it was hard work. I stopped a few times to take pictures or to rest, and fell way behind the group. Had to rush to catch up. I was happy when the tour was over. read more

Portland Paddle - Gray seals on a gray rock - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

Everything. Our tour guide was amazing and helpful, the views were stunning, and it was a great time! Got to see harbor seals and even heard a loon call! read more

My son and I went out on an overnight to Jewell Island with Janet. She was an excellent guide, leading us across the bay and running the camp site. Good work paddling, great food and exploration, and a memorable campsite on the water made for a trip we'll remember for years to come. read more

Did the sunset kayaking tour. We had a great time! We definitely got much more wet than we had anticipated. Make sure you wear waterproof shoes and clothing! The instructor also took beautiful photos to share with us! read more

Portland Paddle - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

Our tour guide Joe was awesome! He went above and beyond when explaining the safety and technique that comes with kayaking. He was motivating and always made sure to ask how we were doing. He was also extremely knowledgeable in Maines history which made our experience that much more fulfilling. We miss you already Joe!! -Francisco, Allie, Devin, and Elle read more

Portland Paddle - Joes photo taking skills were on point - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

Great way to learn some history, enjoy the water and the sunset! Highly Recommend if you are visiting Portland or nearby! We had the best time. read more

We went on a Sunset trip...unfortunately the sky was not cooperating...but Joe more than made up for that by taking us through a fort on an island in the middle of the bay! He had a photo binder with him and lots of history to tell us. We also saw a seal, an Osprey in a nest and a bald eagle. Joe took lots of photos and we had free (yes $0) access to those. Before we even left, he gave us paddling instructions...I've kayaked many times before but did not know some of the tips he gave us to make it easier and more efficient. I don't know about the other guides but I can tell you Joe was kind, knowledgeable, super excited about what he was doing...just generally amazing! read more

Our 3 day kayak/2night camping trip in Casco Bay with an expert Portland Paddle guide was top notch fantastic in every way. We felt safe and well informed by our guide, we got to know many of the islands, build our ocean kayaking skills, and enjoy the raw nature that surrounded us throughout. we liked that the group was small (3 of us plus one guide), we landed amazing campsites overlooking or on beaches, we took breaks at good times to reboot our energy and the food was wonderful. We highly recommend this trip and company for all things to do with getting out on and in the Maine waters! read more

Portland Paddle - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

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We had a great trip out to Fort Gorges and Henry was an awesome guide. Very knowledgeable about both the area and kayaking. Great experience. read more

Went on a sunset paddle and it was lovely! Our guide, Josh, was kind and showed us some cool spots. Definitely will be going back! read more

Portland Paddle - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

Great guided Kayak tour with Portland Paddle, and truly such a wonderful way to enjoy the bay. We loved our tour guide - She was patient with those who'd never paddled before and knowledgeable of the area. Highly recommend! read more

Portland Paddle - Fort Gorges - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Excellent paddle out to Fort Gorges today, with our knowledgeable guide Whitney. It Fort is amazing, a great experience. read more

Wow! These guys were great! We were lucky to get a beautiful day in May and Portland paddle took full advantage. Joe and Joe took us on an adventure that was amazing and exciting! We visited a few islands and learned all about the Portland area, while enjoying it gorgeous sunset and great exercise and fun! These guys made the trip safe and memorable! read more

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we had a perfect sunset paddle with Joe and Josh, who were lovely guides. they helped make everyone feel comfortable and safe and taught us a lot about wildlife in the area. 10/10! read more

Absolutely a wonderful experience. Our guide Henry was a delight. He even helped take us back in when we got caught up in a tide that was rolling in. He was super patient and very friendly. He also gave us a great tour of Fort Gorges. Note: We took a kayaking trip! read more

I've done 3 or 4 lessons and group tours with these guys. Every time it's been great. I always felt safe, the instructors are very informative and fun without being overbearing. I always learn sometime new from the instructors. They run a great ship because everyone I've interacted with has been great, and I'm a judgmental curmudgeon so for me to say that speaks volumes. read more

Portland Paddle - Portland Paddle to fort gorges - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine