Are you a professional skier? Are you an amateur skier? Are you an intermediate skier? It doesn't…read morematter here at the board shop they treat you like you are a real person and they were very kind to me while I was here. They do lots of stuff between Evyn helping or fitting with boots and the care after the boots is amazing as well they helped me heat mold them and they even did she work on them for free and I bought bindings here. They are amazing bindings

GREAT SERVICE!... The owner (Jayson) is a great guy and cares about the customers experience..if…read moreyou need skis,boots or apparel this is the place. And conveniently located right in lake Geneva! I walked in intending to get new skis and boots and walked out with a great pair of used skis with bindings which he did not need to do..he could of sold me new skis but he listened and knows when to proactively give suggestions without being pushy and it turns out the used skis were exactly what I wanted! Jayson is a real genuine guy that listens! He has a lot of knowledge and after the purchase of the boots I came back and did a custom fit because of a few pressure points in them which made skiing unbearable..after an hour I had a custom fit on the liners of my boots and they are SO COMFORTABLE NOW. During the whole process he graciously explains what he is doing and the reasons for it which made the whole experience seamless. I love my new skis and boots and I cannot wait to put them to good use. Most ski shops near Chicago or Milwaukee do not offer what board shop has and that is QUALITY Service..and a listening ear. They actually care; which sets them apart and really is "gold standard" for ski shops which is rare. Thank you Jayson you're doing it right!! So happy this is so close to home.

I wanted to try Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) for about forever…read more The concierge at the Abbey gave me a coupon for a discount rental at nearby Fontana Paddle so I decided to finally give it a go. It was an excellent decision. Rates are reasonable. They fit you with a flotation vest, changing rooms are available and they have small lockers. You do not want to have your smartphone on you in the event you fall in the water on the lake. It is better to lock it up, IMO. The training overview was pretty detailed and there is a lot to remember and coordinate all at once. I liken it to riding a bike or driving a car. Once you learn it, you'll always have it and it becomes normal/natural, until then, you have to remember to switch hands, stay balanced, etc. I did go out too far from where they told me to stay, but that was unplanned. A little wind and then a boat sent me even further out which resulted in my instructor dude coming out on board to see if I was okay and if I could get back in on my own. Embarrassing, but also super cool because he gave me some on water tips that I somehow already had forgotten. Also, the further out you go, the more the wind affects you and there are more boats, so you can expend more energy on balancing rather than paddling enjoyably along. Once my guy knew I was okay and headed more in the right direction he went back and I went on to a very enjoyable experience. Prices are good. Staff is helpful. Get out early on summer weekends, too many boats on the lake will not make for a good SUP experience.

Perfectly located on the shore of Geneva Lake in Fontana. You can walk 20 feet to the lake to…read morelaunch. I have been in the store/shop countless times over the years. They have a huge selection of standup paddle boards, kayaks and accessories. I am actually wearing one of their shirts right now. Cool thing is, I just found out they sell ans rent snow shoes also. Being right on the lake, a hike on the lake path is something to behold anytime of year. A lot of my Rockford, IL friends kayak and have either friended them on facebook, visited the website or store itself. If you have any questions while you are there, which I always have plenty which I think some are kind of dumb, they are right there to answer them. I plan to take my family for lessons this Spring.

if I could give this place negative stars I would. The slapped a used "cleanliness" liner and new…read moretag on a clearly VERY worn and stretched out pool guards suit to sell my daughter as a "brand new" item. There is debris between the liner and the crotch of the suit-so gross. See the pics for yourself-their tag is still attached.

I rented a wetsuit from them that was in led than perfect condition. Upon return they told me I…read morecaused all the damage they had already repaired and offered a "bargain" rate to pay for repairs for damages I had not caused.

Kirsten (the instructor) was FANTASTIC to work with! Communicative, patient, friendly, flexible…read more(with scheduling, skill level, etc.) - inspiring. We are so grateful we got to meet and learn from her!

Just got back from Chicago stand up paddle boarding and honestly had a really fun time. I went to…read morethe diversity harbor location as most of the beaches continue to be closed due to COVID. The view and paddle boarding towards the city is quite scenic and it is cool to be able to merge the thundering city with being on the water. It is right next to a public park so there are many people walking, biking, and having picnics which is also a nice sight, however, on the other side of the park is a highway so that takes away from some of the scenery. There are not great parking instructions on the website but we managed to find a spot hero nearby which was pretty easy. Booking a same-day reservation was not a hassle and you simply fill out a liability waiver on the phone once you get there. I was not super sure about how clean the rented equipment was which could be a concern for some people right now, otherwise the rental process was easy. Some other concerns I had were that they give you a box to store your belongings in, but the box is just sitting out in the back of a trailer and I am not sure how well guarded they were. There is also a very low bridge that I had to lay down to go under, and while I thought it was a fun little challenge others may think of it as a nuisance. Overall, good way to paddle board near the city.

I went to replace my 12 year old Patagonia jacket that delaminated and had other signs of wear. It…read morewas a great coat, but it was time. To my pleasant surprise, the manager said that the delaminating was considered a material defect. Even though the coat was more than a decade old, they replaced it with a brand new $500 jacket. I felt like I was stealing and asked them three times if they were sure about their decision, which they confirmed. I felt so guilty, I bought a $50 hat. I've always loved their products because of their practicality, fit, and style. Now I have one more reason to return.

Great products for rugged outdoor use…read more Even better service as I had a piece of wind/rain resistant jacket whose inner liner ripped and the store replaced it, no questions asked, no receipt. Life long convert here.

We enjoyed our time. The rental comes with life jackets and the marsh is beautiful. I'm…read moreAn experienced kayaker but what concerns me is that on a busy Sunday only one high school kid was working, there was no instruction as to where to turn back, which way to go, what areas to stay out of, or what wildlife to keep a safe distance from. (And there were swans with babies there. I mean I know that they're one of the most aggressive shore birds that exist, but some city folk don't) The fine print on the confirmation tells you which way to go, but it's a compass direction, not a right or left. There are no signs stating which way to go. Ive lived here over 30 yrs, I don't think I could tell you which way was which. The kid working doesn't say anything, he just shoves you off. Also, there were storms rolling in about 4pm. Anyone working for an outfitter should always be aware of the weather and tell ppl, your reservation is for x mins long, but keep an eye on the sky, or maybe a white board posted with the forecast? I didn't know about having to pay for parking until I got there as it only shows this in fine print AFTER you get your confirmation. Also I arrived on time but they were backed up and being that there was only one person and there's no sign that says "kayakers must pay for parking" both myself and another group had to run back and do the parking stuff after we had waited 15 minutes for our turn. I was pretty frustrated thinking that surely they own their own parking spaces, but the city of new Buffalo as screwed me over once again. Again, I have kids, which means they can only handle paddling for an hour. This stupid parking Situation FORCES you to pay for 3 hrs regardless if you're there or not. I think that's ridiculous and they're doing it to rip off tourists. Well I'm not a tourist, I live 20 mins away. My family has been here since 1989. The only ppl This hurts is the hardworking locals. I think it's dumb that only the ppl living in the city of new buffalo are allowed to get a parking pass. Give me a break. I'm sure plenty of ppl would pay $100 per year for an annual parking pass. Because of this parking nonsense, I'll be investing in my own kayak and SUP and going elsewhere. This parking nonsense has to stop, it's freaking Michigan this is NOT the HAMPTONS. The city needs to get over itself. I'd give it 5 stars but parking plus lack of staff and lack of communication is why I only gave it 3.

IF YOU ARE READING THIS, VISIT THIRD COAST PADDLING!!!! We visited on 6/3. It's a beautiful area to…read moreexplore while being active as well! The equipment was in excellent condition and the staff are WONDERFUL. The young gentleman working on Wednesday June 3 around 2pm was very kind! He offered us some points of interest to look out for along the way and encouraged us to come back over the summer, which we plan to! We had a hiccup with the parking situation but the staff went above and beyond to help us remedy that quickly and efficiently, so THANK YOU to the Oliver for reaching out to us. Please share our gratitude with your entire team-- customer service like this keeps people coming back!!!!! Excellent excellent excellent!

I am an everyday walker. I had purchased a pair of shoes, which were not cheap, at a big box…read moreathletic store. There was a hole in them by six months. I thought I would try Runners High. Mark was very friendly and very knowledgeable. He found the perfect pair of shoes for me. I felt like I was walking on air today. We should all try to support independent vendors.

Mark is a wonderful person to buy shoes/inserts from. He was very knowledgeable and guided…read moreappropriately without being pushy in any way

Whew. It was a bit painful shopping at this store because things are not cheap. My daughter's…read moreoutdoor preschool spends a good deal of time in the elements, and since we're going into the winter months it was time to pick up some stuff that would keep her warm in the frigid weather and snow. Our bank account took a hit today for sure. But the items you find here are going to last, so that's the silver lining. My first stop today in my cold weather shopping spree was a children's consignment store in the suburbs, and happened to find a Patagonia snow bib there in near perfect condition so that made me feel much better about the investment. Here at the Patagonia store, I bought a snow jacket, some fleece pants and a base layer pant, and a hat. We wandered into the Worn Wear section and they had a small section of children's items there, too, where I picked up another pair of fleece and a pair of snow pants. Their children's section was a bit smaller than I anticipated. They had coats, snow bibs, some pants, and so on, but they only had a single size of each at most. But I was able to get what I needed with the exception of a neck warmer, and I will admit to being a bit surprised they didn't carry that sort of item. They had a small play area! I wasn't expecting that at all but it definitely helped with a finicky two year old who woke from a car nap when we got to this store. It's not much--a small table with some blocks and a shape sorter--but it was enough for her to have fun and keep her occupied while I was deciding what I wanted which is worth a looooooooT. Parking was astonishingly easy for an early Saturday afternoon. We found a spot immediately and there were others around too. It is toward the outer edge of the Fulton Market district, but I still was expecting to have to drive around for a while or abandon the excursion altogether. Pay to park using the ParkChicago app.

I love how big this store is, how well thought-out the layout and design is, and how friendly the…read morestaff is! They have a huge selection for kids, women, and men and if they don't have anything in-store, they are happy to order it for you online. Is Patagonia pricey? Yes. You're paying for high quality merchandise that is going to last you years if you take care of it. I also love that they offer free-repairs and trade-in value for old coats. The staff here was phenomenal. We came with my mom to buy coats for ourselves and the kids and I am pretty sure the staff spent the better part of 2.5 hours with us trying on different coats, talking through the different styles, etc. It took a while, but it was well worth the time spent and I am beyond thankful to the amazing team here for walking us through it all. It can be overwhelming with the choices and they helped us narrow it down to our exact needs. We have been very happy with our purchases especially with all the snow and the arctic temps we've had recently!