Before attending Valley Milk Kayak School, I was lost. I would float in my kayak and splish the water with my paddle aimlessly. If I had a fright I would tip over and soak my trousers. Eventually I had no more dry trousers and I decided it was time to make a change. I decided to take a class with Valley Mill Kayak School, and my life has never been the same since. The instructors were highly-skilled, handsome, dexterous, and professional. After several unforgettable lessons, I have seen dramatic improvements in my kayaking ability and personality. I am now a highly skilled kayaker (able to spin in both directions with ease), I have built long-lasting self-confidence, I am happily married, and I have a newfound passion that brings me closer to nature and my best self. I would highly recommend the Valley Mill Kayak School to anyone seeking to improve their kayak skills, have some fun, and find spiritual fulfillment. It was the best choice I ever made. read more

If you're looking for a phenomenal kayak lesson, this is it. The Valley Mill Kayak skill's encouraging, patient and skilled instructors are the reason I have gone from a hesitant kayaker to a much more confident paddler with rolls, better kayaking technique, and a much better understanding of kayaking as a whole. The community is great for any age, any level of experience. If you're thinking about taking a lesson, your money will be well worth it, and you'll want to keep coming back for more. Thank you Valley Mill!! read more

I can't say enough good things about the Valley Mill kayak school, especially with the new management and programs. I appreciate their diversity of programs, from the ability to play around independently at pool rolling or receive individualized lessons. Furthermore their spring/fall kids clinics are really wonderful. They cater to kids of all skill levels, and allow kids to actually get out on the river in an environment that is safe and fun. Valley Mill is an excellent place to learn and grow as a paddler, and is also a wonderful community of people. When I first started with their program, I had no paddling experience. Now, I've been on trips to at least 5 different rivers, and I feel comfortable paddling class iv rapids. If you or your child is looking to learn from the best, look no further! read more

DO NOT TAKE PADDLE BOARDING LESSONS FROM VALLEY MILL KAYAK Exchange b/t me and Valley Mill (unaltered): The instructor, Jordan, was great! The problem was that I ended up getting a paddleboard without fins, which meant I couldn't control the bloody thing. I left the class about halfway through because I couldn't learn the skills - I just kept falling in the water because I couldn't get stable since my board kept turning. I shouldn't have been given faulty equipment. I would have preferred not taking the class that weekend and taking it when I would be able to have proper equipment. Your Comment Did you bring this up to the instructor?? He would've put you on another board. The equipment was not "faulty" , just didn't have fins. You could've asked for another board Merchant Comment I did bring it up to Jordan on several occasions. There were no other available boards, and I did not want to take a board from another student, which I felt would be unfair (my husband who had been successful on his board tried to use the one I had, and kept falling in, which solidified my sentiment). In response to the faulty comment, I feel it was quite unnecessary, but when equipment is missing from something, it isn't quite whole, is it? I didn't want to bring this up, but I spoke with Jordan regarding this as well, and he indicated that the fins were missing because a new paddleboard was sold without fins, so these were taken off as a replacement. If that board was not 'faulty' without the fins, why was it necessary to remove them from one that was to be in use for classes? From the snarkiness of the response, I went from mild irritation to relative anger. I did not attempt to receive a refund on this deal, but provided my experience in the class. For shame. Your Comment Lots of people have used that board and were just fine. The board was not faulty. If you had contacted me, I would've given you a free lesson for both of you, but since you just went on the attack instead, I have changed my mind. next time try not being so passive agressive Merchant Comment You knowingly took components off of a board, did not teach the course, and somehow " know" that other students were fine? If you didn't know that I had this experience (and only responded to the Living Social email requesting my review), I hardly believe you know anything that is going on. What I know is that 2 of us tried to use that paddleboard and could not remain stable. I cannot speak for others, but unless you teach paddleboarding and know which student receives the bad board ( if any) or actually ask the staff about people's' experiences on that board, you are making erroneous assumptions. If you are the manager, you are irresponsible for allowing beginners to use any board without essential components, and wholly unprofessional in how you deal with customers. Your Comment News flash= the fins are removable !!! That means the board can be used with or without them= period. It was not the board.....the fins are not "essential". If they were, they would not be removable. You should've asked for another lesson instead of going on the attack right away. Have a nice day Merchant Comment Jackson Kayak the manufacturer of the board, definitely believes that the fins are beneficial (ask Mr. Leach on their staff). And I believe that most logical individuals would consider that all available appendages on a paddle board would be essential for beginners, especially since ALL of the other boards, including the instructors, had fins. Again, I spoke with the instructor several times about the lack of maneuverability of the paddle board; I only met my instructor. I was not referred to some higher power, and I do not even know your name or your role at Vastaff). And I believe that most logical individuals would consider that all available appendages on a paddle board would be essential for beginners, especially since ALL of the other boards, including the instructors, had fins. Again, I spoke with the instructor several times about the lack of maneuverability of the paddle board; I only met my instructor. I was not referred to some higher power, and I do not even know your name or your role at Valley Mill. I do know that you have been completely unpleasant, and providing a truthful review was not 'attacking'. Regarding "lots of other people" using the board, Jordan let us know that the fins were taken off the board the week of our lesson, meaning that I was most likely the first (possibly 2nd at most) to use it without fins. That was on the 25th. Today is the 9th. At most 5 other people have used it, and that is only if all of your classes were full. Instead of attacking a consumer, accept responsibility for what occurred. Would you have allowed all students to take paddle boarding classes without fins? If so, why don't you...especially since you are so sure that they are ancillary and non-essential devices. read more

Valley Mill Kayak School provides excellent instruction to paddlers of all ages! I personally have gone from knowing absolutely nothing about kayaking to feeling confident going out on the Potomac River with friends. I have always trusted my instructors and appreciate their attention to safety. VMKS is a welcoming community that stops at nothing to make your experience enjoyable, instructional, and worthwhile. read more

This is a review for the SUP beginner's lesson. I thought the instructor, Kyla, was great. He taught us balancing and different strokes. The facility though was too small. We were instructed in a very small pond. There was around 10 of us, so there wasn't enough room to move around to avoid hitting one another. We couldn't practice getting up a lot of speed either. The voucher was unclear, but it hinted that we would be able to spend the second half of the lesson on a river, to get more practice. We ended up spending the whole 3 hours on this pond. In the end we were just playing games and everyone was bored. At the LivingSocial price of $50, this was an ok value, but I wouldn't recommend it. read more

My wife and I took beginner's paddleboarding lessons here a some summers ago and had a great time. Our class had about 10 people in it, which felt appropriate, and our instructor was friendly and helpful. I fell in quite a lot, especially while we were playing games, but as a result became quite proficient at getting back on. Because of this class, we've been meaning to get a board of our own, so we can take advantage of the lakes near the family cabin. read more