Staff was friendly and helpful, but the pedal boats are terrible. I'd recommend the canoes or kayaks instead

$22ish for paddle board rental per hour. I asked how we can keep track of time, and they said they're leniant / just come back in a timely fashion! Note that their rentable lockers are only big enough for small bags and phones. They held my beach bag and towels behind their office "shed" which was appreciated, but don't bring big bags if you don't trust them unlocked up! I thought the paddle boards were a good quality and easy to operate for beginners! The chain of lakes we went through had beautiful views and followed a fun path on a no-wake lake. The water did not appear swim-able though haha. WFR takes card for sure, and they hold onto an ID while you're out there. NO PRE-REGISTRATIONS unless you're bringing a large group I believe, so just show up and hope they have the equipment you want! They did for us on a Saturday afternoon, and there's lots of other equipment options if you're first pick isn't available. Would go back! read more

BOATS, NOT BIKES As tourists, we turned up to rent bikes at Lake Bde Maka Ska Wheel Fun Rentals, but were told they didn't have any available except for a tandem due to the fact they get stolen easily. (An unfortunate sign of the current times). The nearby sign said 'BIKE and Boat Rentals' and with a name like 'WHEEL Fun Rentals', we were expecting BIKES! We walked to the next closest lake, (Lake Harriet) and the Wheel Fun Rentals there had a few bikes, but they were all rented out. (Lesson: Arrive EARLY!) We hung around a while, but none came back, so we decided to simply walk instead of bike. Sigh. read more

Wheel Fun Rentals - Bde Maka Ska - Boating Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Went on a rainy day and had the lake to myself! The staff members were helpful and Olivia helped us pick out a boat. Recommend calling ahead on windy days to make sure they can still send boats out. read more

Wheel Fun Rentals - Bde Maka Ska - Boating Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

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Went canoeing with my friends this morning. We had such a great time! Emma and Owen were the employees working that shift and they did a great job making sure our canoe activity was safe and fun. Definitely would come back again. Thank you read more

We rented kayaks this past September to explore the chain of lakes. We rented 3 single person kayaks, and the staff was very organized and helpful. Although it can get too windy on Bde Maka Ska to kayak easily, it was very enjoyable to kayak on Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake. Overall, it was a great experience and the kayaks were in fairly good condition! read more

Wheel Fun Rentals - Bde Maka Ska - Kayak on Cedar Lake - Boating Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Fantastic day out on the lake! Julian helped my family and I, and there couldn't have been a more perfect person for the job!

Went a few days ago. Xander and Levi were very helpful and friendly when assisting me with my kayak. It was a great day for a paddle!

I was in charge of looking for an activity for 22 students who earned a reward for participating in the Geography Bowl. I called ahead and went there the day before so I was prepared and looked like I was in charge. Lol Brian the manager was working a long side his employees to have the paddle boats ready for the kids. They have 4 seaters and 2 seaters .The team was there to help the kids making sure safety vest were right and explain how they work. Around the area is some road work but so worth the extra walk to get there. The weather is getting nice hope you add this to your summer activity read more

I've used Wheel Fun at Bde Maka Ska a few times in the past, I went for the first time this year and had a great experience with Xander. He was very kind and helpful, introducing us to the season pass we will use many more times this summer! read more

We brought a large group of high school seniors, over 40, to spend a morning padding and playing with different water crafts. Brayan was very helpful and his staff of 3 on the day we reserved were prepared and waiting for us. Ouor students switched out between different boats, and the staff were nice, respectful and very accommodating. The students made a floattilla with paddle boats, kayaks, canoes and SUP's! The pricing was a great deal for the experience we got. The students had a great time and gave great reviews themselves. I would highly recommend a day paddling around Lakes! read more

My sister and hubby took me on a sailing "adventure" on lake Calhoum, unfortunately on a very calm day, but we managed to sail around and have fun. We rented the boat at Wheel Fun, they are friendly and attentive, and prices are fair. The whole area is nice: biking, jogging, walking your dog, kayaking, sailing, playing ball, etc. Highly recommended for a summer weekend relaxing adventure. Recommended! read more

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First timers in MN, first timers at Lake Calhoun. We thoroughly enjoyed our kayaking experience here, the whole operation is mostly run by teenagers trying to make extra cash, plain and simple. The prices are listed, there's nothing complicated to know. It's a great time to kayak around the general area for a breath of fresh air and sights. read more

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I love that this company exists! They have plenty of rentals to go around and living in the city where I have no room to store a paddle board, it's nice to be able to drop by and rent one any day of the week. The staff are nice and they help get you all set with your rental equipment. Line can get long but moves pretty fast. Recommend! read more

Wheel Fun Rentals - Bde Maka Ska - Boating Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Had a great bike ride along the lakefront on Friday! It was a beautiful day! Rented the 2 seater bike. It was very easy to ride and comfortable. Ivon assisted us and was very pleasant and helpful. He even ran after us to spray the chains on the bike because he heard that they were squeaking. Thanks! read more

What a difference a weekday makes! Not surprisingly, this place goes from lines that never end on weekends to totally manageable on a weekday. I decided I was taking my summer days and flexible work schedule for granted, so today I joined some teacher friends at the lake for a quick jaunt on the paddle boards. It was the first time I'd rented anything from this place since I went on a canoeing date with my high school boyfriend. It's $18/hour (you're charged up front) and they take one ID per group as a deposit. There's a 15 minute grace period so if you're just over an hour it's OK. If you decide to stay out longer, you basically pay in 15 minute increments for the amount of time you have the board. I like that they don't just charge you for a whole second hour. It just seems more fair this way. They also have paddleboats, kayaks, canoes, bikes, etc. You're "on the clock" from the moment you pay. So that time it takes you to jog back to your car and stow your wallet and phone is "on the clock." Kind of annoying, but in the checkout process they weren't sticklers (even though we were maybe a tiny bit over our grace period) so it all worked out. If I were to do it again though, I'd just leave everything in the car from the get-go except cash and the one ID to maximize water time. The staff sets you up with oars and boards and they were all really nice people. I think they probably had more time to be nice today than they would've on a crazy weekend though. It's a totally different scene from what I've noticed. Also, the required life jackets are kinda ripe, so I took mine off as quickly as possible (shhh). The boards seem decent enough and it's a really fun way to spend an afternoon. It's not really a hard workout (it's surprisingly easy!), but it's 100% better than being inside a gym on a beautiful day. GOOD ROUTE: Make your way across Lake of the Isles and through the lagoon that connects to Cedar Lake. BAD ROUTE: Roaming among the youth sailing lessons on Lake Calhoun. You (probably) don't know what you're doing. They (probably) don't know what they're doing. It's the recipe for a shipwreck. YOUTHS. read more

Wheel Fun Rentals - Bde Maka Ska - Boating Near Me - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Wheel Fun Rentals is a laid back aquatic recreational rental company run by young adults. They are professional, friendly, and efficient. We saw that they consistently had the paying individual complete a one page waiver, pay (using cash or plastic), and then leave their state ID or Driver's License as security. They have canoes, one and two person kayaks, paddle boards, and other water transportation devices. They had a lot of bicycles and tandem bikes too. Some of the rentals required helmets and (I think) all of them (except the bikes) required life vests. We chose to rent two paddle boards at $18/hour/person. An employee hooked us up with life vests and then adjusted paddles according to our height. Another employee got our paddle boards out for us and held them steady as they showed us how to step on. She also showed us how to hold the paddle and which direction to face the blade as we pushed it through the water. We observed that most renters removed their life vests and secured them to their equipment as soon as they were away from the shore. One woman brought her small dog and balanced it on the end of her paddle board as she maneuvered around the lake. The lake was divided into two sections, separated by two consecutive bridges. The first section (where the rentals begin) seems to be heavily populated with small sail boats. The second section is mostly smaller things like kayaks and paddle boards. That section has an island in the middle. We had our paddle boards for about 1.25 hours but nobody seemed to notice or care. Our clothes and purses were on the ground where we left them as lockers were not provided. In fact, everyone seemed to leave their belongings on the ground near the rental bikes and canoes. The employees explained that they've never had a problem with theft. There was a structure near the rental place that had a cafe, bathrooms, and bike racks. It was not affiliated with Wheel Fun Rentals but it's proximity was convenient and provided reciprocal value. read more

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Had a great time on a kayak Saturday morning on Lake of the Isles. Xander up front was great help as well.

My first paddle board adventure was an exciting, beautiful success on Lake Calhoun. The paddle boards here are not like the slippery surfboards I was expecting. They were like mini boats. They were thick plastic and not solid. There were non slip pads that showed where to place your feet for the best balance. The perfect board for noobs! I went from being nervous to try it (I am a chicken about water sports...) to confident I wouldn't fall off. Calhoun seemed intimidating as it was full of sailboats and a little wavy, so we paddled to the right and went through the canal. There are two bridges to go under before you pop out into Lake of the Isles. We didn't bring anything with us on the paddleboards. We even left our phones in the car as we were afraid to get them wet. Next time I would bring them so we could take photos. People had everything on their paddle boards from toddlers to coolers. What a neat floating picnic lunch idea! read more

it was so fun!!! great service and wonderful staff!!! truly an experience!!! my clerks marcus , Anna and Xander were so kind and were all very patient with both me and my sister as we were first-timers. I HIGHLY recommend the bde maka ska location!! 10/10 read more

Everything rental for fun: relatively quick service. Last time I tried paddle board for the first time: it was good experience and the paddle board was is excellent condition. Previously I did kayaking and service was good despite the long line. Excellent location. read more

I was greeted by an overwhelming amount of friendliness. Thomas was great on the register and I was pushed off by a gabe that was also very nice. can't wait for my next trip to bde! read more

Nice helpful staff, decent equipment. They have prime locations on Minneapolis lakes and plenty of equipment to meet the long lines that form at opening time. Fair pricing. I especially appreciated their great customer service today when they came and retrieved our boards after the wind came out of nowhere and stranded us far from the return location. I recommend these guys. read more

The staff on the day we visited were rude and not helpful. The kayaks were old, filthy, and missing pieces, such as the inside foot pedals. Because we were tourists who hadn't visited before, we were treated like we were a hassle for them. I left my ID in the car and was turned away until I could present it...they wouldn't even let others in my party fill out the forms until I had returned. The environment itself is a beautiful place to kayak. The staff and condition of the equipment was poor. We will look elsewhere to Kayak on the other 9,999 lakes in Minnesota the next time we visit. read more

Why buy when you can rent!? Kayaks, double kayaks, canoes, pedal boats, stand up paddle boards and bikes! Lake Calhoun, Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake are all at your fingertips via Wheel Fun Rentals. Simply pay for the first hour and you've got a transportation vehicle to explore the lakes. Rent for as long as you like, you pay by the hour. It's a fun fitness activity for singles, those dating and small/large families. They provide life jackets, paddles and instructions (if you need it!). A few tips: - Sign up for an annual membership. It's only $10 and affords you half price rentals for a whole year! If you're planning on coming back more than once this will pay for itself! - Expect lines - while the long lines can be overwhelming, don't worry - they go quick! They have more than enough to rent so you usually don't have to wait too long. - Skip Lake Calhoun and head over the Lake of the Isles/Cedar Lake - a much calmer and relaxing experience. You'll be amazed at the channel between Isles and Cedar - it's awfully scenic and romantic. - Leave some time at the end to enjoy fish or ice cream at Tin Fish located right next store after your expedition on the lakes! read more

Actually lost track of this bookmark from a couple weeks ago. Swung by on July 3rd when we both had a day off from our hectic schedules. Long line, but, it went relatively fast, so, can't beat that. Price to amount of fun? That's your call, we loved paddleboarding and would do it again in a heart beat. Was happy they give you a 15 minute buffer in order to get in after that hour is up. What I don't care for is the lack of any sort of rules or guidelines. They have a few staff members that hand out the waivers, but, they're useless when it comes to getting information from. "Do we need 1 ID or 2 on file?" Ummm let me check. Son, you have maybe 3 job duties for this role, and you need to check? Come on now. I didn't care that the line to the hut was back onto the bike and walking tracks. Talk about funny when you see people head down, buried in their phone almost get smoked by a biker! Here's a thought, buy a queue line and wrap that bitch into the grass and parallel with the walking path. I should patent that and sell it to them, I know. Or save money on the queue line/velvet rope deally and have your employees line control people to wrap a bit to the left or right. Just stupid. All in all, the line and lack of coordination don't get it top notches, but, it serves the purpose if you don't have a kayak or paddleboard. read more

Went to the Wheel Fun location at Lake Harriet with a groupon. This cut the price in half and made it much more reasonably priced. We went out for a day of family paddling. When we arrived there was a teen guy working there and he told us we had to be back in an hour for this particular groupon. When we arrived, 2 of the single paddleboats were flooded and partially submerged. There were 2 other working single boats (2 passengers) available. There were only 2 double paddleboats (seating 4) and 1 of them was broken. We took out the only working double paddler. Unfortunately, no one had bothered to clean it and it was full of macaroni and cheese spilled all over the back and in one of the seats. We washed it off as best we could ourseleves with lake water but it was still slimy and gross. You would think the staff would keep the boats clean. All of the lifevests were soaked and old. We had fun paddling but the boat was not in good repair. To keep it tracking straight we had to keep the steering handle pushed to one side. It was out of adjustment and this left us unable to turn left since the lever wouldn't go any farther. When we came back in there was a girl working and the guy had left. She told us we actually could have stayed out for two hours, but since we didn't use the full value of the groupon she couldn't refund us the difference. We offered to pay and keep the groupon for a later time but she wouldn't go for that either. She did give us a 20% off coupon for future visits but it would have been nice to know upfront the actual amount of time we could use the boat, and she even mentioned we could have gotten 2 single boats if we weren't happy with the condition of the double we took out. No one suggested or mentioned this up front. Overall, we had fun in spite of Wheel Fun, not because of them. We had a really good time paddling the lake and hanging out. The actual activity is really fun. The company though wasn't impressive. The staff was inattentive and contradictory, the equipment was in disrepair and dirty, and we didn't get the full value of our purchase. read more

I visited the Wheel Fun Rentals location on Lake Calhoun last weekend to rent a paddleboard. Renting out water sports equipment is a great idea. In this case, it's an idea not very well implemented. Kayaking, canoeing, paddle boating, or paddle boarding: take your pick. The paddleboarding itself was fun and a worthy venture on a perfect summer day. The rental process was not well organized. There was a long line, a long wait (I recognize they can't predict how long people are going to be out), and the process of signing up, signing legal docs, paying, getting lifejacket, getting your water craft is disorganized to say the least. A more streamlined process would make this a more pleasant experience. Really, I can't complain since I spent the time waiting by swimming in the lake and drinking a smoothie down the street. Next time, I'll come prepared to wait a while. read more

Decent value and speedy service. Great area to ride bikes and get a view of the scenery.

Rented a canoe here yesterday ($18). It was an 80 degree Saturday, so there were a buttload of people there, but I thought the staff did a great job of keeping everything moving along. Note that there was a wait (not sure how long) for standing paddle boards, but there were plenty of canoes for us, because they seem to be deeply uncool now. Life jackets were wet :-( and my husband's was stinky :-( and the equipment seemed kind of beat up...the paddle made my hands a little black from the paint rubbing off. We live like 400 feet from this place, so we bought an annual pass for $10. This gets you an extra half hour on your rental the day you buy the pass and then you get 50% off the first hour of every rental for the next year, good for just one rental. So it pays for itself in 1-2 visits. It works at 60 locations nationwide, including 5 or 6 others in MN (Duluth is one). read more

I have rented paddle boards from Wheel Fun twice now, and thoroughly enjoyed both times. Ups - Arm workout without the gym - Awesome way to experience Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles - Free rental for your birthday if you sign up for their club Downs - They require one ID as a deposit and I forgot mine both times. Entirely my fault but it caused my blood to boil a little bit having to drive back down Hennepin in rush hour. - Can be busy/unpredictable; I didn't experience this first-hand, but some of my friends mentioned they thought the staff were a little disorganized when they had rented from Wheel Fun. read more

If you go on a holiday weekend be prepared to wait a bit. We went on the Monday of Labor day and had to wait ~30-45 minutes. The equipment was all available once we got to the font but they are slow and disorganized so the process to actually pay and get on the water takes a bit. The equipment was in good shape and the actual kayaking experience was great but the staff left something to be desired. I do understand that it was quite busy and chaotic but both groups of people we dealt with (going out and coming in) were unpleasant, seems like they could use a better manager to help with coordination and moral. The biggest negative of this place is that there is no storage available, I wish they had those lockers you find at water parks but they don't. Leave everything in your car except your ID, you will need that. read more

Great people and location. Been here quite a bit over the years and take lots of family and friends. Today was my first time this year and was irritated by the state of the kayaks we received. $60 for 2 hours for two kayaks and there were no foot pedals - the objects you adjust to help maintain balance and control. The employee said "well people break them sorry".... ok... root cause solution is either to be more strict on the before and after of the equipment or have a person assist in maintaining. Also, the paddle had lose grip. So aside from it floating, kind of a poorly maintained equipment. Invest some money or added procedures to keep your equipment up to date and worth the money - the kind employees shouldn't have to relay that type of lackluster care of rental product. read more

Rented a tandem bike. Service was great. Bike was fun! They didn't charge us for extra 15 minutes when they could have. Great service!

I've rented paddle boards twice now at Lake Nokomis, and I've had a great experience both times. The boards are decent for rentals, and the staff are helpful fitting you with paddles and getting your board into the water. I've brought my dog with me both times as well and that has never been an issue. Definitely recommend for both locals and visitors! read more

Called the direct line to ask specifically if they were renting paddle boards that afternoon. An employee said, "Yes, until 7:30." Drove 30 minutes only to get there and have 3 boys blame each other and then question us about which voice it sounded like. After that, was told it was company policy not to rent if winds were above 10 mph. I understand company policy and wind, which is why we called first. I can't understand three kids standing there blaming each other and then expecting us to decide whose voice it was. No apology. No accountability. Just smug blame and immature bickering amongst them. Perhaps decent enough place to simply rent equipment, but don't expect any type of help or even professionalism. read more

Super fun date idea! My boyfriend and I went for our anniversary and used an online coupon for a free second hour! Lots of great places to explore and was very pretty. The only downside was you have to park kinda far away. read more

I'm "on board" (sorry) with what the other reviewers said, however, next time I'll bring my own life vest (their life vests are are old and smelly) I'll wear a swimsuit (even the paddle boats will leave you with a wet butt sometimes) and next time I'll try paddle boarding instead. Everyone who was paddle boarding had a huge smile on their face and looked like they were having an awesome time and getting a great workout! Also, Do Not leave without getting a fish taco at Tin Fish right next door. read more

I had an amazing Labor day with my girlfriend paddle boarding on Lake Calhoun! It is a great local activity around the Minneapolis area, you can even see downtown Minneapolis from the lake. We went on a very busy day being a holiday but did not have to wait in line long. Wheel Fun Rentals had a great variety of different things to rent including kayaks, paddle boards, paddle boats, canoes, and I believe sailboats. As fun as the activities are themselves, the company seemed terribly unorganized. We rented two paddle boards for one hour which came to a little under $40 which seemed a bit expensive, but I guess they do have the monopoly when it comes to rentals on that lake. RIght after our purchase the attendant said someone would help us right around the corner of the building, then quickly moved onto the next customer. We walked around the corner and saw nobody, and had no clue where to go. Nobody informed us what to do with our clothes/personal belongings. We went back to the attendant and asked her again what to do, and she led us around the corner and gave us two life jackets. We ended up buying a plastic bag for $1 to put our money and phones in so i suggest to leave yours in the car. After, another employee came up and asked us what we rented. I feel like we could have just went up to him originally and told him a paddle board without ever paying, no one was keeping tabs on anything. He led us to two paddle boards floating in the water and let us be on our way with no further instruction. After paddle boarding for 20 min or so, we took off our life jackets because we noticed we were the only ones wearing ours. When we were returning to the main lake the same guy was screaming at us at the top of his lungs telling us to put our life jackets on. Probably something he should have told us before sending us off. All in all I had an awesome time, they had good equipment but they could have a lot of improvements with organization, and helping, and informing customers on their policies. read more

Choppers and quad cycles are not for everyone! The choppers are advertised as suitable for ages "6 to 60." We visited recently and my three boys (ages 8, 10, and 13) and I WISH I would have had them each try them out before we forked over $75 for all of our rentals. They are very heavy and difficult to maneuver, and virtually useless on hills of any incline whatsoever (fun to go down, but not so fun to get up!). When we returned them 15 minutes ahead of schedule, one of the staff said, "Yeah, they're not for everyone," when I told her of the challenges my two youngest sons had. It would have been nice to be counseled on that ahead of time. The park is lovely, though. I would just recommend another way of getting around it to see the sights. read more