Hiya folks! If you're reading this review I can make a few guesses about you that may or may not be…read moreaccurate: 1. You are looking for a place to rent a kayak. 2. You don't own your own kayak. 3. You're probably not familiar with the waterways in and around Western Michigan. 4. You're reading reviews looking for something that really speaks to you. Friend, you've found the right review for YOU! My wife, 17-year-old son and I traveled up to Grand Haven on a whim this week, never having been here before but with the specific intent of trying out kayaking. Now, I have Kayaked before...I was about 12...so 36 years ago. My city-raised son and land-locked wife had never done such a thing in their lives. So, we started looking. After reading the reviews of a few places, I was attracted to Guys for a couple of reasons: 1. I'm a sucker for a story about a guy retiring from a life and retail and opening a kayak business on the rivers he loves. 2. Another review mentioned he had a kayak that fit a large person (I am one such person). 3. He specifically mentioned river kayaking...which is perfect for a newbie who isn't experienced keeping themselves moving. After all, if you get tired of paddling, you can just let the river take you where it will. Guy runs the business out of his house, but you'll never go in...you don't need to. We met in the yard, I PayPal'd him our fee (only $25 each) and we got back in our van to follow him to the landing spot...where we left our vehicle, climbed in his van, and he took us to the launch up river. Guy knows this town, but he really knows these rivers. We got a full briefing on what to expect, how to use the equipment, how long it should take --"the river's running about 4.5mph right now...it was 6mph last week...so it'll be a longer trip unless you really paddle". He then made sure we had a dry-box for a phone and wallet (just in case) and offered my son a ball cap since he forgot his and made sure my bald head had sunscreen, which I had forgotten. Then he launched us and away we went. The trip downstream was about 2 hours, and 15 minutes in my tech-geek son-sans-cell-phone says "We really need to do this more often" the trip was already worth it. The rest of the trip downstream was idylic and so much fun. When we got to the end (Guy put out a sign for us to land), Guy himself was there and taking photos for us. He helped us out of the boats (which I needed after two hours) and we got in our van and left. Guy has made this trip worthwhile on his own with his service and hospitality, and my family had a fantastic time. I can not recommend him and his business enough! Thank's Guy!!!

---CLOSED--- I am…read moresorry to report that the owner has passed away, therefore the business is closed. We were informed by a neighbor when we showed up this past weekend.

I've fished with more than 250 fishing guides across the US and Kyle Buck ranks among the top of…read morethat list. Why? Because a guide needs to be more than just a good angler to catch fish. The most important part of a guide is how they interact with clients and Kyle's laid back personality enables him to cater to whomever is on his boat. He uses positive instruction, rather than anger when things don't go perfect (a problem with many guides in America). Fortunately, Buck is surrounded by wonderful fisheries and can put clients on salmon and steelhead without much effort. Whether in his lake boat or river boat, you'll enjoy a day with Kyle. He's one of the few guides I've met that isn't jarred by going later in the day or adjusting to client's schedules. He's not just a good guide, rather a good person. Good luck finding a better well rounded and friendly guide - in Michigan.

Very helpful setting up a charter for a salmon fishing trip on Lake Michigan and made sure where we…read moreknew to park, when to get there, and to meet for the charter. Very professional.

Cathy, Maize, and the team were helpful, patient, and fun when we rented a pontoon boat for our…read moreson's 21st birthday. Boat was great, excellent service, and easy to follow instructions. I felt like they were personally invested in us having a great time. We will be back!

From start to finish, this crew was absolutely fantastic to work with! They were so friendly during…read morethe booking process and showed us everything we needed to know about getting the boat on the water. The kids had a blast tubing and it was a major bonus that the dogs got to come along for the fun, too! The boat was huge and in pristine condition. When we returned with a kid with a broken wrist (through no fault of the boat company or anything like that) they were so compassionate. They helped us unload the boat, told us not to worry about anything and to go take care of our son. Wonderful company, can't recommend them enough! Thank you for a wonderful day on the water and your kindness afterwards! We will absolutely be back in the future. :)

Do not rent from this company. If there are any issues they will not make it right…read more  Full story: This was my third year renting from Back RoadRentals. The first two years we rented the same RV, which did not have issues,and drop off and pickup went fine. This year they rented us a different vehicle. Within a half hour of delivery water was leaking all over the floor. We had to delay our workday for them to come back figure out the issue, go out and get a part and come back and fix it. On day 3, the bathtub filled with smelly, gross water. We called and they said the greywater tank had filled up - which seemed crazy to us because the only water we had used was for the four of us to brush our teeth. None of us had showered, etc. Still, we paid for the campsite manager to come and pump the greywater out ($80!). The sensor also showed the freshwater tank was empty so we paid another $80 for the campsite to bring the truck to fill it up - but when they hooked up they said the tank was practically full. So, we wasted that $80 and it proved that we had barely used any water. Also, the sensor was broken, which we had not been told. We honestly weren't going to bring any of it up, but then Jim texted that he was going to charge us a cleaning fee. We had asked about cleaning and he said "nice but not necessary." Still, we made sure all the dirty linens were in one place, all the trash was bagged and ready to be takenout, etc. We are all adults and had barely been in the RV (12+ hour work days) so it really wasn't messy. Getting charged a cleaning fee on top of already having to lose time because they didn't check that they were delivering a working RV and having to pay $160 because they hadn't emptied out the grey water and had broken sensors, really felt like adding insult to injury, so we let Jim know everything that had happened and ask him to make it right. He absolutely refused, poo-pooed our issues, claimed no responsibility for anything and charged us the cleaning fee. The character of a company is shown when things go wrong.Things went wrong and instead of making it right, this company made it worse. Do not give them your business.

We rented a side-by-side for a two-hour ride and ended up being charged $272 for a broken belt,…read moreeven though the company told us it had just been replaced the day before. We were told the charge would be only for the part, but the invoice from the shop showed the belt was $219.34. When I asked about the difference, they said labor and tax were included -- but those weren't supposed to be charged to us. They shifted blame, didn't take any responsibility, and were not transparent about the charges. After seeing other reviews, it looks like this isn't a one-time thing -- they seem to have a pattern of refusing to work with customers when something goes wrong. Absolutely Terrible!

Such a great trip. It's super fun and chill. Nice 2 hour trip looking at all the boats and…read morewildlife. Listening to music and having fun drinking, eating snacks, and hanging with friends. The staff was friendly, helpful, and made it a great time.

Grand Haven Cycleboat is an absolute BLAST. You BYOB, Ice, and food. Docked where Chinook pier used…read moreto be, you leave and ride up the river towards spring lake. The boat can be shaded or full sun. We went for a bachelorette party and had a BLAST.

We joined the sunset sailing cruise, which starts at 7p, and comes back into dock around 9p (maybe…read morea bit later). Captain and First Mate were great - very helpful. Captain runs a tight ship - very observant of all rules, keeps boat very clean. Both were willing to answer any question about the boat (even though they've probably answered every single one a thousand times or more - you'd never know from their response). Kind of unusual - if you want to, they will let you help a little bit on the boat - letting out sails etc. My son was *thrilled* to be given the duty of hoisting the gibb sail. The cruise is accompanied by suitable and inoffensive music - the night we rode it was toward the Jimmy Buffet side of things.... like I said - inoffensive. The evening we were on, the weather was quiet - too bad! Would have been nice to have had a slightly more exciting cruise - but not the charter boat's issue. (Does anyone know how to review Mother Nature on Yelp?) Before you go: - Call for reservation - they seem to regularly fill up their cruises. - Check the weather, and dress appropriately. It's always colder and windier on the water than you think it's going to be. - Leave everything you can on on shore - limited storage and you don't want to be messing with purses, camera bags and the like. - Budget $30 to $40 per person (2009 pricing) for the tour. - Bring extra cash for the bar service, if you want a beverage. - Non-marking shoes only, barefeet are fine. - No food allowed on board. - If you are prone to sea sickness, take your dramamine/gravol before you get on board. :-) - Children under a certain age (13?) must wear a life jacket - it's the law. My daugher was unhappy about this - oh well! - Sunset cruise is a bit more expensive than daytime cruise - about $6 a person, going from memory. - Remember your (compact) camera! You'll get some beautiful shots out there. Would I recommend: Yes. Would I return: Yes. Kid's loved it.

If there was an option for zero stars that is what I would rate this. I can't tell you how the…read morecruise was because we never went. We got to the boat and we noticed that the seats in the back were filling up. We told the guy that if we didn't have a seat than we will not pay. He said you are already checked in. Everyone under 50 was told they had to go the front of the boat. We said we did not feel safe. He said " too bad I already have your money." After we argued with he said he would give us our money back if we promise not to come back again.". Some people moved to the front so there were seats in the back. We said there are seats there now does he want us to stay or go. He said he wants us to go. He gave us our $90 ($45 each) back and we left. He was very rude and did not even try to accommodate us. I guess if we were over 50 we would have had better treatment.

The canoes and kayak's were immaculate! They take care of their equipment. The owners were really…read morenice and helpful. They care about the river and do what they can to make sure the river can be enjoyed by everyone for years to come. You will need to take your cell phone. If you have a dry bag, take it, If not, they will provide you with zip lock bags. Make sure you take bug spray and sun screen. The stretch of the river to Sheridan Rd is about a 4 1/2 hour trip with lots of cool spots to swim before you get to state land. After that it is really natural and equally cool.

Loved the experience. Brought my grand kids back. Planning a future trip will plan a group partyread more

Captain Art is the best!!!!! My girl surprised me with a fishing trip knowing I love to fish. This…read moretrip was almost ruined with a previous guide who did not answer her emails or phone calls or anything. She is one to plan a trip months in advance.... So needed less to say, that other place "Great Lakes guides service" sucks... Wouldn't give them the time of day even if they paid us. Anyway, Captain art was not only lay back and super helpful, but he went above and beyond and took us out on a VERY VERY short notice. His boat is really nice and SUPER clean and also quick! We managed to catch 4 nice sized salmon weighing about 25lbs of edible meat! :-) yum! I want to thank captain art for being so cool and helpful and such a good person over all. Would not even think twice about getting back in his boat! Will be back next year for some more fish! If your looking for a REAL guide and a local that knows his stuff, call up captain art. You will NOT regret it. :-)

Short and sweet version: AWESOME! We went out with Captain Art Sept 7 and had an amazing time! We…read morewent out on Lake Michigan in his gorgeous 30+ft boat called Fish Stix. We caught 4 HUGE salmon and based off the radio chatter, we were the only boat who caught anything that afternoon. He went above and beyond in all respects getting 9 rods setup with a variety of strategies to give us the best chance, he had sun screen for us silly people who forgot it, and a great attitude, very positive, friendly, and knowledgeable. If you are heading out for a trip in the Muskegon area you should look no further. Captain Art will exceed all expectations. Full story: if you really want to understand how awesome Captain Art is, keep reading. I had scheduled a trip for my fiancée's birthday as the surprise main event. I planned the hotel and restaurant around the trip in Muskegon. I had a reservation with Great Lakes Guide Service. They originally had us on Muskegon River, which I found out later was way too early in the year for river fishing... anyway, they were going to call a few days before the trip to confirm. 2 days before the trip, I still hadn't heard anything, so I called them back. They didn't answer, so I left a message. I got an email later saying that the river trip wasn't going to work and asked if we would consider a lake trip. I said sure if we could confirm cost and where we would meet for that trip. I never heard back. So I emailed again, no response. And a third time the day before our scheduled trip (we had already driven 3 hrs for the fishing trip) with still no response. I called 3 times that day and never got an answer. At this point fearing my surprise trip would fall on its face, I called Captain Art. He answered IMMEDIATELY and heard the situation Great Lakes Guide Service had got me into. The day before we wanted to go out Captain Art said he would take us personally in the afternoon. Relief!!! He even left his granddaughter's birthday early to take us out. Unbelievable commitment, customer service, and flexibility. Great Lakes Guide Service also didn't mention to bring a cooler, so Captain Art took his time to fillet the salmon small enough we could take them in Styrofoam ones. He even taught us how to store them. 4 HUGE fish, a wonderful afternoon on a beautiful boat, the only boat catching fish, Captain Art will find you fish . Best charter in the area, hands down.