Buyer beware. Booked this because it said "good weather required." It was raining steadily and they still ran the tour. When I asked about it, they said they only cancel for lightning... which is not what the listing says. That's misleading, plain and simple. Even worse, they wouldn't work with us at all after the fact. No flexibility, no effort to make it right. Plenty of other kayak options in Austin... I'd go with one that's actually upfront about their policies. read more

Idk what the fuck the deal with Austin Rowing Club is, but are all Austin people assholes? I arrived with my dog, knowing their sign literally says they are dog friendly. My friend even did her due diligence by calling ahead. When we arrived, the desk people were so nice. In fact Lauren, who we had a lovely conversation with, assisted us. Since I had my dog with me and his life vest on, we weren't sure if we needed a single or a double. I paid $25 for a double per the suggestion of the desk people. Get to the dock, one girl helps my friend out in the single. Now me? You best believe I was sober enough to not let someone speak to me the way it went down. Scene or no scene, people around or not. As soon one of the staff members assists a customer with a double, I walk over and get asked if I need a paddle board. I said "no, I'm getting a double". All of a sudden, what I thought was going be a smooth assistance on the kayak, I get confusion from the staff member, which leads to an argument on the dock. Apparently a double kayak for a single person and a dog would be soooo difficult. (It's manageable. I better be fucking JACKED for the amount of paddling I had to do) If I'm put in a single, then I'm tight squeezing it with my dog and paddling. At the time, it was just me on the dock with my dog and the girl. She starts giving me an attitude and has a tantrum. That's when I realize something ain't right. I told her to turn around, asked for her name. I had to call out her problem with me because ain't nobody, young or old should be this rude. She starts getting heated and yells at me. So I said, "you know what, what's your name? I need to speak to someone." Lo and behold her name is Rachel. "If you're looking for the manager, you're talking to her" - Rachel And I said "ok, then who's you're manager" If Rachel is the so-called the manager, all she had to do was give me her expertise. Don't get promoted to manager if you can't even be kind enough to tell me that I need an alternative. I asked if it would be better to be in a single than a double and get the difference. She said, "WHATEVER YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH."' A $5 difference doesn't even cover a fucking latte, so please be kind and just suggest what best suits me and my dog. She keeps calling me "ma'am", and so I just politely tell her, "you can call me Nancy. I'm not that much older than you." And she starts yelling about how she was born and raise in Austin and was taught to say "ma'am or sir". Well Rachel, your parents taught you to say "ma'am or sir", but they didn't teach you kindness. I talked to my friend about it and we weren't sure if that was some type of racist comment, but hold up. Girl, I'm born and raised in Texas too. But I can also read the room and know that how to address people. I'm guessing she don't know Houston. From the corner of my eye, I see Lauren walking on the dock and I yell "HEY. PLSSSSS Help me" And thank god Lauren was there to witness Rachel being an ASSHOLE. So you know what? I got all day and I'll wait for a supervisor to talk about Rachel any day. Cause how is Rachel a manager and yelling at me with a tantrum. She's lucky other patrons didn't take out their phone to record, because in this day and age, she would've gotten cancelled. I met Aubrea, the manager and gave her the whole spiel. Yes, I can buy my own equipment, but I'm not going to use it all the time since I don't live here. Supporting local clubs helps significantly. While everything did get settled (full refund of $25), everyone BUT Rachel was kind to me, Austin continues to disappoint me with snobby people that I've encountered. read more

We rented the single kayak ($10/hour) for 1 hour from 8 - 9 pm. They close at 9 pm. If you bring it after 9 pm, they will charge you $100. From the bridge viewpoint, make sure to budget at least 10 minutes to come back because there's a lot of kayaks in the way. 8 -9 pm was the perfect time to see the bats fly out! Make sure you bring your ID. A double kayak is $15/hour and a SUP (stand up paddleboard) is $20/hour. read more

Austin Rowing Club - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas

We did an hour of paddle boarding on the lake, it's tricky to get your balance but easy to master. The boards are a bit imposing but the staff were helpful and friendly helping you launch and return. The price was right, and any more than an hour surely would've led to heat stroke, bring lots of water / electrolytes for after and prepare to get in the yucky water if you don't have great balance. read more

Quick and easy way to get out on the water! Everyone was super nice too. We did the kayaks, they provide the paddles and life jacket. read more

Austin Rowing Club - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Just moved to Austin for work and was looking for things to do and found Austin Rowing Club had guided tours. One of the things Austin is known for is Lady Bird Lake which is right in the heart of downtown. Famous for housing the largest urban bat population, you can watch the bats do their nightly fly out most of the year at sunset. I took 2 guided tours, one in the morning that took us all the way to Barton Springs as our guide (sorry forgot your name!) gave us history of Austin, pointed out some buildings, and gave recommendations of things to do. I also did a bat tour with Sam as our guide and he took us out to Congress St Bridge where the bats reside and gave us info on the bats as we waited for a beautiful sight as the bats flew out at sunset. The staff was very friendly and gave water as well as basic kayaking instructions. Also took pictures for those requesting them while out in the kayak. Great company and great people! read more

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Super nice staff, pretty speedy of a process: walk up to the check out counter, give your drivers license, pick your activity, and pay for the time period. They give you a color card, pick your paddle/life jacket and then head to the dock. We chose kayaking and it was so peaceful to kayaking and get a full view of the city- highly recommend! Parking wise- you have to park at the convention center parking garage and then walk 2 blocks down the dock-- read more

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Picked Austin Rowing to support local . Guide was perfect . knew his stuff and was very nice. Beautiful night for a paddle. The bats flew & all was perfect! read more

Weekends and holidays are busy as this place is located on congress. However, the staff is friendly and helpful and concern about safety. For instance, they called me while I was SUPing as there was a tornado watch. They provided clean life vests. The SUP, kayaks, canoes, etc were well-maintained. Lastly, veteran/military discounts are offered. read more

They could be friendlier. They could have nicer kayaks. But most of all they could clean their vests In between use

Parking is a little tough to find; there's no parking lot and there are only a few spots for street parking if you're lucky. To get to Austin Rowing Club go down the stairs and to the right you'll see many kayaks and a garage-like structure. The counter to rent is on the very left of the large building but it might be covered up with all the equipment. We actually missed it and went to another type of water activity to rent but luckily we eventually found the right place to go. To get started you fill out a waiver via a QR code. You can do either kayaking or stand up paddle-boarding. We decided to do the double kayak for $20/hour. After paying and leaving my driver's license we each got a life vest and a paddle. If you don't have a waterproof phone pouch I'd recommend buying one or keeping it in a place where there's no chance of it falling out. There's nothing worse than your phone accidentally falling out of your pocket in the water! There are some signs around the area that give estimates on how far each bridge would take so you know when to start turning around to get back before your time is up. For 1 hour we went west to the RR bridge with the railroads on it. We got there pretty quickly and felt like we could've gone further with time to spare but we didn't. During the entire time we saw beautiful skyline views of downtown Austin and stopped paddling to take many pictures and videos. I'd highly recommend coming here earlier in the day so you can avoid the sun beaming down on you while you're on the water since you won't have any shade. There were also fewer people on the water earlier which was nice and quiet too. When we went there wasn't much of a current so it was relatively calm and very peaceful. We came out unscathed and not wet at all. I also got a nice arm workout with nice views so all that considered I would say it was a success! read more

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We group truly enjoyed our tour and being apart of Ethan's Gang! Ethan was very informative and knowledgeable about the area. I loved the history shared. It being my first time kayaking, I'd give it 5 stars. read more

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I just went kayaking for the first time with friends, staff are really nice and friendly, affordable, they have good service and lots of equipments for you to enjoy. It's a great outdoor activity. I highly recommend this place if you are interested. I'd like to do it again for my next Austin trip. read more

Austin Rowing Club - After kayaking in ladybird lake. - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas

We had a great time on the water waiting for the bats! Blake was very informative and made sure everyone was okay. If you make a reservation for a tour ask for Blake! read more

Such a beautiful experience on the lake in downtown Austin! Our guide Sam was amazing! Highly recommend the guided bat kayak tour!

Came to Austin for Thanksgiving to meet with family and we decided to do a physical activity for one of our hangouts. The rental office is just off the water, tucked away in one of the storage sheds. Fairly easy to see the various options and prices. They offer to keep your belongings for a small fee if you don't want to risk losing it on the water. After you pay, they will tell you to grab a life vest and your paddles, then you head down to the pier where workers will assist you onto your respective boat/board. You're free to roam the river for however long you'd like, but just be sure to keep track of time in case you want to do only an hour (any minute extra, with allotted return/boarding time will add onto the rental fee) The boats were clean, vests were fairly new, and paddles were functional. Can't complain about a fun bonding activity that lets everyone have a chance to participate. read more

Austin Rowing Club - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I did not rent from them. I unfortunately rented a pedal swan from a competitor. The swan rotor had some issues and was slow and getting us stuck. We got stuck in some seaweed and were exhausted and two tour guides from the bay tour from this joint towed us out. Extremely helpful and did not have to help us at all. But they offered and saved our butts. I can't review their prices because I did not rent from them, but I am leaving this review for their character, and kindness. 5 star attitudes. read more

Did the evening kayak tour to see the bats. Location was super convenient to my hotel- just a short walk. Shop was easy to find Equipment was in great condition with good instruction beforehand. The skyline tour beforehand was fun and relaxing. Madeline was a great guide Unfortunately the bats didn't fly that night. Booking app said bottled water was included but didn't get that. Luckily I had my own Overall a good experience and the water is a great way to try and see the bats read more

Good place to rent kayaks if you want to escape the burning heat. We got a Groupon for 2 doubles and it was $25 for 2 hours. Not bad! They have life vests if you're scared of drowning (like me), but you don't have to wear it. I recommend taking off shoes as you'll end up with a weird sandal tan like I did. Make sure you put sunscreen on! I got a tan and I put that lotion on heavily. The water is cool and refreshing, and you'll see some turtles swimming around. Lots of dogs in kayaks too, so cute! read more

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This place was so easy to deal with. Very quick and easy in and out. The employees were super helpful. Them having dog life vests was awesome. I would go back again. read more

My wife and I went out for kayak bat tour on Friday and it was so much fun!! The team from ARC were so friendly, so energetic, and though the bats can be temperamental in the spring they came out in droves for us. I've seen the bats from the bridge, from the Statesman lawn, and other locations, but being on the water when they come out is really special. ARC is really the only way to see them as the other kayak rentals are too far away. Next time we have guests in town we are definitely back out on the water!! read more

Our friends who live in Texas took us to rent canoes and paddle boards here. The process was incredibly simple. Sign the waiver, get up to the line and pick what you want to rent and how long. Then get your row on! We got doubles canoes as the individual prices for the paddle board was quite pricey. I think it was $25 per person for the first hour and $15 each additional hour. It is more cost efficient to do doubles canoe. Be sure to FULLy sunscreen yourself. It's so easy to miss spots and come back home to tiger lines of sun burn (assuming you use the spray kind). The river is nice and cool with a breeze flowing consistently through it. The people are friendly and the scenery beautiful. If you look hard enough, you'll see turtles along the sides of the river. Also, you can hear the bats as you paddle past the bat bridge. Pretty neat! Definitely something to do when you're in Austin and this place has it all! read more

What a great experience I came for sxsw and saw people on paddle boards going down the river The check in is really easy and they're really friendly There aren't lockers but they provide ziplock bags You leave your shoes in bins at the dock The river is pretty calm and tranquil so it's a great place to learn if you haven't tried sup before The location is great. You can paddle underneath congress bridge right through the heart of downtown!! read more

Austin Rowing Club - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas

The experience was great however two of us went out on two paddle boards and they were COVERED in lake debris, dirt, plants and just gross. They didn't take the liberty to rinse them off with a hose or even some lake water to get rid of everything sitting on top. Once we got on we had to sit on the dirty boards. While it was fun, for $50 a paddle board I think they should at-least be washed off. read more

The perfect mix of city/nature and tourist/local activity. The rental process was simple, the staff were nice, and our paddle boards were quality. They offer plastic bags for free and bags that you can attach to your board for $1 so that you can bring your phone and take pictures. We wanted to paddle out towards Zilker Park so we could hear the ACL Festival music, and that took a little over an hour (so we ended up having to pay for another hour). If that's your goal, then maybe rent at a place closer to Zilker, but if it's not, this company is high-quality and definitely recommendable! read more

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Easy stand up paddle board rental- $25 an hour. Super nice staff and perfect spot to SUP for the first time, had a blast! read more

Austin Rowing Club - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas

**this review is specifically for the "Sunset Bats Guided Kayak Experience"*** Lake lady bird is so dirty. There is so much algae and sea weed that you need to wade through (it smells a little too). When you get the kayak some of this dirty water will be on the kayak meaning even if you are super careful you will get this stuff on your clothes. There is also literally garbage where you kayak- like plastic bottles and plastic covers. Plus the bats are *really* underwhelming. They are time and really far away- so they look like ants in the floor who scatter. It's overpriced!! 90 dollars for this experience when you can literally rent the same kayak from then for 40 dollars for the 2 hours. The tour guide Ethan was funny and informative. Perhaps the only silver lining of all this. read more

Affordable, friendly service, and right in the center of town... what more could you ask for? Congress Avenue Kayaks made our afternoon kayak outing a breeze. The shop was only a 5 minute walk from the Marriott hotel. At the counter there was a short line, but it moved really fast. They have a great system here that keeps people moving. The cashier was super friendly and gave us some quick tips about the area. We paid $15 for one hour in a 2-person kayak (which I thought was super cheap compared to other rentals I've done around Florida). He also told us that they're not super strict about the return time, so if you're within 15 minutes over the hour they won't slap on an extra charge. I really appreciated that. There's nothing worse than losing track of time and having to hyper-paddle back to the dock. We grabbed a couple of life-jackets and walked over to the dock. You have a little plastic thing that denotes which rental you have, and when you hand it to the person on the dock they get your kayak ready, help you in and set you off. Just like that we were out on the Colorado River. It was a beautiful day and there were tons of people (and some with their dogs) out on kayaks and paddle boards. The water was clean and calm so it was really easy to paddle. You can go over toward Lady Bird Lake, but we decided to head West to see the city from the water and hang out in the sun. One hour was plenty of time, and the return was super easy. They have little slips on either side of the dock that you paddle into, and there's always someone to help you out. Then you just hang up your life jackets and go on your merry way. What an amazing, and relaxing way to spend the afternoon! read more

The staff it's friendly and well informed. You can never go wrong with kayaking in Austin. You can take your speaker and your h2o and kayak back and for. You will see a lot of people having a good time under the sun. read more

This was super convenient. The parking here is not the greatest but we walked from our hotel. They are located down by the dock and you will find a lot of signage showing you where to go. I did the SUP for $15 an hour. They have a waiver you do virtually and they have the QR code near the picnic tables to complete it. Then you go to the cash register to pay, get your equipment and head out into the water. Recommend getting there early to avoid the crowds. Also bring water. You can easily get dehydrated in the water and it gets pretty hot out there. They sell a small bottle of water to take them but if you have one might as well come prepared. The lake is pretty still so it's better for SUP (stand up paddle boarding) especially if you are starting. From this location you can go to Barton springs which I think the estimated time is 1.5 hrs. read more

Very helpful and kind service. Aubrey at the front desk was so knowledgeable and friendly in helping with our rentals. Definitely the best way to see the lake. Prices are great as well. Fun for the whole family and big groups!!!! read more

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This place was amazing! Great rates for SUPs and kayaks, and cute merchandise for sale. We paddled down lady bird lake with beautiful sights of the downtown Austin skyline, nature, parks, etc. There were a bunch of turtles in the water and birds flying around. Staff was friendly and accommodatin, will definitely return. read more

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If you are looking for city views and bats, Congress Ave Kayaks is the company you're looking for! It goes through the Colorado River, and your pups will love being out here! You can not only rent out kayaks, but they have SUP, and canoes too. Make sure to bring your ID with you, as one rental = one ID. You are suggested to wear the life jackets, but if you don't, it's just at your own risk. read more

Austin Rowing Club - Views - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas

Best Company in ATX! Brand new equipment, perfect location and great customer service! Located right under Congress Bridge where the famous bats fly every night (huge tourist and local attraction - and really cool to watch). ARC has bat tours where employees take customers to see the bats fly! The water is the best place to watch the bats! Staff is friendly and are well trained and CPR certified! Cold water, sunscreen and apparel is sold in addition to rentals and Rowing memberships! Dry bags are available to rent to keep valuables safe with you as you explore Lady Bird Lake! I will 100% rent from Austin Rowing Club again! read more

Austin Rowing Club - This is one of the 4 docks! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas

The young man at the counter was very informative and kind. The location & process was done very well. (Bring your sunscreen and hats or you'll wind up paying for it in a big way, like I did.) It's a romantic spot & we enjoyed having the freedom to paddle around aimlessly. Make sure you don't bring valuables, so you won't worry about them as they have open bins to stash your stuff. Most likely, they'll be fine though. I will definitely return! read more

Some friends and I went SUPing and decided to go to the Austin Rowing Club! Service was super fast, and the worker, Sage, was super helpful! We decided to go for the whole afternoon and we even got to see the bats fly out from under Congress bridge over the Austin sunset. Overall, it was a great experience :) read more

Austin rowing club has an incredible staff. The tour guide was very helpful and coached me through my first paddle boarding experience. Highly recommend rowing and paddling here! read more

Really great location and if you travel towards the left you'll get a really nice view of the skyline!!

Cheap and fun way to see the the river and the bridge from a different angle! They've got SUPs and 1,2 or 3-person kayaks. My husband and I opted for a 2-person kayak and it was $15 for an hour and $7 for each additional hour. They also rent floating bags for $3 so you can take your stuff! For us an hour was enough time to go up and down the river a few times and in a little inlet that was full of turtles! It was so fun! We also got to hear the bats under the congress bridge, so we know they're real because we didn't see them at night! You do get a bit wet while paddling. But on a hot day it's actually very refreshing! But if you're worried about it, pack a swim suit! read more

Austin Rowing Club - Turtles - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great service and great prices! The people here were friendly and super helpful, not just with kayaks but local food recommendations! Thank you for a great adventure!! read more

Austin Rowing Club - Lady Bird Lake - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Austin, Texas