Hank is hands down one of the coolest, most knowledgeable and down-to-earth instructors I've ever…read moremet. I gave him a rang the other day and he kind enough to accomodate a last minute paddle board session on a late Tuesday evening. After getting us familiar with the gear, a very helpful lesson and going over important safety information, we were out on the water in no time! While I have a good amount of experience on the water, I was able to implement his tips immediately and they really made a difference with my stroke and energy conservation. Even though it's the end May, the weather was actually quite reasonable too! We were able to paddle over to a nearby beach, enjoy wonderful views, and catch the sun set. It's clear that Hank is in the right business! I would not hesitate to recommend Surf Skate Fitness to anyone out there wanting to get out on the water for a couple of hours, for a very reasonable price. FYI: Even if you're a beginner, paddle boarding can be done at your own pace and technique can be modified if needed. So don't any lack of experience deter you from giving it a try.. it can be both relaxing and fun!

Hank is an incredible teacher! He is a truly empathetic, patient, and thoughtful person with…read moreeveryone he meets. He is truly driven by community and empathy. I recommend Surf Skate to everyone I know. Friends of mine have gone to Hank and had an amazing time and consistently return. Rockaway is lucky to have Surf Skate & Hank.

I joined one of the beginner paddle board classes with a friend on Sunday a week or two ago. I…read morethink the class had about 7 participants total, with two teachers. I came in from Manhattan, and took the PATH to get back home. The walk from the station to Pier 13 isn't short, so I can see why Google Maps suggests the bus to get to Pier 13. Personally I plan to snag a ride share from the station to Pier 13 in the future since I run late to most things and the walk took a while. Although I've been paddle boarding before, this class highlighted that I had never been taught some paddle boarding basics during my prior adventures. We hung out pretty close to the docks most of the time because the water was so choppy that day, but I believe the instructors said under better conditions the class sometimes ventured further out. For those of you wondering about how clean the water is - I personally did not mind falling in and was splashing my hair with the water to cool down as needed. The water felt fairly clean, and was "brackish," as the instructors liked to say. The instructors for this class were great, namely Ben (I believe that was his name anyway). He was fun, easy to talk to, and 100% willing to jump into the water to demonstrate re-mounting the board for people that had fallen. They cover how to get onto your board from the dock, how to hold your paddle, which parts of your body you should be engaging to paddle, paddling while kneeling, paddling while standing, tips on steadying yourself, and re-mounting the board. By the end of the hour I felt way more confident, and was interested in signing up for their other classes where you get a guided tour of the nearby areas. There was mention of paddling to an island nearby for one of those classes. Would highly recommend this as a weekend activity. There's plenty to eat and drink on the piers/walkways around there after you get done.

What an amazing time! A safe new and enjoyable adventure. We learned a new skill, the people in…read morecharge made sure we had an amazing experience.

The setup: Mother's Day was coming up and I always try to find something unique and different for…read morethe momma of my kids as well as the mother-in-law. And I stumbled upon Urban Paddle and booked it for a 9am adventure. We lucked out that every variable and condition was ideal: weather, tide, calm water, almost no other boat-related traffic. We're a party of 7. The 'Urban Crew' numbered at 5. We were spoiled from start to finish with a group of really cool and helpful workers that were informative, fun, professional and made sure we were always safe and engaged the entire hour. (Make sure to watch their 6-minute YouTube video ahead of time so you know all about the proper paddling/rowing techniques when it comes time to hit the water.) The 'Urban Crew' were also invaluable because the owner was constantly taking pictures and videos and at the end airdropped them to us which was a nice 'cherry on top' since you can't really snap pictures for big chunks of the time when you're on the water. Is it expensive for an hour? No doubt. Did everyone absolutely love kayaking and getting to see everything from the Colgate clock to the back of the Statue of Liberty's head to the NYC skyline, not to mention all of the stunning yachts all docked and looking completely out of my price-range? Of course. Was it the funniest thing to see my mother-in-law somehow leaning back in her kayak like she was on a hammock while the father-in-law did all the hard work? Yup. (Did a cranky security guard try her best to be a stick in the mud regarding confusion over some parking-related issues when we were about to leave? Oh yeah.) I'd suggest clothing/footwear that you don't mind getting wet as well as sunglasses and sunblock (that sun is no joke bouncing off the water). Highly recommended. (The Mrs. is already plotting when to go back and I think she's even pricing kayaks to buy with that stimulus check that's burning a hole in her wallet.)

Overall this place is solid. My boyfriend and I went for the LED kayaking. The view was beautiful!…read moreThe difficulty was a 2/10 but honestly it does depend who you are and where your skill level is now. Our guide was perfect and he talked to us all night! Only bummed I never received the photos taken from that night. The entire trip takes a little over an hour. Parking is a little confusing but you have to find the parking authority and tell them you are there to kayak and pay $5 for a pass to put on your car. Overall great experience. I strongly advise not to put your hand into the water (who really knows what is in the Hudson River)

5/5 experience from the beginning to the end. Affordable…read moreprices, takes cash and credit. Pet friendly and even provided him with a life vest! If you're at Sandy Hook or the shore and looking for an fun activity, definitely recommend stopping by here for a hour or two.

My husband and I LOVE Sandy Hook and have wanted to try stand up paddle boarding for some time. So…read morewe decided to make reservations the night before a beach trip and give these guys a shot. What a great decision! Before we even left for the beach we called SHK and they told us the conditions were a bit too windy for paddle boarding. He advised us to check the Sandy Hook wind forecast before our next trip and suggested wind under 7mph is ideal. So a few days later we tried again. Upon arrival we were greeted by one of the guys who works there. He told us a bit about how the weather affects your time on the water. Then he got our boards ready and explained where we could go. We had a blast but it was one heck of a workout. Midway through our first trip I exchanged my board out for a more stable (larger) one. What a difference! The 1 hour rental is enough time to explore the area and not feel completely beat. We loved our experience so much we went back 2 more times.

Bad service, they didn't let us ask questions, they treated us really badly, I almost didn't get to…read moreride on the jet ski, it stopped working and they said I made a hole in the bottom and they wanted to charge me 1800 of course I didn't get to do anything and of course not to break the jet ski, I really do not recommend going to this place

Had a fun time here. I was terrified at first, but at the end, I switched with my husband and…read moreoperated the jet ski for a bit myself too. Anthony, the tour guide, was great and made me feel comfortable. Anthony, the person who checked us in (yes, there were two Anthonys), was nice and professional. I plan to go back next year and try the Banana Boat and operate the jet ski a bit longer.

Margo and Paul took excellent care of us on our sunset kayak trip. With an emphasis on safety, they…read moretaught the basics on land, made sure we were comfortable on the water, and then led us on a tour, stopping often to share historical information (and to let the stragglers catch up.) Our trip wasn't a high level athletic event, but Manhattan Kayak does offer training and equipment to get you there if you desire. PS, my wife forgot her wallet in a changing room, the staff called and texted immediately but we were already home when we checked our messages. Stacy came in early the next day so we could collect the valuables. Operation, equipment, and staff all highly recommended at Manhattan Kayak.

I did a night kayak and took Kayaking Basics 1 and 2 from Manhattan Kayak. The night kayak was…read moreslow-paced for beginners. It looks cool with all of the under-lit kayaks. In Kayak Basics 1 and 2 I learned a lot I didn't know. They run small classes so that you get individual feedback when you're doing something correctly or incorrectly. Kayak 1 covered basic strokes. Kayak 2 added more techniques like tilting the kayak. In Kayak 2 they had us do a "wet exit" where you exit the kayak while inverted and get back in. I've always feared inverting and avoided it--and will continue to attempt to avoid it, but doing so in a controlled environment provided valuable knowledge to handle that situation if it ever occurred unexpectedly.

My first and only time paddle boarding was in Hawaii, and I loved every moment of it. So, I really…read morewanted to do it again when I got back home, however, places that offered paddle boarding were very limited. I found Empire Kayaks through Yelp and they seemed to check all the boxes for me. As someone who can't swim and is truly afraid of falling into the water, the location was very important to me. Empire Kayaks is located at the end of a residential block, and in the back, they have access to a "small" body of water. Since it wasn't the open ocean, it felt just a tad safer to me. The process was so simple, with cubbies and life jackets provided. They gave a quick lesson on how to use the paddle board, which was greatly appreciated as only a second-timer. They assist you with launching the paddle board from a very shallow body of water. And then, you're pretty much allowed to paddle wherever you want. It was really fun, especially with other kayakers/paddle boarders in the water too. I was a bit sad the water wasn't clear like Hawaii, which scares me when I can't see what's happening in the waters, but we're in NY, so duh, what did I expect? The only downside is you might get stuck if you get too close to the edges, which almost happened to me and I started to panic. Another con is a lot of boats are parked at the piers of this body of water, so you'll have boats of all sizes whizzing by, and it's really up to you to try to avoid them because who knows if they will. Also, if you get caught in the ripple made by the boat, it's really hard to stay balanced on the board!

Just came back from a 2 hours kayak ride. Saw a few Osprey and a couple of other birds. Other than…read morethat, just a pleasant ride on the water seeing some beautiful houses. The people that work here are great. Friendly, helpful, great instruction. Watched worker sanitize and hose down life jackets. Cubby for shoes and towels. Parking right across the road. Definitely recommend.

This is my third time using Jersey Paddle and they never fail to provide a great experience. They…read morealways have equipment available at a decent price. The staff is always friendly and helpful.

Absolutely loved my experience kayaking at Greenwood Lake! I rented a 2 person kayak for 1 hour for…read more$40. Parking is an additional $5 (unless you park somewhere outside and walk there like I did!). For 1 hour, it is plenty of time to row around the lake! The view is super pretty and the lake is very calm so it's easy to paddle around! I had a great experience; definitely recommend!

I booked a late afternoon session and couldn't have asked for a better experience. The Palisade…read morecliffs were striking, the water was calm, and birds of prey--including eagles--glided overhead as we moved along the Hudson River. At one point, we even heard an eagle call echo across the water. It caught us off guard in the best way--one of those moments that makes you pause and pay attention. The launch at Alpine Boat Basin was easy and scenic, just a short drive from the city--but once we were on the water, it felt like we were worlds away. Quiet, spacious, and completely removed from the noise. Booking was simple from start to finish. I'm not an experienced paddler, but everything felt accessible and well-paced--peaceful but never boring, quiet but never dull. Our instructor was fantastic: calm, kind, and clear without overexplaining. I felt safe and fully present the whole time. This wasn't just a kayak rental--it was a beautifully guided moment of calm. I'll definitely be coming back.

My boyfriend had set up a kayaking date for my birthday and Alex (the owner) helped him set it up…read more She. We got to the place, we decided to change our reservation from two single kayaks to a tandem (because kayaking on the Hudson felt overwhelming to me), and he was super accommodating. We I initially booked 2 hours, but came back an hour earlier and Alex offered to give us future credit for the remaining hour. The dock is close to beautiful scenery, hiking trails AND Alex had a quaint snack bar with yummy empanadas and beverages. We will definitely go back multiple times this summer!