We did a sunset cruise... unfortunately there was no sunset due to the clouds, which isn't something they can control. We still went for a relaxing night. However, it wasn't very relaxing. Our tour guide was a super nice guy who's obviously passionate about his job and NH, but he didn't stop chatting the entire time. He told us about every house on the lake, history of the lake, all the tea about people in the area, etc. While we appreciated his knowledge and passion, we felt that we couldn't get off the boat fast enough, as we would have been more relaxed at the bar or in our room. If the cruise had some nice music on, provided a few blankets (that were clean unlike the one he handed me) and offered the option for snacks/beverages, it would have been much more enjoyable. But the price tag for a 90 minute informational cruise with consistent talking and other passengers' phone loudly playing the ymca... was less than worth it. read more

there was no info about where to go for check in. a young worked said "take these boards" and did not ask if we knew what we were doing (luckily we have paddled before). there was no safety strap for the ankle, which is not wise in choppy water. the water was quite choppy with the wind and no one advised of this, making coming back quite difficult and time consuming. these safety concerns might make you think twice if you are not an experienced paddler. read more

Our captain, David, was amazing. We encountered unexpected weather and he handled it with confidence and professionalism. He got us to safety until the storm passed. We had a wonderful experience! read more

This would be great if it weren't for the super loud traffic going by...lots of cement trucks and other giant trucks making their morning commute. The teacher was knowledgeable and patient but hard to hear over the traffic. read more

Very nice sunset cruise! 7-8:30 The light is amazing at that time of day. Captain Tim is the best read more

This is a great service! Captain Roger is awesome with fun facts during boat rides and very accommodating to the customer! He also has fantastic restaurant recommendations! Overall great guy and so amazingly nice and interesting! We would definitely use Ekal again! read more

We had a great time out on the pontoon boat with ekal. Roger was our captain and he was very personable and knowledgeable about lake Winni. We will definitely go back again! read more

We boarded our sunset cruise with David interested in seeing the lake. David was a terrific guide as he took us to several different places around the lake, showing us little bays, large areas of water and some incredible homes. David was friendly and helpful (he had waters and blankets at the ready for us!). We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the lake and with David. I would highly recommend! read more

My husband I had an awesome experience renting kayaks with EKal this week. We book online and it was very simple. Our kayaks were ready right on time. We had a ball touring around the Meredith end of the lake. We went on a Wednesday morning so there wasn't much boat traffic to speak of. I think one hour was perfect for us, lots to see and enjoy in a 60min trip. My husband realized after we left that his seat strap was broken which meant he had no lower back support, I gave him my towel to roll up behind him which helped. Just double check the equipment before go out. I would highly recommend this spot to anyone new to the lake and the Meredith area, great spot for families. Book ahead if you are coming in the peak of summer. read more

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Not so pleasant experience today. Scheduled an antique boat charter through their online reservation page. Committed to a 1 hour tour, paid $400+, received email confirmation. Headed over there for my paid for charter at the agreed time and I was told they could not fulfill the charter I had paid for since they only had 1 captain and he/she was taking out a different charter. They did mention they would take me out 3 hours later but I had no plans to be somewhere else in 3 hours. They did refund my money. You should not trust their online reservation system which sells and confirms charters they cannot fulfill. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Ekal team was so quick and Captain Roger was a treasure trove of experience to listen to! Our family was 3 adults, 2 parents, 1 nanny, 1 dog and 2 year old toddler. Toddler passed out and we wanted to swim so Captain Roger got us to the middle of the lake. He explained so much of the history, I didn't want to leave! Lovely experience, thanks Ekal Centre! read more

We rented 2 kayaks in July, we paid one day and chose our time and day. On day of rental we got there and there was nobody there, we called and they told us were kayaks were. There was nobody there to help us carry kayaks and get us in water. Kayaks and equipment were old and beat up. We have rented kayaks at other places and always someone there to help us and give us rules of lake, not this place. I do not recommend this place!! read more

We were thrilled that EKAL was able to book a charter for our group last minute after our previously booked boat charter company unexpectedly cancelled. Roger is an excellent captain. He is knowledgable about all the nooks and crannies of the lake and has a great sense of humor. He was more than patient with the members of our group who arrived late to the dock and our general indecisiveness concerning destinations of interest. Our family truly enjoyed our time on the lake with him and we plan to make this an annual cruise. Next time, we promise to be more organized :) read more

We had an incredible boat tour with Captain Rager. He made the tour so fun and was super knowledgeable about the area. He also took a ton of great photos. He went above and beyond when my sister's hat flew off into the water and he helped to fish it out of the lake. Such a fun, amazing tour. Highly, highly recommend! read more

Last minute booking for my family to kayak! We enjoyeded their responsiveness, the boats were good and the process was easy!1

My family and I went to EKAL twice during our vacation--once to charter a pontoon boat and a second time to rent kayaks for a 1/2 day. Both experiences were awesome and well worth it. Our charter with Sharon was special for our family, since she took us to the cove in Meredith where we used to spend our summers. Anchored in the cove to take my family swimming where I did the same as a kid. Meant a lot to our family and Sharon couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating. She was part of the day and everyone was thankful for her generosity and flexibility. Kayaking was equally awesome. We just paddled around Meredith Harbor but in a relatively short amount of time, saw two Bald Eagles, a family of Osprey, and a Loon! Each one came within 20-30 yards of our boats (they came to us, not the opposite). Perfect conditions, perfect day. Thank you everyone at EKAL! Hope you enjoy the summer and we'll see you next year! read more

Rodger was a phenomenal tour guide and charter boat captain. He was very knowledgeable and gave great information, fun facts, and recommendations. read more

I went on the sunset cruise and it was so lovely. Captain Roger was great! Very kind and knowledgeable. He made the experience that much better. What a wonderful view and experience. Totally recommend! read more

My husband and I were looking for a sunset cruise to celebrate our 52nd anniversary! This was absolutely one of the best!! The cruise on Lake Winnipesaukee was pefect; our guide was excellent and the cruise was the perfect length. We highly recommend this suns cruise!!! read more

Ekal Activity Center - Paddleboarding Near Me - Meredith, New Hampshire

For my sisters bachelorette party we booked a one hour pontoon charter and it was amazing!! Roger was the perfect captain and we had the best time! Highly recommend read more

Disorganized, charter boat never showed up even though I confirmed it 3 days in advance. Backstory: The website says you can charter a boat and be picked up on the lake. I called and spoke with Jose, one of their captains, who confirmed that and was even familiar with where my family wanted to be picked up (at a lodge in Meredith - we're 15 people from ages 4-85, so the plan was to be picked up where we were staying and have a couple short rides before Jose headed back to the Activity Center). When I requested the boat, I entered our pick-up address and lodge name and noted that I had spoken with Jose. They ended up calling me and asking if I really did want to be picked up at the lodge. 3 days before our charter, I called and spoke to someone, confirming that my request was correct - as discussed with Jose, we wanted to be picked up at the lodge. On the day of the charter, the center called about 15 minutes after our reservation time and asked why we hadn't arrived. I said that we had requested to be picked up, I even confirmed this with Jose upon booking and again 3 days earlier. He responded that no one had told him we wanted to be picked up. Jose was off that day, and the captain we had been assigned didn't know where our lodge was, he'd have to research it. They had another reservation after ours, so it was now too late to honor ours. So all 15 people never got our boat rides. I asked for the manager to call me to discuss this, which she never did. I did get an automatic email thanking me for my charter, though. read more

They don't answer their phones - try one of the other outfits in the area to save yourself the hassle and actually get good customer service. read more

Absolutely amazing place of business. The staff is extremely friendly, Erik and Nick were not only accommodating but they even kept our group super motivated by using the phrase " Rock n Roll BABY " at every appropriate time possible. We loved the energy so much, we decided to book a half day Pontoon ride with paddle boarding for dessert! Erik actually got to be our captain and showed us Braun Bay which was a beautiful spot. The absolute cherry on top of our day, was Nick instructing us on how to use a paddle board. This was something I always wanted to try. If I could describe this day in one phrase, it'd be " Rock and Roll BABY ". Absolutely a 10/10 experience. Reasonably priced too!! read more

We chartered a pontoon boat for a two hour cruise of the lake. Jose was a excellent Captain and the trip was great. One of the highlights of our vacation. read more

We rented the aqua cycle which gave us stunning scenery and exercise. We appreciate the integrity of Eric when we changed our reservation time. Excellent customer service. read more

Had a whole day planned for my sister's bachelorette party renting a charter boat with Ekal activity center. I was in contact with the company about the trip we had planned for various reasons over the past few months. When arriving for our scheduled time, they had got the day wrong. They did try to accommodate with a later time however it did not work with our schedule of other activities. I did appreciate them trying to reschedule the time however not once did they apologize or take ownership of their mistake. There should be a better confirmation system to avoid this from happening again. read more

Ekal was awesome!! I was just up in the area for the weekend with my daughter and we rented boats at Ekal both days. Super friendly staff, good prices and great boats!! read more

I'm shocked these guys aren't on Yelp yet!! We had a Sunday fun-day planned, except the only thing we had really planned was that we'd like to try paddle boarding. We had seen people doing it while we were at the beach, and were determined to find something on Lake Winnipesaukee that we could hit before we headed back home to Boston. My boyfriend found a few places, but these guys were the only ones that had availability for that afternoon. We were a bunch of amateurs and had NO idea what we were doing, but the people here were really nice and gave us instructions and helped us get situated on our boards. It was pretty reasonable too - we got the paddleboards for four hours $40 a piece. They've got all sorts of supplies and gear if you need it - sunblock, towels, clothing... and honestly, this area is a bit of a hidden gem. There's a cute tiki bar restaurant that I definitely want to go back to and I just can't get over how nice these people are. After having all our fun, my boyfriend actually drove off while his shoes were still on top of the car... ha! After making a few calls, the guy at EKAL actually went out into the public lot, grabbed the shoes, and held on to them until we could pick them up. If that isn't superior service, I don't know what is! read more