My family just moved close to Bartlett Lake and we were so excited to go paddle boarding and kayaking. We've gone paddle boarding and kayaking before and it has always been such a fun experience for all of us. When I made a reservation there were no kayaks available which was fine so I booked 5 paddle boards. The cost was about $124. We were advised to arrive 30 minutes before 8:00 AM so that we could check in. We went to the Go Stand Up Paddle area in the marina and were met by the very abrasive owner, Chad. He was not wearing a mask and he was talking very closely (like 1 foot away from our faces). He told us to fill out the paperwork and we asked if he had any kayaks available and he said there was a cancellation so three of my family members were able to use them. While he was helping out another group we waited around for 20 minutes. No one spoke to us or tried to provide good customer service. Out of nowhere Chad starts yelling at his employee to help us and make sure that they charge us correctly for the kayaks. This was extremely uncomfortable to watch as a customer and I felt very bad for the employee. Chad took me to his office and he started cursing and using crass language so that was off putting. He told me that he was saving us money by foregoing all of the fees from their billing company and that my new total was $184. That was fine. He charged my card and my family and I waited for him to help the group before us. After about another 20 minutes (about 10-15 minutes after our reservation time) Chad came back and started talking to us about how to use the paddle boards. We told him that we knew how to use them so he didn't explain much, but just kept looking at us up and down. I could feel him judging us. Chad led my sister and I to the paddle boards and he gave me a very small lightweight one and my sister a sturdy and long one. He told me that the one he gave me was his professional one that he used in races and not to damage it. If you don't want customers to damage your personal belongings why would you allow them to rent it out? He kept telling me to stand in the middle of the board but from previous experience I know that it's best to stand a little bit towards the back of it. He also said some very rude things to my sister when I left them at the dock. He questioned her paddle boarding experience and condescendingly asked "Have you even done this before?". My experience during the two hours out on the water was pretty miserable. The board Chad gave me was so light to the point where it was so difficult to balance especially when the wake from the boats were so strong. He honestly should just rent out the longer paddle boards to his customers because most of us just want to paddle board for fun. Thankfully my family made this time worthwhile and took my mind off of how condescending and rude he was towards us. A few hours after we left the marina I checked my bank statements. Chad refunded us the $124 from the previous booking but charged us $184 and $190, which made no sense and is a large sum. I called him immediately and he said that he actually was trying to save us money and that he didn't know he charged us twice. He told me he would call his billing service right away. A few days later I did not see the entire refund back in bank account so I called him. Chad got mad at me and said I was annoying for calling him about it. Excuse me, but you charged me $190 extra, of course I'm going to call you. He kept cutting me off when I tried explaining what my bank account was showing and he told me he would contact me as soon as he called his billing service. I waited a few days and he never called back and I didn't see the refund. I called and texted him yesterday with no response, but I finally received the remainder of the refund this morning. I wish he would have notified me that he did in fact reach out to his payment system. All in all I will not come back and rent from this company. I would not recommend Go Stand Up Paddle to anyone I know unless they wanted to be belittled and judged. read more

Go Stand Up Paddle - 2 big charges the same day and he was "saving us money" - Paddleboarding Near Me - Rio Verde, Arizona

Chad who runs the place is totally unprofessional and we had to wait for over an hour, on our dime, to get him to finally show up to work. We paid for 3 hours and got 1 1/2 hours because he was late. Would not take any responsibility for his being late. All the lakes have marinas with kayak rentals. Good luck using this one. read more

Overall, we had a nice day on the lake. Unfortunately, very little of this was thanks to the team at Go Stand Up Paddle. There was zero consideration given to maintaining best practice public health and safety guidelines laid out by the CDC and local and national governments. We did not mind too much, as we showed up wearing masks and maintained distance from the other large groups that were allowed to congregate in front of the office. However, when we did speak to someone in the office to receive our paddles and kayaks, he, for no apparent reason, told us that no one on the lake has coronavirus and that we should take off our masks. When we said we'd rather keep them on, he told us that they would cause us to inhale too much carbon monoxide (not dioxide, monoxide) and we would pass out. This is a common piece of misinformation that has been overwhelmingly debunked. He then told us that coronavirus is fake and everyone is lying to us anyway. Now, he's allowed to have these thoughts, although they are not based in any fact. But it took us aback that he felt the need to share them with us without our asking. It also is indicative that neither the company nor management spends much effort to ensure proper health and safety standards are incorporated into their operations. We will not be returning, even after the pandemic ends, given the lack of attention to standards, health and safety. read more

0/10 customer service. Whoever was working earlier this morning was very rude to my group and I (Sunday, July 12th around 11am). He was short spoken and seemed inexplicably irritated with our presence. Much worse, he displayed this behavior in front of other customers. DO NOT rent from this place if you plan on hanging out in Rattlesnake cove or Bartlett flats. They only allow you to use their rentals on the other side of where those two are located. Of course, I didn't find out about this until I showed up for my reservation that I already made and paid for online. I don't even care about the $35 that weren't refunded. At this point it's just charity for this poor excuse of a business and the last cent they'll ever get from me or anyone I know. read more

I visited this kayak/paddleboard rental spot several months ago but felt the need to share this now as the Coronavirus is still very present in the United States and Arizona. I was with a friend of mine and saw the great reviews on Google and Yelp at the time. I called the owner to confirm they were open and what the cost would be. The caller seemed nice enough on the phone so I felt ok going there. I showed up and there were a couple people working who saw us but didn't stop to greet us, they continued working. No one by the main office or anyone to greet us either. I saw the office door slightly open and thought I would approach to flag someone from the outside. The owner, Chad, where I find out later says behind me , "What are you doing punk?" I looked back and he was one of the workers who I spoke to on the phone and saw me approach earlier. I told Chad we wanted to rent a kayak and paddleboard for a few hours, I was wearing a mask at the time for my safety and those around me. This was before the Coronavirus became really big in Arizona. He asks me, "Why are you wearing a mask? Do you see other people wearing a mask around here?" I respond no and then he says, "Then take it off then, there isn't any "corona" around here. People come here to relax and not be scared like you're doing to these people." I remove my mask just to avoid further confrontation and still decide to try renting something since we came quite a ways from Phoenix. The way of paying him was very confusing. It was either cash only or through Venmo. Apparently there was some previous issues where there were fraudulent accounts that were similiar to his and when patrons would pay they ended up paying the wrong person. There wasn't any cell phone reception out there so I had to connect to his Wifi in order to pay. Every one to two minutes or so he was checking if the payment went through or not. Once payment went through, he gave us a rundown on the rules of the lake and proper use of the paddleboard and kayak. This was the only positive experience I had from Chad and I thought that the earlier confrontational interaction was behind us. We got into our rentals and paddled off on the lake which was a lot of fun but I still had a bitter taste in my mouth from the earlier interaction. We got back to drop off our rentals and everything seemed ok to depart at that point. While I was waiting for my friend to drop off the paddleboard, Chad brought back up conversation again about coronavirus and how the fake news is spreading disinformation about this virus. How it's not that dangerous and how he's fed up with the "far left media". He was confirming with me if I agreed to these statements and I just agreed to avoid any kind of confrontation again. My friend and I left promptly after. All of this to say, I really wouldn't recommend coming here for kayak or paddleboard rentals. I can handle some owners who aren't the nicest, even the weird payment method by Venmo was acceptable by me as well. What I can't handle is personal projection on personal politics in a business setting. Including blatant ignorance of a worldwide health crisis and at the time where there was not a lot of information on how fatal the Coronavirus could be. Even if the Coronavirus wasn't a factor, you have to interact with someone who is that hot headed in general, thank god I didn't say anything to offend him. Who knows how that would have gone! People come here to have fun on the lake and this is the attitude we received the whole time. Like we were an inconvenience to him. I've read recent reviews on how Chad isn't taking this seriously still, and I really advise him to at least do the bare minimum on keeping his patrons safe. If you wear a mask to this rental spot be ready to be yelled at immediately and know that he will not take your personal safety into consideration. I would recommend a competitor kayak/paddleboard rental business. read more

A big Shout out to Chad for helping me find the perfect Paddle board, light weight and durable to take my two Golden Retrievers on it. Can't wait til it arrives end of the month. Just another note regarding these Yelp comments i just read about Chad and Go Stand Up Paddle. I've been at the lake many a times and never heard Chad make derogatory comments towards people of any sort of color. Matter of fact Chad is a huge supporter for paddle-board activities during the annual Bartlett Disability event which brings all walks of life. A wonderful event to help the less fortunate. read more

Don't waste your time or money. Find a friend who has a paddle board and ask them to borrow. Chad is offensive and inappropriate and highly recommend NOT going through him. Bartlett Lake, Marina staff, restaurants etc are highly recommender and you should check out this beautiful lake. I have stories but just use your imagination and pass on this guy. read more

Had an awesome time with Chad out on Bartlett. He was a great instructor and even taught us how to hydrofoil which is a pretty incredible feeling once you get past the learning curve. read more

Sorry to give this place a 1,but if you have children its not a great company. The scenery is beautiful and we went out on a beautiful day and not a cloud in sight. 40 min into paddle boarding a storm hit and we got stranded. Very scarey!!! What was very upsetting after being rescued by other boats after 30 mins is that nobody from the Marina or paddleboard company came out to look for, 2 moms and 5 kids .After40 mins we returned. Chad, while seemed like a fun guy reminded me that I signed a waiver and no raincheck offered. One of the scariest events of my teenagers lives. Glad it ended with just losing glasses and sandals. #badcustomerservice read more

The good first: the equipment was in great shape, the guy was pretty nice and the paddle boarding itself was super fun. We had a great time exploring Bartlett Lake and it was a great way to spend a hot summer day. The bad: we signed up for the SUP Wise Basic 101 lesson, so we were supposed to get the following: 2 hour lesson Refine & define your stroke with the 3 powers and proper way to recover creating an Effective, Efficient and Energy saving stroke Learn how to create an instant turn Instead we got about 10 -15 minutes of instruction and then were turned loose. We got the hang of it, so no big deal, but I would advise people to just rent the board, don't pay the extra money for a lesson. It's not worth it. read more

Absolutely the best experience I could have asked for! At first, it was scary stepping outside of my comfort zone. After a few minutes with chad, that quickly changed. I went from absolutely terrified and hopeless to pushing my limits with confidence. Chad makes stand up paddling easy to learn and you have a great time while doing it. Red (his dog) was adorable and made the whole experience that much more enjoyable! We can't wait to go back! read more

We had a great time with the SUP board rentals! Scott was awesome! We started with our lesson with him and he made sure we were comfortable before setting us loose. We had a hard time battling the wind on the lake which caused some tough water, but overall it was a lot of fun, lots of work, and we are excited to come again. Go Stand Up Paddle was really easy to use and they were very responsive to our calls and messages. The equipment was well kept and high quality. The lake is beautiful and SUP boards are a great way to see it! I would definitely recommend them! Price was great! $35 for 2 hours! Other things to keep in mind: I recommend going out during the week in the mornings when fewer boats are on the water. The boats make the water choppy and when you are starting out learning and getting familiar with the boards you really want to have calm waters! Bring a bottle of water, they can put it on the board for you. Sun block!! You don't need a Tonto pass and you can park down by the marina. You just need to go up to the gate. Press the button and let them know you are doing the rentals. You can park down there for free. You don't want to take the long hot walk back up to your car at the top of the hill. read more

Whenever I feel like going paddle boarding I know to go to Go Stand Up. Best customer service....getting to see red is a HUUUGE plus too! Can't wait to go back! read more

I reserved kayaks and paddle boards for myself and three teens. Chad was so friendly and helpful. He upgraded our equipment and even switched out a kayak for board. There are shade, picnic tables and restrooms at the marina. We brought our cooler with drinks and lunch. We will be back again! read more

We had a blast kayaking at Go Stand Up Paddle! The owner was extremely kind and very helpful. The day before our visit, we called to make sure we didn't need a reservation. The owner told us what time they opened, but told us if we wanted to be there earlier, he would come in at an earlier time. We paddled for a little over an hour in high winds. When we got back to the dock, he told us he thought about paddling out to us to give us pointers on how to be successful in the wind. Extremely fun and wonderful service, I would definitely recommend! read more

Go Stand Up Paddle - Kayaking - Paddleboarding Near Me - Rio Verde, Arizona

Inexpensive, fun, great exercise... the owner is very professional and has a really cool dog, named Red that is extremely talented.

I had my first SUP lesson today with Chad to get ready for a trip to Hawaii. He is a terrific teacher--very patient and lots of fun. I HIGHLY recommend taking a lesson--I thought that paddleboarding would be similar to kayaking, and it is a very different stroke. I had such a great time I am going again this weekend. Great workout too! Highly recommend Chad and Go Stand Up Paddle. read more

Don't waste your money. We were camping in the SB cove area and told our friends we were headed over to the marina to pick up some SUPs, their exact comments were "good luck with that ahole" thinking they were joking we headed over. The owner seemed irritated right away for no reason when we showed up and we quickly found out that the ahole comment was spot on. If the owner is this unprofessional and angry why not try and do something else besides run a business. After a few minutes of speaking with Chad we literally made the decision it was better to not rent boards and avoid dealing with him. My family and many of our friends frequent Bartlett lake since we live in the area and I guess the word is out to NOT rent from Go Stand Up Paddle. I would recommend doing what we did and just buying some new since the price is really not much more than the rentals after the initial cost and all fees Go stand up paddle charges. read more

By far the WORST costumer service experience ever! Never in my life have I been more humiliated or disrespected in my life. Saturday morning my family & I drove up to Barlett Lake for a beautiful day of Kayaking. As soon as we got to the Marina 2 friends of mine & myself approached GO STAND UP PADDLE & was welcomed by a nice lady who then explained to us about their pricing. We asked if they had openings for a 2 seated kayak & that's when Chad accounted us in & said yes! Then we agreed that my friend & I we're going to stay & kayak. So my 3rd friend left us there since we were on the other side of the lake & drove up to dropped us off, as we planned to be there all day. We signed the waiver & sat there patiently for our Kayak. As we're waiting we notice more & more people getting their kayaks & paddle boards before us even though we were next in line. We asked the lady again when we will be helped & then she mentioned that there were some reservations at 2pm & had to wait still. Mind you we got there at 1:30pm. 2:30 comes by & we're still not on a Kayak. At this point were feeling ignored & in all sincerity "Chad" (the nice helpful guy I'm reading in these reviews) will not even bother to look at us. I understand the whole reservation thing but if you knew you were booked up why say yes to us. We were stranded on the Marina, since our friend left us & didn't have any other option but to sit there patiently & wait for our kayak. Once 3 o'clock hits & after like 10 people going in front of us we've had enough of waiting & when we asked the lady again how much more longer, she goes asks Chad as he is helping another party who got there way after we did comes back & says "I'm sorry ladies but we have no more kayaks." At the point we're enraged & couldn't believe that they made us wait there for almost 2 hours! Looking down at the pier there was about 5-6 kayaks available so I know she was lying! In all honesty I don't think the amount of kayaks was the case. I strongly believe since I am of COLOR NO SERVICE WAS GOING TO BE GIVEN TO US!!!!!!! ‍ Sadly to say but every single Caucasian person was given a kayak or a Peddle board but me & friend did not! Im proud to say I'm Mexican American & brown skinned color. I've heard & seen many racists stories but never thought I would encounter one myself. We were neglected service & humiliated & Chad completely wasted our time, couldn't even acknowledge that he was wrong & extremely rude! & to make matters worst Chad didn't even offer us an apology instead they kicked us out By far the WORST costumer service experience ever! Never in my life have I been more humiliated or disrespected in my life. Saturday morning my family & I drove up to Barlett Lake for a beautiful day of Kayaking. As soon as we got to the Marina 2 friends of mine & myself approached GO STAND UP PADDLE & was welcomed by a nice lady who then explained to us about their pricing. We asked if they had openings for a 2 seated kayak & that's when Chad accounted us in & said yes! Then we agreed that my friend & I we're going to stay & kayak. So my 3rd friend left us there since we were on the other side of the lake & drove up to dropped us off, as we planned to be there all day. We signed the waiver & sat there patiently for our Kayak. As we're waiting we notice more & more people getting their kayaks & paddle boards before us even though we were next in line. We asked the lady again when we will be helped & then she mentioned that there were some reservations at 2pm & had to wait still. Mind you we got there at 1:30pm. 2:30 comes by & we're still not on a Kayak. At this point were feeling ignored & in all sincerity "Chad" (the nice helpful guy I'm reading in these reviews) will not even bother to look at us. I understand the whole reservation thing but if you knew you were booked up why say yes to us. We were stranded on the Marina, since our friend left us & didn't have any other option but to sit there patiently & wait for our kayak. Once 3 o'clock hits & after like 10 people going in front of us we've had enough of waiting & when we asked the lady again how much more longer, she goes asks Chad as he is helping another party who got there way after we did comes back & says "I'm sorry ladies but we have no more kayaks." At the point we're enraged & couldn't believe that they made us wait there for almost 2 hours! Looking down at the pier there was about 5-6 kayaks available so I know she was lying! In all honesty I don't think the amount of kayaks was the case. I strongly believe since I am of COLOR NO SERVICE WAS GOING TO BE GIVEN TO US!!!!!!! ‍ We were neglected service & humiliated & Chad completely wasted our time, couldn't even acknowledge that he was wrong & extremely rude! & to make matters worst Chad didn't even offer us an apology instead they kicked us out read more

I say this with my paddle held over my head and firmly in my white knuckled fists.. NEVER again Chad, Never! Here you will read about a great day that was almost ruined by a man named Chad. I paid for five(you read that right) boards on 8/18/15, four days before we were scheduled to use them on Sunday 8/23/15. Everything, to my knowledge, went according to plan when my girlfriends showed up at the rental office. I own my board so I sent them to pick up the equipment I had reserved. The day went great! We paddled, we took pictures on beautiful Bartlett Lake and a couple of my friends got to experience SUP boarding for the first time. I decided that I would like to meet Chad since we had only spoken over the phone and paddled one of the Liquid Shredders to be returned. We hauled them out of the water, noticing that one of them was much heavier than the other. Only to find that water had seeped into the board. I immediately found Chad and introduced myself. We pointed out the leaking board and from there my friend I were met with comments and accusations from Chad that left us feeling belittled, disrespected and disappointed. I'm pretty sure that telling your customers that they aren't REAL paddle boarders(what does that even mean) and accusing them of jumping up and down on the boards (while he literally jumps up and down in front of you) after you've told him how much fun everyone had is uncalled for. This could have gone so much better. Instead of encouraging us and promoting the sport, we felt defeated. Treated as if we did something wrong, which we did not. Honestly, I was hoping to build a solid relationship with Go Stand Up Paddle, so that I could recommend my friends and return for more adventures. Isn't that the point of owning your own business? Do what you love, build relationships/clientele and make money. There will be no returning, there will be no way I ever spend another dime with this company. I would have rather paddle on a piece of driftwood covered in fire ants than ever go through that nonsense again! I absolutely love paddle boarding. It is a way for me to reset and enjoy the outdoors. But this experience was awful. I choose to take the good and be done with the bad. This was no way to treat customers, at least if you want them to come back and spend their hard earned money at your establishment. Peace out Chad! read more

Bad to worse by the hour!!!! Before I begin with the review, it should be noted that this is the same business that was previously located at Lake Pleasant, Peoria, AZ where those reviews may be helpful. http://www.yelp.com/biz/go-stand-up-paddle-peoria. I have paddled at this business multiple times and I was very disappointed!! While Bartlett Lake is beautiful you may want to rethink Paddling here. The drive alone is an hour from almost anywhere in the Valley, and paddling conditions are almost always windy. Once there, you will be greeted by the owner Chad who may, or may not remember you have an appointment (if you are late, be prepared for an attitude). Now onto prices..........Chad will probably ask if you were on his website, or email, to determine what price you may have seen for paddling, at which point he will price you based on it. Apparently, the prices on the website or social media were a "promo" or outdated. If you want to pay with a card, Chad may direct you to the ATM machine, even though you can pay with a card in the Marina store (as cash is more beneficial to him). During your visit, if there is anything Chad disapproves of, he will let you know, as Chad has been observed talking badly about customers, competitors, and others in the paddling community. Finally, Chad may ask you to fill out a good online review for his business, which leads me to question the other reviews listed. You are much better off going with any other competitor in the Valley for paddling. This business may have changed locations, but service has not changed a bit!!!!!! read more

This is the second time we stand up paddle at Bartlett Lake Marina. We enjoyed ourselves both times. We plan on returning again soon. Chad is cool and helpful. Thank you Chad for making your company available to stand up paddle at Bartlett Lake Marina. read more

My family and I had so much fun going paddle boarding on Bartlett Lake! We came in on a Saturday early afternoon without reservations, and were able to rent 3 beginner boards for an hour. There were a few other groups paddle boarding at the same time. The good news for beginners is you get to learn and start in a protected & calm area and then you can choose to go out onto the lake with the boats. It was my sister's first time and with a few minutes of explanation from Chad, she was up and standing. I was a little nervous about getting run over by a boat but as long as you hug the shoreline, there is little risk for that. However you can get some serious wake from boats...fun but make sure you're ready to fall in! It is an absolutely gorgeous way to experience the desert - the lake is surrounding by beautiful big boulder cliffs with cactus growing everywhere. We really had an awesome time. Looking on their website, it seems that you do not have to pay the $6 Tonto parking fee if you are just going to the marina to rent paddle boards or kayaks. However you'll still have to stop into the little trailer that sells the parking passes to ask them to let you into the marina area. This company has some really bad reviews from their Peoria location but we didn't experience any of the frustration experienced by other Yelpers (thank goodness). My only complaint is that the business could greet people who wander in because there is no real office storefront and we wandered around a while trying to figure out who to talk to about rentals. We ended up just waiting next to the big stack of boards for 20 minutes or so before someone asked us if we wanted to do stand up paddle boarding. After we were done I noticed the same thing happening to other groups. So if it's busy, just do the same and someone will help you eventually. It's worth a wait! read more

One of the most excellent experiences I ever had on water. The owner went above and beyond to make sure that my group and I were happy. People giving this place bad reviews because of weather at the lake or things this poor guy can't control are really just looking for a problem. This is a great experience. read more

Went paddle boarding at Go Stand Up Paddle. Had a great time & Chad is very knowledgable about the sport. Also love his dog Red.

The experience and service was fantastic! We were upgraded to paddle boards based on a recommendation by Chad, the owner. He was very knowledgeable and even made a flotation device for my go pro! It was a great idea and super fun. Definitely coming back and using this service. Highly recommend to everyone. read more

For my birthday I wanted to have a fun day at the lake with my family. I have a paddleboard but wanted to rent a kayak so everyone could have fun on the water with different options. I wasn't sure about the water temp (end of April) or which lake to go to. I am so glad I chose to rent from Go Stand Up Paddle on Bartlett lake! They were friendly, accommodating and laid back. The lake is beautiful, clean and a comfortable temp. I would absolutely rent from them again....On a side note, when driving to the marina it's down hill and the speed limit goes from 50 to 30 pretty quick and the sheriff is ready to remind you of this so slow down! read more

As a group of first timers paddle boarding we had a great day on the water thanks to Chad. Lake Bartlett made for a beautiful setting with stunning views of the desert hills inside the Tonto National Forest. Thanks, Chad! read more

Excellent business.....thank you for the quick lessons and upgrade on the equipment.....will be back soon!!!!.....definitely will be buying from this business Great Lake, water and easy location. read more

This was my second time renting from Chad - great time and he even gave me 2 credits for next time because we had someone cancel at the last minute (I had pre-paid the night before and did not cancel in advance). I will continue to recommend to friends! If you haven't tried SUP do it!!! So fun and a great workout! read more

My girlfriend Elizabeth and I got there later than expected, so we only had a couple hours of daylight to enjoy our board rentals. Chad gave us some basic instructions and got us on the water quick. We loved the peace, quiet and beauty of Bartlett Lake. We had an absolute blast and really enjoyed chatting with Chad before and after our boarding experience. We would have stayed to chat longer, but needed to get going. Thanks for the good memories and we will be back to make some more! read more

My wife and I did 3 hours paddling a canoe around the lake today. Easy online reservation, reasonable rates, friendly service, not too up tight. We enjoyed it, will do it again, and would recommend. Thanks guys and Red (the dock dog). Wade and Rebecca. read more