They have all the paddle options but best of all they also have sup yoga!…read more How does this even work? They have buoys with carabiners where you clip the end of your paddle to so you don't drift off. The instructor and staff helps you get clipped in. And then from there the instructor guides you through a yoga session in water, sun, wind elements.

Brittingham Boats has been one of my favorite summer traditions for years. I drive from the…read moreMilwaukee area at least once every summer specifically to kayak here, and I've always loved the whole experience. They offer kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and pedal boats, plus a beach for swimming. There's a cute little snack shop with really yummy grilled cheese sandwiches and beverages, T-shirts for sale, and a deck with tables and chairs, plus chaise lounges where you can relax in the sun. They also offer special events like burgers on the bay, where you kayak out to a pontoon boat where they're grilling burgers and other special event events throughout the summer. One of the things that makes this spot so special is the location. Brittingham Boats sits on Lake Monona, just west of John Nolen Drive, with largest section of Lake Monona and the Monona Terrace on the other side of the drive. In a normal summer, one of my favorite paddles is heading east, under the railroad bridge and John Nolen Drive, and out onto Lake Monona. From there, you can paddle along the shoreline and hang out near Monona Terrace, enjoying the views, watching the other kayakers and boaters, and even spotting plenty of open-water swimmers--many of whom I imagine are training for IRONMAN Wisconsin, held right here every September. There are also several different routes available depending on how far you want to explore, including paddles that can take you toward Lake Mendota and Lake Wingra, as well as routes in the direction of Olbrich Botanical Gardens and other scenic areas around Madison. **A note for summer 2026:** construction along John Nolen Drive appears to have interrupted that usual route, and I don't believe you can currently paddle through to Lake Monona. When I got there last Friday the weather turned and I didn't go out but from the looks of the construction going on, you can't get under John Nolan Drive Here's why I was especially disappointed when I visited last Friday, for the first time this year. Unfortunately, the property looked tired and neglected. It felt as though it had been opened for the season but hadn't received cleaning-just opened the doors--areas needed sweeping, weeds and landscaping needed trimming, cobwebs needed removing, and several things could really benefit from cleaning, fresh paint and general maintenance. The bathrooms were especially disappointing. They were very rundown and so wet that I honestly didn't want to touch anything. I'm sharing this because I really DO love this place and want to continue coming back. Brittingham Boats has so much going for it--the location, the activities and the atmosphere are wonderful. I just hope some time, attention and investment can be put into cleaning up and refreshing the place. A little TLC would go a very long way toward bringing back the charming place I've enjoyed making a special trip to visit every summer.

Rented the Swan paddle boat for an hour for some team bonding for work-- absolutely would/will…read moreagain! Super easy to book online, check in was seamless, staff was friendly and kind, and the experience was a whole lot of fun. I've lived in Madison for the majority of my life and can't believe I haven't taken advantage of this until now.

I was so happy with Wingra boats today. I have a really large senior dog with some mobility issues…read more He can't walk for super long so I thought a paddleboard or a boat might be fun. I called and asked questions and they didn't blink at eye at what might seem like a silly request to some people. They were so helpful with getting him onboard today and with helping us dock. We will definitely be back.

We had a wonderful time touring lake Mendota! Our captain Rod was so friendly and knowledgeable…read moreabout the lake. We rented a lovely pontoon boat which was very clean. Great experience for all!

We rented pontoons as part of a reunion activity. It was a fabulous way to spend an afternoon!…read more Everyone had a great time! Marshall Boats made it easy and everyone was friendly and helpful. Highly recommend!

I took a cruise through a third party and I really enjoyed the historical tour and the experience,…read moreoverall. The variety of drinks and appetizers was outstanding. It exceeded my expectations. The crew was super nice and attentive. The Captain and his staff were all excellent. I'm already recommending this cruise and plan on doing it again.

Went on a private cruise for a rehearsal dinner. A unique idea for a rehearsal dinner and something…read morefun to do in Madison! The food was very average but I would expect that given the size of the boat and needing to transport food onto a boat. There were two people to serve drinks and food. Given that, it was a little bit of a wait at first for drinks. It would almost be better to have one person passing out a bunch of beers for people that don't care for cocktails to get them off the main floor so it doesn't get overly crowded. Overall, it was a nice experience and something fun to do!

Thank you so much to Joe and Bob for one of the best memories we ever made! We had a lovely friend…read morereunion and birthday celebration on the pontoon porch, and our kids (7 and 5 yo) were so happy to get to swim in the lake and "drive" the boat. Joe built the boat himself and the care and love he put into it shows. Thanks again, hopefully see you next summer! :)

Porch Pontoon under the care of Captain Joey offer chartered private cruises on Lake Mendota…read more Enjoy Madison's skyline with a day or sunset cruise. You can bring your own food and adult beverages and relax with family and friends. If you want to take a swim, Captain Joey will anchor the boat so passengers can enjoy a swim. One more reason Madison is a great place to live!

Do not rent from this company. Rented a "luxury" 14 person pontoon in July 2024, and it was junk…read more Please see the pictures: the boat was literally held together with packing tape in places, including the canopy which was flapping in the wind after we opened it. Additionally, the reverse gear did not work...the employee told us before departure that the reverse was " a little tricky, it doesn't always take." The reality was that the boat did not operate in reverse and we had to use manpower to avoid running into other boats when we attempted to dock/anchor. This was the most disturbing aspect of the rental because it was a safety risk, never mind the damaged and taped sections. We tried to discuss with Madison Jet Ski, but good luck reaching someone. There is no one to call, and slow or non-responsive to email. As a last resort, we attempted to find resolution with our credit card company, but were presented with legalese that we signed away any recourse in event of a complaint. Buyer beware, you have to sign off on everything BEFORE you take the boat out. Once you get on the water and discover any issues, you're stuck. My attempts at recourse began in July, and it is now mid-October. I will not waste any more of my valuable time dealing with this company, but it is my hope that sharing my experience will help others avoid the same fate. You can do better than Madison Jet Ski and your ~$700 with other firms on Lake Mendota or Monona.

Cannot recommend enough! We booked last minute and Larry was more than accommodating. Super…read morefriendly and helpful, everything was perfect. The boat was gorgeous and ran beautifully, and they are even dog friendly! Thank you again Kaia and Larry.

I bought a boat for the first time about 4 years ago. I…read morewas in over my head and when I got stuck, Skipper Buds were my lifeline. They are awesome !! Friendly. So helpful and they now get my boat ready for winter every year. When I needed a prop replacement, they had a new in a couple of days and switched out my old prop with my new one for free. When I needed a new boat radio installed. Done in a day. I am so grateful to Jen, Brian and there excellent staff, They make me happy with my boat!!

I'm not sure the problem but they are getting extremely expensive to work with. I will never…read morerecommend them for anything. I think they are resorting to poor quality staff because of lack of experience. Heed the warning.

Horrible experience with their service and owner. I went to have a boat warranty transferred and a…read morefew other minor things. They told me it would take 2 hours to do and I would be out of there by noon. I drove from 3 hours away. Left my house at 5 in the morning. Got there took the cover off my boat and unhooked it. When I came back around noon they said it would still be a little bit. After sitting in my truck for another couple hours I went in to ask about it. Kept getting the run around. I was finally able to leave at 515 when they closed. They brought my boat out and didn't even clean the algae and scum off of it after pulling it out of the water. Then I look down the side of the boat and a huge scuff mark from hitting up against the dock. So the owner cleaned that rub mark off about 6 ft long. Then they locked up the doors and left didn't even offer to help me put my cover back on the boat. When putting the cover back on I realized why. There was grease all over my seadeck on the back platform. Then when I got inside the boat there was a chip out of my floor gel coat and random cuts in the main piece of seadeck. Also grease from dirty mechanic shoes inside the boat and the battery box covers were left off as well. I took the boat in on sept 11th 2025 and this review I'm finally leaving on Nov 7th 2025. After going back and forth with numerous phone calls that were never returned and text messages left unanswered. I was originally apologized too from the owner and he said he would get it all taken care of for me now the last message he sent me stated there was no way his mechanics caused the damage to my boat and when I responded I never got a response from him. I just simply wanted the damage to be fixed but now I guess I will be more money out of pocket to fix the damage caused by the neglect to my boat by their service team. I just purchased the boat and it had 190 hours on it and was still in like new condition. 2022 Mastercraft nxt24. I have never been ran around so much by a small business owner. He blames it on loosing his service manager. Just nothing but excuses from him. I have gave him more than enough time to remedy this situation and have gotten no where with it. Im honestly surprised my warranty got transferred through ilmor and mastercraft. I made sure to call and verify those things. Also you think that when I called to setup the appt and told him I was 3 hours away and that he was the closest mastercraft dealer to me that he would have looked up any recalls or warranty issues with my boat so we could get those taken care of while I was there also. I learned when I was there that my surf system tab sensors have a replacement for them. They didn't have them in stock so I couldn't get the work done while the boat was there. Now I have to find a different dealership to take the boat to and get this issue resolved. Nothing but bad business. I'm assuming he won't be around very much longer with how he conducts himself. I'm uploading photos and screen shots of messages as well to this review for proof. So disappointed....

We have visited Redline several times over the past year, and I cannot say enough about their…read moreexceptional customer service. The staff is professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. They are highly responsive to our needs and always eager to please. Most importantly, when they promise something, they deliver.

The Memorial Union Terrace is the place to be. As a Badger Alum, this is where you ought to be when…read moreyou're skipping class when the weather is nice: I know I certainly was. Don't tell your parents if you're thinking of attending from out of state, you know: $$$$, :O Live music, and food-places either from on the terrace itself or from inside the Memorial Union to bring meals out on a tray (Pro-tip: eastern-inside spots are generally better) Warning: Operations are *seasonal* - this year: 4/17/2026 to 10/27/2026 There's a not so subtle Madison, WI weather subtext message here

We stopped by Memorial Terrace on July 4th 2026 to enjoy some of the festivities going on,…read moreincluding a marching band. We watched some of the World Cup on a giant screen and enjoyed a beer and large pretzel at Der Rathskeller restaurant, stopped by the gift shop/mini-market, walked up and down the lakefront, sat and admired the view and took photos of the big chair and the Badger statue. It was the perfect Wisconsin vacation experience! Helpful?

Just purchased a new Bennington Pontoon from Quam's Motorsports in Stoughton, Wisconsin. This is a…read morefamily owned dealership that delivered an awesome purchase experience. We're new to boating and they made it as smooth as could be. John Quam was there from the beginning and has been there even after the purchase. He personally delivered our boat to Lake Waubesa on his own truck, spent an hour on the lake, showing us all the ins and outs of our new boat. Even though we had ordered our new boat at the busiest possible time, John went out of his way to get us our boat ready for the big Memorial Day weekend. He kept me in the loop, even sending me an email (3.5 hours after they closed) to let me know that they had just completed getting the boat prep'd and it would be ready for delivery the following day! We were thrilled to be able to enjoy our boat for the weekend. After driving our boat, we started getting a warning alarm on our motor. John sent one of his techs right to our dock to diagnose the problem. With no luck, John personally came and picked up our boat and took it to the shop. Turned out to just be weeds in the water intake. After fixing it and a few other minor issues, he personally delivered the boat after they closed. Now that's service! I can't provide a more positive recommendation for anyone looking to buy a new or new to them boat. You just don't find this kind of service these days and when you do, you want to tell people!

I don't normally write a review on businesses but this time it really is ridiculous not to!…read more We bought a used boat at Quam's mid August. The staff made arrangements to meet us before normal hours on a Saturday in order to get us out on the water in the boat before signing papers. However, there was a hiccup with the battery on that morning. The guys put in a new battery that morning and it started right up. To make a long story short, switching the battery was not the solution. We stalled on the water twice after putting the boat on the water at home. However, after contacting Roy Quam the first time, we took the boat back and work was done on the issue. Next week, we got the boat back, and, on the lake the next day, motor stalled again. I was really upset with the boat to say the least! I said I wanted a different boat and Roy understood completely. If we wanted another boat, they were willing to credit us the full purchase price towards another boat. However Roy stated that he was confident that they could fix whatever the wiring issue was happening on the Ranger. We agreed to try to have the issue fixed. Roy made arrangements to come pick up the boat this time so they could get working on the problem right away and we could get the boat back sooner, ( We live an hour and fifteen minutes away from Quam's.) I appreciated that and was really surprised that he did this. After working on the boat for two weeks, we think the issue is fixed but have only had the boat out once since getting it back. I am happy to say that the motor never stalled on this outing. We did have one minor glitch but Roy said to keep him posted on the issue in case it happens again. I haven't experienced customer service like this in a very long time! On a purchase like this, your heart sinks when you have problems immediately. My husband and I have been pleasantly surprised by the loyalty to their customers and their products that Quam's has shown us repeatedly. We are very glad we bought our boat at this dealership and would/will buy there again without hesitation!