Went on the 2 hour sunset kayaking with a bunch of girlfriends recently and had an awesome time. Even though they provided maps as to where the boat launch would be--I still went to the wrong area--boo for me and directions. They provided all the equipment: lifejacket, oar, and kayak. I recommend water shoes just because Im not a huge fan of sand or rocks in between my toes. The fabulous trip leader gave us some instruction/safety and then we were off and paddling--ok maybe not at first :) The staff was so patient and nice---especially because I felt like the first half of the trip I definitely needed special attention--since we were veering in the opposite direction of the group---geesh who would've thought it would be so difficult to turn or keep going straight--but with the proper instruction and a little special ed tugging from one of the trip leaders---we were on our way to cruising on lake michigan. Being that this was my first time and I didn't fall out or become traumatized--I definitley will be doing this again. read more

What a fabulous time we had on Northwest Passage's Crete (Greece) Kayak Adventure. Rick, Zane and Anna were excellent guides who quickly taught us the skills necessary to paddle a sea kayak. They also knew the area so well that they could point out things or take us places we would never have discovered on our own. The towns chosen for the overnights were well selected; also, the lodgings were comfortable and the restaurants served good Greek food. Having previously done this trip multiple times before, Northwest Passage has it down to a "science" for a seamless trip. It was an outstanding way to experience Crete. We would count this adventure as one providing the proverbial "memories of a lifetime." We highly recommend Northwest Passage Adventures. read more

I had my husband buy groupons for us because I'd never been kayaking & we thought it would be fun. It was! It was a gorgeous, sunny day on Lake Michigan with calm water. The instructors were very nice, the group was fun, & it was easier than I expected (laregly thanks to the calm waters). I would do it again in a heartbeat, and I would definitely recommend going here, in particular if you haven't been before. I would really like to do it again. The one improvement they can make is to ensure they explain how position your legs and help you adjust the seats & foot rest inside the kayak prior to getting in their own kayaks. We all got in our kayaks & the guides got in theirs, but some of the other kayakers weren't able to adjust the foot rest or seat. We asked for assistance and they readily helped, but if you aren't aware there's a problem till you're on the water it would be too late. It would be nice if they checked to make sure everyone was properly set up & positioned before take off and without us having to speak up. read more

My hubby and I went on our kayak adventure on a Groupon a few months back. We had such a good time. Our tour was on the Skokie Lagoons. The tour guides were awesome and super patient. My skinny husband is a natural when it comes to outdoor physical stuff like this. He follows directions. I, on the other hand, am not the outdoorsey physical type. Well, I'm fat. As in run half a block and I'll end up in the hospital, fat. I was worried the cute little kayak was going to sink. Plus, I don't follow directions..very well. Anyway. It was an absolutely beautiful day. There was a variety of wildlife that I never knew existed so close to the city. Everyone else in our tour followed the instructions and did really well. I on the other hand, was soo far behind that one of the instructors, Eric, stayed behind with me. Even my Husband left me behind!!!!! I did tell everyone to go on ahead and enjoy themselves and I would catch up someday. But you know what, I had a BLAST. It was like getting my own private kayaking tour. Eric was very encouraging, we had a cool conversation,cracked some jokes and he never once was impatient with me. I give my experience 5 stars. I will definitely do this again with NW passage. My Hubby wanted me to mention that on HIS tour, the guide had great stories and talked about the history of the lagoons. I did catch up at this point as we all gathered around for "storytime". read more

Alright, so I bought a Groupon to this place because I've never been and you can't beat $20...I mean, I've looked up rates and I thought that was a deal. The day before I was supposed to go, I ended up being admitted to the hospital. My mom called and they were willing to let me reschedule and when I finally got around to it I found out I had to pay $6. I'm not going to lie, it's $6 but I was still annoyed by this. Somewhere, someone's communication was off (probably my mother's) BUT....the guy I dealt with was actually really nice about it. He offered to cut it to $3 and in the end I decided to just pay it and enjoy myself. The classes appeared to fill up quick and the morning ones were pretty much non-existent by the time I got around to re-scheduling, but much to my surprise they added a new one and it worked out perfect. There were only 10 of us, not including the two guides. Considering most of us had groupons, if not everyone.....the guides/instructors/whatever were REALLY nice and didn't make you feel like any question you asked was stupid. I ended up having a really good time and am glad I tried this place. The weather was perfect, it ended up being overcast for a little bit and therefore the sun wasn't shining down on us and the water wasn't too rough. I know there's a kayak place behind Whole Foods off North Ave., but after going through the Northwest Passage, I'm not sure if I want to try the other place....reason being because we got to kayak in Lake Michigan. I'm definitely going to recommend this place to my friends and I'm actually looking forward to doing this again. I mean, I did this hungover (as my friend turned 25 the day before, so naturally I had to help celebrate) and had a great time so I imagine getting proper sleep the night before would provide for an even better time. Wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but again, the guys were great (Chris and Will, if I recall correctly) and everyone in the group was pleasant so it really made for a nice first experience. read more

Loved my $20 Groupon for the 2 hour kayaking with instruction. We were supposed to be on Lake Michigan but riptides and high wind forced us to Skokie Lagoons. Nevertheless, we loved it. In fact, it was fun to get off the bike path and see the other side of this peaceful greenland/wetland just outside of Chicago. This was our third time kayaking and second with instructors. First time with this company. My husband and I are not exactly athletes so I feel a little bit better knowing there is some young 20something presumably with First Aid training available to drag my butt out of the water - just in case. Kayaking is so peaceful and the instruction was just enough to tell us how to do it and get us out on the water as soon as possible. One and a half hours of kayaking is just the right amount of time for me. I will save the weekend trips for the youngsters. read more

I took the Fundamentals of Sea Kayaking class. Our instructor, Ben, was an excellent teacher- he's obviously very experienced and really patient when teaching newbies like me. I felt so comfortable the whole time, I had been nervous about being in a kayak but by the end, felt completely at ease. We learned the basics about the kayak, different types of maneuvers and how to rescue someone else or rescue yourself should you tip over. We were in the Skokie Lagoons as opposed to the lake, which I think I'd prefer anyway; the water was calm and it's fun to travel along the river. The class is an entire day long and yet I wanted to stay out longer. (My muscles are killing me this morning, so I'm not sure I would've made it out of bed if I had.) read more

We bought a groupon or some other type of deal for the two hour sunset kayak tour. Apparently, our voucher numbers hadn't made their way into the system yet because we wanted to use our deals right away. Northwest Passage had no issues with us going before the vouchers cleared. I certainly appreciated how easy it was to schedule our trip. The outing is usually on the lake, but apparently there was some rough water, so we ended up on the Skokie Lagoon. I was bummed at first, but was glad at how calm the water was once we got out there. We met the group at the boat launch. There was a quick tutorial on how to kayak and paddle, but nothing extensive. I've gone before, so it wasn't a big deal, but if you've never gone, you might want to know a little bit more. I agree with another yelper that there was no discussion on adjusting the seat or foot rests. Again, we knew how to do that, but I'm sure the newbies on our trip didn't. The tour was pretty easy through the lagoons. I thought it was a little too easy without a currant, but if you prefer an easier ride, this is right up your alley. I wasn't at all sore the next day, and I hadn't been kayaking in a while. The guides were all very nice and friendly, and definitely knew what they were doing. We had a variety of people on our tour - some couples, some singles, and even a family with little kids. This tour works for everyone. One fun thing they did was they took both a group photo and pictures of anyone who asked. I was glad, since I take photos of everything, but was afraid to take my digital camera on the trip. I highly recommend this tour. read more

We did the 2 hour Groupon package on the Skokie Lagoons. It was disappointing we didn't get to go on Lake Michigan, but the water was skunky so what can ya do? I really liked the instructor and the group that ended up going out with us. I was hoping a little bit more instruction than what we got--i.e., what to do if your kayak tips over, etc. It was pretty relaxing, but next time I think I'll just rent a kayak and go out on my own. (Or try to enroll in a class that's a bit more instruction focused) Biggest tip would be to make sure to bring sunglasses! Kayaking directly into the sun, especially with the water reflecting hurts your eyes like a mo'fo! read more

Like pretty much every other reviewer so far, my boyfriend and I bought a deal for the 2 hour kayak trip. Our kayak tour ended up being on the Skokie lagoons on a fairly cold and dreary day; however we had an awesome time. I really want to give this 5 stars because we will definitely be repeating the experience, but I think there are a couple things that can't be overlooked in my review. First, our tour guides Will and Halleigh were awesome and clearly experienced and knowledgeable kayakers. However, the overall instruction was a bit lacking. It was nothing that impacted out experience negatively, but a few little things like, as others have mentioned, not talking about adjusting the foot pegs. Rather than telling us what to do if someone fell in they just assured us no one would fall in. (Spoiler alert: someone fell in.) The second thing was that they were short a kayak. I'm not really sure how that happened, and it wasn't a huge deal - one of the instructors just went back, picked up another kayak, and met us out on the water later. Will did an excellent job explaining and performing a "T rescue" when one of the group members fell into the water. He was prompt and efficient. The tour itself was great. Despite the cool, gloomy fall weather, we saw quite a few animals including a muskrat which is has apparently been a pretty rare sighting this year. The leaves were also starting to change which made the tour extra gorgeous. Overall, we had a great time and definitely plan to do this again. They're easily worth a 5-star review...even though I only gave them four. read more

Great kayaking with a great, easy-going, knowledgeable guide named Eric. He made us feel at ease immediately and didn't scold us for being a half-hour late. (sorry, Eric!) Earlier, Eric had given us a kayaking option of Lake Michigan or Skokie Lagoon. We chose the Lagoon and so happy we did. So much wildlife to see! Fish jumping, turtles small and huge, mama ducks and ducklings, blue and green herons, cormorands. The lagoon was calm, with interesting wooded shorelines and inlets. It was a healing balm for the huge "Nature Deficit" in my soul. Now that I have the bug, I want to go on their sea kayaking inn-to-inn excursion to Crete! http://nwpassage.com/crete-classic-kayaking-tour And someday, because I'm crazy obsessed with explorer Ernest Shackleton, my dream excursion: http://polarexplorers.com/expeditions/south-georgia-island/shackleton-crossing ...and it all started on a quiet little lagoon in Skokie, Illinois. :-) Thank you, Eric and Northwest Passage! read more

I have gone on a couple of Kayaking outings. The staff has been great! I just recently went on an evening paddle on Lake Michigan. I had a great time and I'm looking forward to doing many more times. I highly recommend you take a look at Northwest Passage if you are looking to learn about Kayaking or taking a trip. read more

we went for our groupon tour in the gilson beach near northwestern university. It was a beautiful day with calm waters. However, i thought the crew didn't set us up properly before we went into the water. our seats weren't adjusted nor were the foot rests. We were peddling inefficienty because of our sitting positions. I thought the tour was hurried and too tiring. read more

Went there for a 2hr Sea Kayaking session which usually costs $40, but I got it for $20 through groupon. Keith and his staff were awesome - very patient, friendly approachable and willing to teach. They started with a 15mins talk about basic on kayaking, strokes to use (he demonstrated them and had us practice on dry land first). He also talked about safety and other stuff. They did a good job getting us settled in our kayaks and making us comfortable. We then split into different groups and the instructor to student ratio was good. Not that this was a class as such, being reasonably new to kayaking, I felt comfortable approaching the staff for tips and questions. They were happy to review my strokes and help me improve. Although the primary location for this sea-scape kayaking session in on the lake in Gilson Park (i think) in Wilmette, we kayaked in Skokie Lagoons due to high winds and rip currents. We were notified ahead of time and wasn't an issue. The lagoons were actually pretty cool, much warmer water and the river type formation felt like a course or a track compared to kayaking in a big open space (the lake). In all, my companion and I enjoyed a Sunday afternoon with good weather. We kayaked for about 90mins out of the 120min package. It did seem we wouldnt get enough time in the water, but after about an hour, i was tired and felt like taking a break. So the 90mins was more than enough to enjoy kayaking. read more

The afternoon kayaking was definitely worth the $20 Groupon.

We went on groupons for 2 hour kayak trip at Skokie Lagoons. We signed up online but for some reason were not on their printed list. Guide was cool about it since we had our Groupon vouchers and Lagoons were pretty and great for bird watching. Very nice relaxing day (despite the colder weather) and guides were friendly, answered any questions. A great value w/the $29 groupon. You do not need to worry about getting wet so much as their website states. Nobody in our group tipped or had to get into water. It's not like you are going to wear a swimming suit if it's 50 degrees outside. For all levels, you can keep up at front of group or lag behind, it doesn't matter. It's not a race, nor is it so slow that it's boring. read more

I got hooked up with the Northwest Passage through a posting on The Clymb. I signed up for the 8 day Crete Multi-Sport (kayaking + rock climbing + hiking) trip. As the date approached, I contacted/was contacted by Keith, the program director who informed me that the trip was underbooked. He offered me the option to switch over to the Classic Crete Kayaking trip, no extra charge, same date range, and even assured me that I would have opportunities to rock climb anyway. That was the first great experience I had with them. Throughout the rest of my contacts with the staff, everyone was very helpful in answering any questions I had, providing solid advice, etc. Everyone I talked with was friendly and laid back, reaffirming my thoughts that I had made a good choice booking a trip with them. Once in Greece, I eventually met up with the guides Ryan, Eric, and John. Great bunch of guys, very knowledgeable and fun. John and Eric took me out climbing for a day, provided all the gear, very welcoming. Everything after that and for the rest of the trip was great. Guides provided kayaking gear with solid explanations for adjusting boats, paddles, life jackets, etc. One thought I had was in regards to paddling instruction. The guides didn't really take time to explain proper form, etc to the group. I just asked when we were out on the water and got a small tutorial and it was fine. Each day's plan was laid out so there was no question what we would be doing, if there were different options, those were made clear. All logistics were handled very competently, and the very few minor snafus were dealt with well. Otherwise, all the restaurants they picked out were superb, hotels were nice. Every step was taken to ensure the group had a good time. I would definitely recommend this company/trip, and fully intend to do another trip sometime. There's a reason they get so many repeat customers. read more

A friend and I had a wonderful paddle around the Skokie Lagoon yesterday-first time kayaking. Rachel and Brian were wonderful leaders! Really lucked out on the perfect weather. Since it took us awhile to get the hang of it, we got some special instruction from Brian. On our journey, Brian pointed out a cormorant "tree," barn swallow nests, SO many great blue herons-wow-, a green heron. Brian also gave the group a brief history of the Skokie Lagoon, a Civilian Conservation Corps project. read more