This is a review just for kayaking:…read more On a beautiful Sunday, we wanted to kayak. We first went to another sailing pavilion that was unfortunately closed and then tried Community Boating. The office / guest services area inside is pretty well staffed and they have bathrooms and lockers so seemed promising. Unfortunately after you pay it becomes clear the main intent of this place is sailing. If you want to do anything else, do not come here. I had to chase multiple people down for us to get assistance with getting paddles and we had to go out into the water on our own with little to no direction. In the end, we didn't even get to spend the full 2 hours you pay for out on the water because it took so long to get setup on our own. Don't come here for anything but sailing!

Love this place, and love that Boston supports it. Great time getting out on the water with my wife…read morein a 2-man kayak. It'd be nice to be able to go further than between the bridges, but for a quick spin it was perfect.

5 stars. Member for 60 years .My 4 girls participated ,as well as my wife and I, in mostly all the…read moreevents. like being in a summer resort all summer long. Charlie Allitto P.C. 5 big star ratings.

Two years later - we have been members for five years. The club continues to be a wonderful place…read more This is the second year our son is taking swimming lessons (they are free) in which the quality of instruction is top notch. Our goal is to enable him to pass the swim test and qualify next season for sailing lessons. We have made a number of friends. Without exaggeration, joining the club has transformed summer from an unavoidable misery to my favorite season.

Great assortment of equipment and friendly staff! Kayak, Paddle-board, Canoe or Paddle…read moreBoats....prices are reasonable as well!

I recently went to Charles River to look at their kayaks. I told Marc, the salesperson, what I was…read morelooking for, type of kayaking I do and my budget. Marc was very helpful, knowledgeable and took his time showing me different kayaks and explaining their features. He was outstanding. I purchased a kayak, car carrier and PFD and Marc made the buying experience very enjoyable. If you looking to buy kayak or accessories I would highly recommend visiting their store. Their staff is professional and their prices are competitive to any other retailers.

great place to rent from! I rented a bouncy house for my sons birthday and the service was great!read more

I rented a kayak for the first time with my friend through Victory Rentals and this was the best…read moredecision. We had a blast and the two owners, Teddy and Pat, were very cool. I called at least 3 times a little confused in the different stages of setting up the rental, and they were so patient, even explaining where to park at the meet up location. We were on the water for dusk at Webb Memorial Park and they delivered the kayaks, insisting on carrying them all the way too and from the water. They were so friendly, and this is a BLACK OWNED BUSINESS on their grind. All love and support.

This is a great shop, very impressive. With EMS gone now we have fewer choices when looking for…read moreoutdoor wear. I really liked what they had for men's and women's outdoor clothing. Interestingly enough, they also carry a decent selection of used gear: backpacks/sleeping bags, etc.. Great experience in this wonderful shop.

Some friends and I went tubing down the river and it was incredible! Our transporter, Lucas, was…read moresuper helpful!

Clay, Margaret and the staff at North Shore Kayak Outdoor Center set up an amazing kayak trip out…read moreto Thatcher Island during our vacation to Cape Ann. The 1.5 mile open paddle on the Atlantic Ocean was exhilarating and a ton of fun and they were amazing hosts. Thank you North Shore Kayak Outdoor Center for making our dream to reach Thatcher by kayak come true!

This shop is the best, hands down! I have been renting kayaks at North Shore for the past two…read moreyears. Not only do they have a great selection of kayaks and tours but the owner, Clay, is a genuinely awesome guy. During one of my multi-day rentals, Clay travelled all the way to my Airbnb to help troubleshoot a problem with my Kayak. I use the shop mostly to rent kayaks for fishing and its always a great time (see attached photo). I will keep coming back!

Whitewater rafting trip. The staff was great! They were all very friendly and helpful. Zoar Outdoor…read moreis located on route 2 in Western MA directly across the street from the Deerfield River. Very beautiful area. After a brief safety video and briefing, we were given our rafting kit, loaded on buses, and brought up river to the raft slip, this was about a 30 minute trip north west. The raft trip ended across the street from where we started. An easy exit, we got out of the boat, returned our kit, and walked across the road to watch the video, and purchase souvenir photographs. We had an excellent day on the river during our 10 mile trip. My 14 year old son and I did the Zoar Gap trip which took most of the day with an hour break for lunch at a nice riverside picnic ground in the mountains. You can bring your own food( appropriately packaged) if you would like. They store it in a water proof bag and stow it on the raft. If there is even a hint of rain or you just don't want to get completely soaked, bring a three season jacket or rain coat. Also, you will be out on a river dress accordingly. NO open toed shoes! This includes flip- flops. You can rent shoes and wetsuits. If you have any medical issues like allergic reactions etc. I would either bring your own Epi Pen kit and medications with you, and stow it in the water proof bag, or possibly think about finding a less isolated outdoor experience. Be warned, white water rafting can be physically strenuous. The only issue I had was the lunch that was provided. Not that it was bad, it was well packaged and pre-made( not to order). If you have food allergies or don't like mayonnaise bring your own food. Zoar Outdoor is not really able to accommodate food allergies or pickey eaters. Mayonnaise was on every sandwich. I don't know why. They could just have provided packets on the side but they there were none available. My son hates mayonnaise so he only ate the chips, pickle, and cookies provided which got him through the remainder of the trip but not exactly a great lunch. One man we were with had a dairy allergy. I'm pretty sure he was not able to eat any of the food. I'm not sure why he didn't make sure a head of time if he could eat the food.I wish I had known the sandwiches had mayonnaise on them a head of time. Not a huge deal, we got over it. The trip was super fun! I would love to go again and will definitely choose Zoar Outdoor again.

Steve was our guide for white water rafting and he was awesome. Truly an expert on the route and…read moregave perfect instructions. All staff were very friendly. They even accommodated our dietary restrictions. 10/10 recommend!

We had a few groupons to get our kayak on, and with the beautiful weather we had this weekend, it…read morewas the perfect time. Nothing better than being on the open ocean with a paddle. Four of us arrived, filled out a simple waiver, and got our life vests and paddles. After not so gracefully plopping into the kayaks, we were on our way. Once we got the hang of it, we were on our way to the closest island. We were hoping to get to Spectacle, (insert snicker here) but I think we would have passed out first, so we made it to land (I think it was Thompson, which may or may not have had No Tresspassing signs on it. Eh, We weren't exploring, just resting up with a nice picnic lunch. I can't wait to go back, after my aching arm muscles stop killing me!~ Next time I might wrapy my thumbs with tape to see if it will prevent the blisters I got.... Highly recommend for a fun day out!

UMass Boston is right on the ocean, so it's cold of the…read moreYear.... but beautiful. They offer many boating activitIes, and water sports equipment rentals, as well as a running trail along the ocean. The deal: Umass Boston students, with ID's, hey free boat rIdes, kayak lessons and more!

I booked a kayak at the Kendall Square location and landed here. I should have gone the other…read moredirection - the most difficult part was near this location, and I was paddling against the wind and current most of the way. Other than that, it was a great trip! It's a nice mix of peaceful trees and city views. I also paddled through a sailing team practice, which was cool. The boats were in great shape. The life jackets were showing their age, but I guess that's what you get with rentals. They estimated 1.5 - 2 hours for this trip, and it took me about an hour. I docked a star from this location, because the workers didn't really seem to know what was going on when I returned the boat. I needed to let them know I came from the other location and the responses were "that's cool" and "okay" and "I don't know what to do with that". Turns out you have to check out in a trailer at the end of the dock and tell them, but no one seemed to know. Still a great trip!

TL;DR - Paddle Boston at Kendall Square is my go-to for kayaking on the Charles. The staff is…read morealways friendly, prices are fair, and the views of Boston and Cambridge are unbeatable. Their season passes and Fourth of July rentals make the experience even better--highly recommend! _______________________________ I love being outdoors, especially on the water, and Paddle Boston has become one of my favorite spots in the city. I discovered them shortly after moving to Boston and working in Cambridge, and it has been a go-to ever since. Their kayak rentals are fairly priced and offer an amazing way to enjoy the Charles River with unbeatable views of both the Boston and Cambridge skylines. The staff is always friendly, helpful, and welcoming. Their kayaks are perfect for the calm waters of the Charles, not overly advanced but not basic either, just right for a relaxing paddle. I also love that they offer season passes for frequent paddlers and special rentals for the Fourth of July Boston Pops Fireworks, which is truly the best way to experience the show. While I typically take the T to get there, parking nearby on Main Street has never been an issue. If you are looking for a fun and easy outdoor activity in the city, I highly recommend Paddle Boston at Kendall Square.

So I'm not exactly sure what I was thinking trying paddle boarding. I think it had something to do…read morewith the fact that my friend and I had wanted to do it when we were down in key west but ran out of time. Suffice it to say, this fool can barely walk in a straight line sober. I had no business attempting to stand up on a floatation device. Anyway. I'm going to claim temporary insanity, but as soon as I saw a Gilt deal for SUP I was on it. It also didn't hurt that Jill is one of my favorite instructors at btone, so I figured it wouldn't be a bad time. It was really windy when we went out and lets just say i've had enough Charles river on me circa Brandeis rowing 2007-09, so i was way too chicken to even stand up on the board for fear of falling into the cesspool of hepatitis. A B C--pick your flavor. Bless my instructor Ingrid's heart, she was so patient with me. Today is the day after and i'd say a good 60% of my body is screaming "whyyyyyyy?!?!?!" if nothing else, at least i got a killer work out...and definitely an awesome view of the city. can't beat that. I suggest bringing a waterproof disposable to snap a couple of shots. some logistics stuff--you may have to reschedule to a location other than the one you were planning on depending on wind conditions. Jill is savvy with an iphone, so communication/planning isn't an issue. If you're meeting on the Charles, you'll be pulling into the riverside boat club parking lot (free) across from Trader Joe's. Just look for the out of place UHaul to the far left of the lot. Remember to bring your Gilt voucher if you have one, and definitely some cash for your instructor.

Jill was an awesome instructor. We had such a great day out on the water. I would highly…read morerecommend her to anyone. We will definitely be back for more stand up paddle board as soon as the water warms up.