This was easily the highlight of my trip. 2hr Tandem Paddle at Sunset We backpacked into Portland feeling a bit unprepared but ready for adventure, and Portland Paddle made it happen!! We stored our bags with the kind folks manning the station -- they were all SO friendly and they even had a lil puppy chillin with them. Our guide was Harry and he was AMAZING!! He helped gear us up, put us through a mini safety/how to lesson, and took us out! As someone who's never kayaked on the ocean, I felt extremely ready with Harry at the helm! He was super knowledgeable of history, the boats, the wildlife, and the marina. He was so fun to yap with and patient with our shenanigans and jokes on the water hehehe. We saw many beautiful boats, including historical reenactment sailboats, sea birds, Osprey and their nests, and talked to some locals on the water. Harry said it was the windiest he's seen all summer when we were paddling back - be prepared to get a good workout in!! It was sunny out so no need for thick garments- even the water didn't feel icy cold like I expected. None of us tipped but even if we did, we would've been safe in this weather. For people's reference if you're wondering what to wear: Swimsuit, leggings (shorts would've been fine on a day like this), water wicking long sleeve top, hat, sunglasses, Tevas. They provide life vests, water shoes, and dry bags!!! THANK YOU HARRY FOR MAKING OUR TRIP SO SPECIAL read more

Portland Paddle - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Easiest scheduling experience and reasonable prices. 2 hours for a tandem kayak for $50. Gear was in great shape. Did a self-guided tour of the area and the customer service gave us a quick, yet thorough, overview of the 'exploration' area and other tips. It was fun just navigating through the water and seeing Portland from this perspective. We were rookies and didn't plan to bring snacks/drinks, but there's a little island that you can easily get to and land for replenishment/take a break, with an excellent view of Eastern Prom. Would certainly consider doing a kayak guided tour next time, since we were kind of floating aimlessly around with the only goal of soaking up the last bits of summer. Still, it was very fun! read more

Portland Paddle is a popular activity for locals as well as tourists. You can take kayak lessons, rent by the hour or by the day. Their Sunset Sea Kayak tour is highly recommended. They also have a Fort Gorges Sea Kayak trip. Portland Paddle is located at the Eastern Promenade. read more

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Had such a lovely time with the portland paddle team out on the water- highly recommend for anyone who wants to experience maine at its best thank you to the team for being so knowledgeable and helpful in getting set up! read more

Suzanne took me and my coworkers out for a beautiful morning on the ocean and to explore Fort Gorges. Suzanne was so kind and knowledgeable and I left with such an amazing experience and some great bird fun facts. Would 10/10 recommend to anyone read more

Very kind and helpful staff! Beautiful Casco bay and perfect activity for some adventure and exercise in Portland! Pomroy rock is very neat for a swim! Highly recommend! read more

Portland Paddle - Two paddle boarding pros! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Didn't want a tandem and a single kayak for my family of three and was accommodated no problem with three singles so we could all have our own individual experience. Lots of fun. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable in marine biology which made hunting tide pools after the tour a great learning experience for us and an added bonus. Would highly recommend as an excellent way to see Casco bay with some nice folks who know the bay. read more

I think Portland Paddle is a *must do* at least once while you're in Portland regardless if you're a local or a visitor! No matter your skill level, it offers an incredible and unique and immerservice way to see Casco Bay/Portland from a different perspective! Open from mid-May to mid-October, they offer sea kayak tours and lessons, SUP tours and lessons, SUP yoga, rentals, deliveries, and more. Our first experience with them was the Sunset Kayak Tour. At the time it was $45 pp. Some things to note: 1. Online we were given the option of separate kayaks; when we arrived we were told that they had decided to put us in a tandem kayak instead. If you've never used a tandem sea kayak, it's quite the learning curve, but the staff does an exceptional job at teaching you, and making sure you feel both safe and confident before taking off. Despite wanting separate kayaks, my partner and I ended up having fun being able to experience this together! However... that wasn't what we had necessarily signed up for, y'know? 2. There was nothing sunset-y about our tour. According to their website, "The hour just before sunset is the best time to be paddling on the waters of Casco Bay. The sky tends to explode with color and the seas often become glassy and calm. This trip involves a leisurely paddle just far enough along the waterfront or into the islands to enjoy a panoramic view of the sun setting as we paddle back to the East End Beach." Despite choosing the very last tour of the day, the sun was not close to setting. Maybe that's our fault for going in summer when the sun sets later? I don't know, but segue... 3. Our tour guide also cut our tour short by about a half hour. After bringing us out to see the seals*, they said we were a "very fast group" so we could "just head to shore and call it a day". Kind of a bummer when we spent the first 30 to 45 minutes doing group bonding by sharing where we were from and what we liked the most about summer, then being taught how to wear a life jacket, then being taught how to hold our paddle while wearing a life jacket, then sitting on the shore in our boats learning how to kayak. All in the all we were maybe on the water for fifty or sixty minutes tops. 4. The tour guide was exceptionally knowledgeable about Maine, and Portland, and the seals, and the islands, and Casco Bay... but they weren't entirely accurate. I don't think this matters unless you're a local who's lived here for a long time and knows the area quite well; the ten tourists we were with loved her enthusiasm and fun "facts" she shared. So... would I do Portland Paddle again? ABSOLUTELY. And would I recommend it to everyone? ABSOLUTELY! Personally, I just don't need the narration or the lesson, because again a) I've kayaked before and b) I live here. I think it's neat that they offer 10% off for Eastern Prom residents; I think it would be neater if they offered 10% off for Portland residents. I'm excited to kayak to Fort Gorges in the future, as well as try SUP yoga, and I'll definitely be trying out their Crescent Beach location when everything is open for next season! *The highlight for us was being able to kayak near seals who would pop up at random (sometimes quite close) just to look at you, as well as kayak - from a respectful distance - around the island they were sunbathing on. VERY COOL. read more

Portland paddle is awesome. Peter was great tour guide explaining the rules of kayaking! great experience! read more

As part of a days-long visit to Portland in late summer, I signed my boo and me up for a sea kayak tour to Fort Gorges since we tend to enjoy activities where we got to know the history of new places. Alonzo totally delivered! It was an amazing 3 hours spent getting geared up and paddling thru Casco Bay to Fort Gorges, followed by a relaxed walking tour thru the cool structure. It was a beautiful warm Sunday afternoon, the water was cool and refreshing, and our small group all got along and bantered as we made our way to the fort and back. Alonzo even helped take our photos with the fort backdrop. It's definitely the major highlight of our Portland getaway. Also as part of the ultimate Maine experience, I totally recommend following up the tour with a snack of dressed up twin red dogs at Tomaso's Canteen, about 5 min away by car and only $5 during happy hour! read more

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We had a wonderful experience trying tandem kayaking in Casco Bay for the first time thanks to this very well-run business! The safety precautions & instructions were clear and thorough, the equipment was in good shape and it was a gorgeous day. The $45/2hrs was quite reasonable for the joy of moving through the water and watching the gulls, cormorants, and osprey! read more

I called was the Ft tour was recommended as something for all ages, good for my husband with a limited attention span and even kids. The day of our trip the winds were blowing against on the way to the fort making it nearly impossible for me and my husband to reach it even though were are decently athletic and work out often. Toward the end our time at the fort our guide watched a storm approach and did nothing so we got got in a torrential down pour, winds, and lightning on the water. The storm now shifted the direction of the wind against again so we had to paddle against it to make it back to land. They have no contingency plan in place and we were told it "would be much more expensive we couldn't paddle in and had to call Sea Tow and take a long time"?!? I understand the storm was out of their control but they had no organization or structure to handle the situation. read more

I did not want to do this. Not my thing. But I surprised hubby during our stay in Maine for our anniversary because this is something he has always wanted to do.... Surprisingly it was pretty amazing. The sunset was gorgeous, the either was perfect and the four was perfect! Towards the end we even seen baby pup seals , & seals.. One was even swimming around us. The pictures are not even close to the experience. And our tour guide Andrew was great! read more

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We did a sunset kayak trip. The leader of our trip was amazing. She really could not have done a better job than she did. At the end of the day, I don't think I like open water kayaking. That's what I learned from this trip. Everything we saw was from far away and it all didn't feel very exciting to me. Plus, I couldn't really see it. The trip didn't feel relaxing because we had to constantly be paddling, which isn't a normal movement for me so it was hard work. I stopped a few times to take pictures or to rest, and fell way behind the group. Had to rush to catch up. I was happy when the tour was over. read more

Portland Paddle - Gray seals on a gray rock - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

My son and I went out on an overnight to Jewell Island with Janet. She was an excellent guide, leading us across the bay and running the camp site. Good work paddling, great food and exploration, and a memorable campsite on the water made for a trip we'll remember for years to come. read more

Everything. Our tour guide was amazing and helpful, the views were stunning, and it was a great time! Got to see harbor seals and even heard a loon call! read more

Great way to learn some history, enjoy the water and the sunset! Highly Recommend if you are visiting Portland or nearby! We had the best time. read more

We went on a Sunset trip...unfortunately the sky was not cooperating...but Joe more than made up for that by taking us through a fort on an island in the middle of the bay! He had a photo binder with him and lots of history to tell us. We also saw a seal, an Osprey in a nest and a bald eagle. Joe took lots of photos and we had free (yes $0) access to those. Before we even left, he gave us paddling instructions...I've kayaked many times before but did not know some of the tips he gave us to make it easier and more efficient. I don't know about the other guides but I can tell you Joe was kind, knowledgeable, super excited about what he was doing...just generally amazing! read more

Did the sunset kayaking tour. We had a great time! We definitely got much more wet than we had anticipated. Make sure you wear waterproof shoes and clothing! The instructor also took beautiful photos to share with us! read more

Portland Paddle - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

We had a great trip out to Fort Gorges and Henry was an awesome guide. Very knowledgeable about both the area and kayaking. Great experience. read more

Great guided Kayak tour with Portland Paddle, and truly such a wonderful way to enjoy the bay. We loved our tour guide - She was patient with those who'd never paddled before and knowledgeable of the area. Highly recommend! read more

Portland Paddle - Fort Gorges - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

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we had a perfect sunset paddle with Joe and Josh, who were lovely guides. they helped make everyone feel comfortable and safe and taught us a lot about wildlife in the area. 10/10! read more

Our 3 day kayak/2night camping trip in Casco Bay with an expert Portland Paddle guide was top notch fantastic in every way. We felt safe and well informed by our guide, we got to know many of the islands, build our ocean kayaking skills, and enjoy the raw nature that surrounded us throughout. we liked that the group was small (3 of us plus one guide), we landed amazing campsites overlooking or on beaches, we took breaks at good times to reboot our energy and the food was wonderful. We highly recommend this trip and company for all things to do with getting out on and in the Maine waters! read more

Portland Paddle - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Went on a sunset paddle and it was lovely! Our guide, Josh, was kind and showed us some cool spots. Definitely will be going back! read more

Portland Paddle - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

Absolutely a wonderful experience. Our guide Henry was a delight. He even helped take us back in when we got caught up in a tide that was rolling in. He was super patient and very friendly. He also gave us a great tour of Fort Gorges. Note: We took a kayaking trip! read more

Wow! These guys were great! We were lucky to get a beautiful day in May and Portland paddle took full advantage. Joe and Joe took us on an adventure that was amazing and exciting! We visited a few islands and learned all about the Portland area, while enjoying it gorgeous sunset and great exercise and fun! These guys made the trip safe and memorable! read more

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The staff at the shop were super helpful with helping select a kayak and making sure we felt safe going out. Equipment was great, we really enjoyed our experience! Would recommend renting from them again. Rates are more than reasonable. read more

I've done 3 or 4 lessons and group tours with these guys. Every time it's been great. I always felt safe, the instructors are very informative and fun without being overbearing. I always learn sometime new from the instructors. They run a great ship because everyone I've interacted with has been great, and I'm a judgmental curmudgeon so for me to say that speaks volumes. read more

Portland Paddle - Portland Paddle to fort gorges - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

My family and I visited Maine for a weekend trip. We took a guided sunset tour with Melanie yesterday. She was very friendly, patient, and supportive. We had a great experience! read more

Portland Paddle - Beautiful sunset - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Portland, Maine

Everything perfect. Gorgeous area to paddle in. Staff friendly, helpful and even fun. Did tandem kayak which was great.

Our half day tour with Portland Paddle was the highlight of our visit to Portland. Portland Paddle was efficient and professional, our guide Miriam was the best, and the prices were excellent. I'd highly recommend them. Jenny read more

was a great time. Joe our guide made it fun and explained alot about the bay and wildlife. there were beginne kayak people and they did fine. Joe is a very good teacher. I'd do it again. read more

We did the sunset kayaking trip. Whitney was a fantastic guide, mixing history with silly stories! She even took pictures of our group then shared them via a link in email! They provided PFD for each guest, and had water proof bags for those who had things that shouldn't get wet. I give them 4 stars only because they seemed a little disorganized. Our reservation was scheduled for 5:30, but when we checked in, they said we were on the 6:00 trip. No big deal, except that the 5:45 trip took so long to launch that we didn't go out till after 6. Because we were initially on the 5:30 trip, we arrived at 5:15, as directed in our reservation. So, we sat for over an hour before going out! read more

Michael was an excellent those. Skilled kayaker and knowledgeable on all things Gorges.

We had an amazing tour guide and an awesome experience! Everything from start to finish was perfect. We even thought we would get rain and it held off. Highly recommend these folks! read more

I'm addicted to Portland Paddle right now! I've been three times in the last month and my appetite is only growing for more adventure there! Do yourself a favor and leave work early for a paddle in the sunshine. Whether you choose to do a SUP rental,kayak rental or SUP yoga class, you'll be so so glad you did. They'll get you out on the water quickly if you're an experienced paddler but still give beginners as much dedicated safety time as needed. They also have guided tours for the less experienced paddlers. I've never done one, but they come highly recommended! My most recent trip went down to Back Bay to see the Osprey nest and then over to Mackworth Island for a closeup view before going back across the bay. The water was the perfect combination of navigable and challenging (in a fun way). With that said, I've done it all here: SUP, Kayaking AND their awesome yoga class which even has evening options for those of us who do need to work an entire day. I also find them to be reasonably affordable! All rentals include your craft + paddle, life jacket and a dry bag to keep your belongings with you. They can also keep your things back at their camp. The more you paddle the more you save here which is a great touch for getting lots of locals to come back (I am exhibit A). Get out and enjoy it!!! read more

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Portland Paddle has facilitated some of my absolute favorite summer adventures. Their staff is great and knowledgeable and always so excited to help you get out there. Shoutout to Becky!! I would absolutely recommend any of Portland Paddle's guided tours, and also their rentals are fabulous and affordable. Thanks Portland Paddle! read more

I was lucky enough to go on a paddle trip to Fort Gorges. I'm a Portland local but had never made it out to the island. We had a truly wonderful day and our guides, Elliot and Suzanne were so lovely and helpful and let me try some new things (like a water exit). I was really impressed by how fun and informative the trip was even for a born and raised Portlander. I would recommend Portland Paddle to anyone looking for an adventure- local or from away! read more

We did wonderful kayak tour to Fort Gorges with Portland Paddles. Our guide was fun, responsible, knowledgeable and he made sure everyone in the tour felt included and safe. Highly recommend! read more

Glen was amazing! He was super informative and made the whole experience better! Keep up the great work!