#KAYAK RENTAL HOW TO#

#KAYAK RENTAL HOW TO#

You should know how to be visible to these vessels and communicate with them if need be. If you have no experience or knowledge related to dealing with these vessels you should not be paddling a kayak through boat channels. If you are not wearing a wetsuit or drysuit it is best to wear other synthetic layers. Cotton clothing will not keep you warm when wet.īe prepared to encounter boat traffic. There are enormous ships and small speedboats that cruise Casco Bay. It is virtually impossible to paddle from any of the islands to the mainland through fog without any navigation skills or equipment.ĭress for the water temperature - not the air temperature. A wetsuit or drysuit is always a wise choice, especially in spring months. Fog often rolls in very quickly from the open ocean drastically decreasing visibility. We strongly recommend that anyone paddling on the open waters of Casco Bay, beyond the “shore zone” along the East End, also have the skills and equipment to take each of the following steps:īe prepared to navigate with a chart and compass. Other Important Skills Needed for Sea Kayaking on Casco Bay

Please be aware that these rental policies could place limits on where you are able to paddle. It can be extremely difficult to re-enter a kayak in cold and turbulent water without the proper skills and knowledge, and hypothermia settles in quickly when immersed in Maine seawater. If you have not learned the specific techniques used to re-enter a capsized sea kayak, you probably can’t do it in a real-life scenario - even if you have done lots of kayaking or spent lots of time on the ocean. Anyone who paddles onto the exposed waters of Casco Bay without these skills (or without someone else who has them) is taking an extremely high risk. Casco Bay is not a protected estuary or lake it is a large bay exposed to conditions of the Atlantic Ocean (including sudden fog, swift currents and strong winds) and the busy boat traffic of Portland harbor. A group must have at least one experienced kayaker with capsize recovery skills in order to paddle our kayaks beyond the area we designate as “the shore zone.” This means that somebody in the group must have learned one of the standard techniques used to re-enter a kayak after a capsize and be competent using it. We have strict policies, however, that apply to anyone who wants to paddle our kayaks to Fort Gorges or the other islands of Casco Bay. When capsize Recovery Skills Are Required This is the best option for those who prefer to rent kayaks rather than joining a guided trip. We are hopeful to bring this service back in the near future.Most people who rent kayaks from Portland Paddle spend an hour or two paddling the beautiful area along the shoreline of Portland’s East End. If you need guidance for public access points, please contact our live chat feature. Please use public access points for your private craft. Have your own boat? Unfortunately, at this time we cannot transport or have private craft at our facility. River Condition Updates: Water levels are low and slow at this time so trip duration times are taking towards the later half posted on our website. If you have questions or concerns please let us know via our live chat feature. The max number of items (boats or tubes) that our booking platform allows you to book is the max number available for that date/time/trip.ĭates past Labor Day weekend will be opened for our late season schedule as those dates approach and staffing positions can be filled. If a date, trip, or time spot is not available to book online then it is not available.

Notice: We have opened up a limited schedule for our late season. offers canoe, kayak, and tubing trips on the West Fork of the White River, northeast of Indianapolis.

Kayak rental