Rent a kayak or SUP at East End Beach for an easy 1-hour waterfront paddle
1 Hour
Kayak or SUP, paddle, lifejacket
Explore the East End of Portland on Casco Bay with a 1-hour kayak or stand up paddleboard rental from a waterfront launch site. You’ll paddle within a designated Shore Zone for a safer, scenic outing near East End Beach.
Ages 7–17 must be with an adult; you must be 18+ to rent. A working cell phone is required. You must stay in the Shore Zone unless someone in your group has capsize rescue skills; without that, you cannot paddle to nearby islands including Fort Gorges.
Cancel more than 48 hours before start for a full refund. Cancel 2–48 hours before for a 50% refund. Cancel less than 2 hours before for no refund. Full refund if the operator cancels due to weather.
Bring a phone, non-cotton clothing, footwear that can get wet, a windbreaker or rain jacket, sun protection, and a water bottle.
Yes. Bring a working cell phone with you on the water. You’ll use the dry bag provided for your phone and other items.
You must stay within the designated Shore Zone unless someone in your group is a skilled kayaker with experience rescuing a capsized kayak (including re-entering a kayak after a capsize). Without those skills in your group, you can’t paddle to nearby islands, including Fort Gorges.
1 Cutter Street Portland, ME US 04101
This kayaking outfit offers both guided tours and independent rentals along Casco Bay, and the guided experiences clearly shine. Tour leaders like Josh, Dan, Whitney, Joe, and Michael earn consistent praise for being knowledgeable, friendly, and skilled at mixing local history with wildlife spotting. People specifically mention seeing seals, ospreys, and herons, plus getting fascinating historical context about Fort Gorges and the coastline. The sunset and half-day bay tours seem to be crowd favorites, with guides creating that sweet spot between adventure and relaxation that makes for a memorable outing. Here's where it gets tricky: if you're planning to rent equipment independently rather than join a tour, you need to be extremely specific when booking. Several frustrated reviewers drove an hour after calling ahead, only to be turned away because staff didn't have time for the required safety course. There's also a concerning incident where someone felt their life jacket wasn't properly checked before heading out solo, leading to a dangerous situation in the water. The pattern is clear: the guided tours run smoothly with experienced, attentive staff, but the rental side seems to have communication and safety protocol issues. For off-peak visits, definitely book tours in advance since they may cancel without enough participants. If you're considering a rental, call ahead multiple times and confirm exactly what's required, or better yet, just spring for a guided tour where the stellar guides will take care of everything.
Great way to explore Casco Bay! If you are not doing a tour you're limited to exploring a certain zone - you'll only need 1 hour to fully paddle it. Next time we want to do the tour but if you're going during off peak season you should book in advance so they know not to cancel!
Christopher Roman
October 5, 2025
Great way to explore Casco Bay! If you are not doing a tour you're limited to exploring a certain zone - you'll only need 1 hour to fully paddle it. Next time we want to do the tour but if you're going during off peak season you should book in advance so they know not to cancel!
Christopher Roman
October 5, 2025