FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

All of our tours begin at the East End Beach in Portland unless we state otherwise. Please arrive 10 minutes before your tour is scheduled to begin. Give yourself extra time if you need to park.

If you have signed up for a tour at our Crescent Beach State Park site, you can find directions here.

There is free all-day parking in the two lots halfway up the hill on Cutter Street, as well as on most streets in the residential neighborhoods nearby. All parking spaces on Cutter Street are free of charge and are within a fairly short walk of our site. Most of the spaces right next to the water are limited to 5 minutes or two hours and cars are ticketed regularly.

• Water bottle

• Footwear that you don’t mind getting wet. Watershoes or sturdy sandals are ideal.

• Extra layer to keep you warm. It’s often cooler on the water than on land, so it’s smart to have a fleece or light jacket even on sweltering hot days. It’s also best to wear synthetic materials (not cotton) that will keep you warm even when wet.

• Sun protection.

• Anything else you’d like to have with you (camera, snack, gloves, etc). We’ll provide a dry bag.

Yes. Any of our regular trips can be made private to accommodate your whole group. Contact us here

Your guide will choose a route for your trip based on the group and the weather conditions, though we always try to minimize paddling into strong wind and currents. Every tour is slightly different. There are dozens of beautiful islands to explore within a short paddle of our location, and it’s also fun to paddle through the working waterfront of Portland Harbor.

Our pace depends on the group, but we generally take our time. We almost always have plenty of time to get where we’re going, so there’s no need to rush. We’ll keep things moving, but we won’t leave anyone behind.

We prefer fairly small groups, so we usually have between 3 and 10 people on a trip, and occasionally up to 12 on the Sunset Tour and Fort Gorges Tour. We allow slightly larger groups for some of our special trips, such as our Acoustic Paddle tour.

Absolutely. Just let us know ahead of time and have your boat ready to go on the beach before the tour starts. You can receive $15 off the cost of the trip or $50 for multi-day trips. Please keep in mind that your kayak should be a sea worthy boat, which generally means it should be at least 14 feet and have bulkheads. Please contact us to let us know you will be using your own boat so we can apply the discount.

We usually do not cancel tours due to overcast skies or scattered showers (the seas are often especially calm and pleasant on such days), but we do cancel trips for steady rain, strong winds and thunderstorms. If you have reserved a tour, we will call you if we are canceling the trip due to weather and give you a choice of either rescheduling or receiving a full refund.

We typically use tandem (two-person) sea kayaks on our shorter tours, but you may request a solo kayak if you have previous experience using one. Please reply to your confirmation email with this request. We try to accommodate everyone’s preferences, but ultimately your guide will make the final decision based primarily on safety considerations. We find that tandems are best for most people because they are more stable and spacious. Plus, if you get tired, your partner can pick up the slack! If you are joining a tour on your own, you will either be given a solo kayak or paired up with another person in the group.

We have a diverse mix of sea kayaks made by Necky, Current Designs, Boreal Designs, Wilderness Systems, Seaward, and Old Town Kayaks.  All of our kayaks have rudders or skegs. We have kayaks for all skill levels and most body sizes. Most of our boats are rotomolded (plastic) and a few are fiberglass. Let us know if you have a boat preference; we may be able to assign you the boat you’d like to use.

We encourage you to offer a gratuity to your guide if you are satisfied with your experience. Tips are never expected, but always appreciated. A common rule of thumb for tipping is 15%-20% of the cost of the trip. Tips can be given directly to the guide (cash or Venmo) or online via the follow-up email you’ll receive.

Yes! We offer private guided trips for all sizes of groups. Just submit an inquiry and we can work with you to create a tour that fits your needs!

With our private guided tours, we are fairly flexible due to smaller group size, so you can be able to bring your pet or child that is not able to participate in one of our public tours.

No specific skills are required to rent our recreational-style kayaks, though we require that anyone renting these boats stay within a designated “shore zone” while paddling at our main site in Portland. Unlike our sea kayaks, these recreational kayaks are not designed to handle the kind of open water conditions found on Casco Bay, so it is important to keep them relatively close to shore.

You can also rent our recreational kayaks and transport them to another location. There are many lakes, rivers and estuaries nearby that are well-suited for  recreational kayaks.

If you are new to kayaking, or have never paddled on the ocean, we suggest you select “add a lesson” ($8 per boat) when you are booking. Our staff will provide you a 10-15 minute lesson covering the basics of proper paddling technique, how to fit the boat properly to your body, where to paddle and where to avoid, and other skills and knowledge that will help you have a safe and fun experience on the water. 

We require that all groups renting sea kayaks include at least one person who has experience with capsize recovery skills, also referred to as sea kayak rescue skills. In other words, somebody in our group must be familiar with the established techniques used by kayakers to re-enter a kayak after a capsize. Our staff will ask your group to describe or demonstrate your capsize recovery skills, and if you are not familiar with one of the widely recognized techniques they will require you to paddle within the “shore zone” area adjacent to our site. Capsize recovery skills can be learned through our weekly “Intro to Sea Kayak Rescues” class or by taking a similar lesson at any other established sea kayaking outfitter.

The rescue skills required are specific to sea kayaking, and any other skills you may have (life-guarding, first aid, whitewater rafting, search and rescue, superhuman strength, long-distance swimming, etc.) do not count as a substitute.

Keep in mind that there are many other sea kayaking skills that are essential to paddling in the open water conditions found in Maine’s coastal waters. Capsize recovery skills are our baseline requirement, but we encourage you to also learn basic paddling technique and navigation skills, along with a knowledge of tides, currents and coastline features. 

No specific skills are required to rent our stand-up paddleboards, though we require that paddlers stay within a designated “shore zone” while paddling at our main site in Portland. 

If you are new to stand-up paddling, or have never paddled on the ocean, we suggest you select “add a lesson” ($8 per SUP) when you are booking. Our staff will provide you with a 10-15 minute lesson covering the basics of proper paddling technique, how to position yourself on the board effectively, what to do if you fall, where to paddle and where to avoid, and other skills and knowledge that will help you have a safe and fun experience on the water. 

For a fuller introduction to stand-up paddling, consider signing up for our SUP Harbor Tour, or booking a private Intro to Paddleboarding class. You’ll enjoy paddleboarding more if you learn some of the essential skills and have a greater understanding of proper technique. Wearing a wetsuit is strongly recommended, especially early in the season when the water is colder.

If you are venturing out to the islands, yes. It is unlikely you could re-enter a kayak after a capsize in ocean conditions without any knowledge of kayak rescues and without assistance. If you capsized in Casco Bay, there’s a strong chance you would get hypothermia and need to be rescued by other boaters. This is why we recommend joining one of our guided trips, or renting and sticking closer to shore.

No! We want everyone to have a chance to paddle on Casco Bay. Here are some options: 

1) If you do not have any prior experience paddling on the ocean you may rent one of our recreational kayaks or Stand-up paddle boards (SUPs) and paddle within our expansive “shore zone”. This area provides plenty to explore in an hour or two of paddling.

2) We recommend you take our “Kayak Rescue Clinic” that will give you the skills you need to rent a sea kayak and take it out of the “shore zone” into the islands of Casco Bay. After this course, you will be more confident and much more prepared to paddle safely. If you have very little kayaking experience, you should start with the “Introduction to Sea Kayaking” course.

3) Anyone can go on our guided tours. Paddling with a guide costs just a little more than renting a kayak and going out on your own. In addition to the added safety, a guide deepens your experience by providing entertaining stories and knowledge of local wildlife and history. 

4) You can rent our kayaks and drive them to a lake, marsh, or flat river that offers more protected paddling conditions than Casco Bay.

Sea kayaking is a very safe sport when paddlers learn some basic skills and prepare appropriately. Unfortunately, too many people go out unprepared, leading to incidents like the tragic death of two kayakers in Casco Bay in 2010.

•  If you would like to rent one of our kayaks to go fishing you may. We do not rent any additional equipment that you will need to go fishing, nor do we provide fishing specific kayaks or fishing guides. You will need to review the state laws and regulations for fishing in Maine waters. 

We typically only sell used gear once a year, during our fall gear sale. We’ll send out info on that in our email newsletter and on social media.

We have an in depth blog post on this subject, written by one of our guides and managers. Check it out to learn all about different types of kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards!

Yes. Our multi-day sea kayak trips require a fair amount of paddling and we believe you and your group will get the most out of your experience if you have some sea kayaking experience.

We take pride in serving healthy and creative camp-style food on our trips. We know paddling can take a lot out of you so our meals are well-rounded and can accommodate all dietary restrictions. When you sign up for your trip, you will be required to fill out a questionnaire in which you can note any dietary restrictions.

Yes. The islands off of Maine’s coast generally have cell service, though it may be spotty in some places.

Please refer to the trip itinerary for the specific trip you are taking: Casco Bay Traverse, Casco Bay Overnight, Muscongus Bay Three-Day Trip, Midcoast Expedition, Penobscot to Acadia Expedition, Downeast Ramble. If you are going on a custom trip, our staff will send you a recommended packing list.

We will offer a full refund on any amount paid if you cancel a multi-day trip, private trip or private lesson at least 14 days in advance. If you cancel within 14 days you will receive a refund of up to 50% of the full booking price, you will not receive a refund of the 50% deposit required upon booking. 

If you need to reduce the number of people in your group between 2 and 14 days in advance of your booking we will reduce the total amount due by 50% of the cost of each person that is being removed from the booking. If you need to reduce the number of people within 2 days we are not able to adjust the total amount due. 

We cannot make exceptions to our cancellation policies due to sickness, travel disruptions or other unexpected events.

There is free all-day parking in the lot halfway up the hill on Cutter Street, as well as on most streets in the residential neighborhoods nearby. All parking spaces on Cutter Street are free of charge and are within a fairly short walk of our site. Most of the spaces right next to the beach are limited to 5 minutes or two hours and cars are ticketed regularly.

• There are public bathrooms and changing rooms that are open during limited hours.

• We have our own private portable toilet for customers.

• Most of the islands we visit do not have bathroom facilities, so it’s best to use the facilities before heading onto the water. If you need to go during your trip the best option is to find a relatively private spot along a shoreline.

Eastern Prom is a beautiful, expansive park overlooking Casco Bay. The park has large green spaces for sitting, a playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a baseball field. Food trucks are commonly parked just up the hill from our site, so we recommend grabbing lunch and enjoying a picnic overlooking the waters you just paddled on! Picnic tables are scattered along the water by the East End Beach and available for public use. Swimming is available at the East End Beach. Please note there is no lifeguard on duty. East End Trail passes directly by our shop and follows the coast from the Old Port to Back Cove. Great for walking, running, or biking!

I have my own kayak and I’m looking for waterfront storage! Can I rent storage space from Portland Paddle at East End Beach?  Unfortunately, we don’t have any storage space for rent. However, the city of Portland does rent spaces on their racks at the East End Beach. You can find more information by visiting the Portland Parks and rec page or emailing them at recreation@Portlandmaine.gov  or parks@portlandmaine.gov or calling them at 207-808-5400