Portland Paddle

A truly beautiful experience on a nice day such as the one I had on my trip. The kayaking was great, not too strenuous and even the young in the group were able to handle it. Our guide Henry did an amazing job and kept everyone safe and on track. Being able to explore the fort was a wonderful experience and there was plenty of time. From the history, to the architecture, to the construction I couldn't get enough. I think this was about the perfect duration for the average tourist, but I'll be back for more! This was my first experience with ocean kayaks and I'm in love! Unbelievable value for what I paid in my opinion. Booking was a breeze online and confirmed instantly. They have sunscreen available if you forget yours. I'm always hungry and brought snacks, but I should have brought a sandwich. A small dry bag is provided and you could easily fit a lunch, your phone, wallet, and light weight rain jacket in. Don't forget to tip your guides!

The view was beautiful driving to the preparation area. The guide was fabulous. He was former military. He gave a great safety talk before the trip and made every effort to learn the names of rowers. We were lucky enough to see some wild life including 2 seals. While rowing is nice exercise, I wasn’t exhausted after this venture & feel the novice label was appropriate. Some in our group did have difficulty steering the kayak on the way back. I would recommend staying in the same formation if using a tandem kayak as you are fitted for the pedal action. The tour of the fort was a bit long but a welcomed break to stand up, stretch legs and learn a little local history. Once again, our guide pointed out safety issues-so appreciated. Definitely- take water!! sun screen-sun screen-sun screen! Water shoes are the best options. The winds were very calm on the day of our exertion, not sure I would have loved huge waves. I would easily use this company again & feel the bay offered more interesting sights than some other options

Our sea kayaking trip with Portland Paddle was an absolute pleasure. Our guide Alonzo was very experienced and great to paddle with. My partner has never kayaked before and was super nervous being in the water let alone the sea, so having a helpful and charismatic guide like Alonzo definitely eased any concerns for the new paddlers in the group. He assisted a tour through Fort Gorges and was very knowledgeable in his facts and information. This trip was easily the highlight of our vacation and I'll certainly recommend Portland Paddle to anyone I know traveling to the area.

We did the sunset kayak option when we visited. The weather was perfect and the two guides were both friendly as well as were educational about the area/waters. We were lucky enough to see the seals and one even followed us for a short while. I didn't expect the experience to be as long as it was, which was both good so we could get our money worth but also meant we were tired by the end of it. Overall, if the weather is warm enough and you have the opportunity - the sunset kayak is definitely worth it.

Great time paddling out to the fort and exploring it! Felt like we had enough time to see most of the fort and the paddling wasn't too strenuous. My first time in a tandem ocean kayak and it is much stabler than my calm water single.

I had a great and very safe experience paddling on my own for a couple of hours, despite not being super savvy with bay/ocean kayaking. Next time I will definitely do one of their group excursions and go much further out!

My boyfriend and I had a lovely time at Portland Paddle! The guides were very informative and provided proper gear so we felt super safe life jacket, wet bag, bilge pump, etc.! The scenery is beautiful, you can even kayak within allowable perimeters to a small island and rest there if you feel you need a little break! Overall, 10/10, would recommend!

We did the sunset tour on a fairly calm evening. Our guide, Tall, was incredibly friendly and made all of the instructions very easy. She put even the more nervous folks in our group at ease. Even more impressive, she remembered everyone's names and went out of her way to learn a little about them. The pace was slow and relaxed with a short out and back along the coastline. The tandem kayaks were easy to steer and the guides helped make sure they were adjusted properly before taking off. Whether you are a first time kayaker or a seasoned pro, I think there is something for everyone to enjoy going on one of these tours. The only bathroom option near the park is a porta potty so I would caution folks to take care of business before arriving if that's not your cup of tea.

Loved our half day kayak tour! Suzanne and Whitney were amazing showing us around and everyone in our group enjoyed it. They kept us safe when crossing busy water travel areas and showed us local sights. We especially liked the chocolate chip cookies that Suzanne made as a snack on the island : We went on an amazing day too! Would 100% recommend booking to others!

Super friendly and helpful staff. Very reachable via email, flexible on timing. Gear was all high quality. I normally don’t write reviews, but Portland Paddle absolutely deserves it.