maine kayak

My brother and I went on a 2 day (1 night) overnight Kayak trip with Maine Kayak this past weekend. We had an amazing time.From start to finish, the trip was great. Our guide was Daman, and he was wonderful. Knowledgeable and very helpful.The scenery was beautiful and the kayaking was hard, but fun.The food was delicious, particularly the blueberry pancakes for breakfast and the lobster lunch on the second day.

From the first contact the folks at Maine Kayak were courteous and professional. Having just a few experiences with sea kayaking, I really wanted a guide to enhance the adventure and ensure safety. I got so much more than this. We were outfitted with good equipment and clearly briefed on what the agenda would be. Alvah was most helpful but not condescending. He was extremely knowledgeable about the area, wildlife, history and most importantly what was going on around us as we shared the waterways with pleasure craft and working boats too.Our accommodations were well thought out, clean and comfortable and added to the pleasure of the total trip but it was the paddling experience that was phenomenal! We learned about the different plants, trees, landmarks and birds and were tickled to have a seal follow us as we paddled! I have wanted to tick this item off my "bucket list" for years and I gained so much confidence from this adventure. I highly recommend this outfitter and I plan on returning as soon and as often as possible as I feel that the total experience for me was life changing.

Enjoyed our full-day trip around the Muscongus Bay. Our guide, Heather -- a Maine native -- was very knowledgeable about the area, the tides, the culture, history, and wildlife. I recommend this company for longer trips. They run several overnight camping expeditions and have inn-to-inn options. They had a harder time providing options for their shorter 2 hour tours like sunset or wildlife outings. During our trip we saw a plethora of very cool wildlife -- a bald eagle, osprey and their nests, harbor seals, and even harbor dolphins. The history and practices of the area were explained including a story of a "shipwrecked" five-masted schooner. For the full day trips, they offer a great lobster lunch at one of the local lobster docks -- and are flexible or those who don't like or are allergic to shellfish. If I had one critique it would be that the dock itself didn't have hardshells. Not Maine Kayak's fault.

Maine Kayak made it easy! We'll be back in August. We spent hours on the water. They dropped kayaks off and picked up. Staff was friendly and happy to help.

I originally booked a tour with Maine Kayak in 2012, but had to cancel due to a family emergency. They immediately notified me that I had a credit for a tour anytime in the future.Two years later, I contacted them in the Spring of 2014, as we had again scheduled a vacation to Maine. They promptly confirmed that my credit was still good, then remained in active communication with me to arrange a 1/2 day tour that accommodated my travel schedule. The tour itself was fun, informative, and provided a great opportunity to paddle Maine waters amid beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife (we paddled almost directly under a pair of perched bald eagles). I am a relatively experienced sea kayaker, but everyone else in our group was a novice; however, it made no difference in the quality of the experience. If you're experienced, go for the fun and scenery Maine Kayak provides. If you're a novice, you will find that they provide quality information and take great care to ensure that your trip is safe, but very enjoyable. I am confident that it will whet your appetite for more.From point of contact to the moment they deliver you back to their headquarters, you will find that Maine Kayak is all about you having a positive experience that will constitute a highlight--if not the best time--of your trip.

My daughter and I just returned from Maine Kayak's 2 day Inn to Inn Kayak trip. In addition to being a nice person to be with for two days, our guide, Dave, was knowledgeable about kayaking, safety, the environment we were traveling in, and so many other things. The equipment was in excellent condition, the snacks and lunch were great and plentiful. The weather and conditions were terrific and there were so many photo opportunities. We saw seals and many species of birds, including Ospreys. An overall terrific experience.

Visited from the UK in Sept '13 and booked an island overnight trip - knew we'd picked the right company as soon as we arrived. Our guide, Alvah, was totally enthusiastic, knowledgeable and obviously loved his job. We were beginners but never felt too pushed, the number of hours paddling each day was adapted to what we felt we could do. Gorgeous scenery, great instruction and the food was taaaasty. Can't recommend highly enough, get booking.

My husband and I enjoyed a fabulous 1/2 day trip with our guide Alvah. We live in Maine but don't get out onto the ocean much and this trip made us want more. Beautiful shorelines, coves, islands, watching the lobster boats working their traps, catching a seal off guard, spotting the numerous varieties of seabirds... our new favorite bird is the juvenile guillemot. Alvah is great with getting you up to speed if you're not a serious kayaker and is very knowledgeable about the surrounding area - history, nature... you name it. We're thinking about coming back with our teenage kids for one of their camping trips.

We were on the 2-day paddling excursion and, although I was much less experienced than the other members of the group, our guide Alva made me feel completely at ease during the entire trip. He could not have been more accommodating or knowledgable, and everything from the paddling to the food was perfect! Great traveling companions as well. I would definitely recommend Maine Kayak to anyone, regardless of skill level. Thank you for a wonderful holiday!!

This is a great group to go out with and see wildlife, coves, and learn kayaking skills. They offer inland learning sessions as well as simple, beautiful and safe tours. Equipment is good and very stable and they can handle a range of skill levels. Maine is kayaking heaven and its worth it to do some hours with these folks.

As beginners we were very glad about the experienced guide. We learned a lot about kayaking and the wildlife in the bay. We had a great stay on a little island and even got blueberrypancakes in the morning. We would go back and do it again!

"Arn't I wicked lucky." That's what I thought when we launched our (tiny) boats for the white water kayaking course on the West Branch. I'm a beginner with a lot of imagination on what could go wrong. Alvah the instructor has years of experience managing hysterical, inexperienced and a bit crazy (myself) rafters and kayakers. I would trust very few others on this river. He was patient, safe, considerate and extremely knowledgeable. He was very conscious of how all of us were doing physically - and chose the best options for us. (I was the youngest of the group - and I'm over 40!) He's been here since he was 6, and loves the river like his son (who was a great adventurer on the making), along with his wife who is a guru of all things current in conservationism and environmentalism in Maine. I feel lucky to have come across this family team. There is no doubt this trip was some real wicked good fun, scenery and thrills. Some facts: would be good to bring your own neoprene booties - as some of the others can be a bit 'ripe.' Don't be afraid to ask questions - seek advice. I really enjoyed learning more about the water, the waves, the currents and the river. You'll enjoy it if you can handle the challenge.

I booked both camping and a half day of kayaking with Maine Kayak directly. They made this very easy! The campground was excellent and incredibly nice people. The sea kayaking was the best experience I have had in years!! Alvah welcomed us and was very good about getting us the right equipment and educating us on all we needed tio know about sea kayaking. He made us feel comfortable and as we were out on the water truly made the experience an exciting one. He was VERY knowledgable about the area and its history and about everything relating to the local fisherman. I learned so much about maine and its history in the half day of kayaking. So great!! I would recommend this place to ANYONE looking for a nice, relaxing, fun and yet adventous experience. I plan on booking this every year!!!

My two daughters and I, ages 22 and 9, rented a tandem and a single kayak from Maine Kayak. They went over safety instructions, made sure we had life jackets on, and had water bottles for sale and provided sunscreen for free. They give you your paddles and you have a very short drive, about 2 minutes, to where you pick up your kayak off of a rack and get in the water. It's your choice as to where you want to go. Great for a leisurely afternoon of kayaking when we did not bring our own kayaks.

I recently rented several kayaks from Maine Kayaks while vacationing in the Damarscotta area. We had them dropped off at a local launch ramp and had a great time paddling. I brought along my fly fishing gear and fished while we paddled. At the end of the day we left the kayaks in the agreed upon area and unwittingly, I also left all my fly gear on the ground. Late that night I realized what had happened, and when I went back to the spot all my gear was gone. I assumed it was gone forever. On a long shot, I call back to Maine Kayak in the morning, and was pleasantly surprised to hear they had found and saved all my gear and had been trying desperately to get a hold of me. Really great service!