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Get Back on the Stand-up Paddleboard or Into the Kayak This Season

Get Back on the Stand-Up Paddleboard or Into the Kayak This Season

The Fitness and Wellness Benefits Are So Worth It!

 

A paddleboarder wearing a bikini and a kayaker in a red NDK Romany kayak riding underneath the George Washington Bridge.

 

You were finally getting the hang of it. You were keeping the boat straight, maybe finding a good rhythm. You started to glide. It was all coming together, and you had a pretty good — or perhaps a great — day on the water.

Maybe there was a time when you spent many great days on the water, shared trips with paddling friends, and felt the joy and triumph of circumnavigating the 30 miles around Manhattan Island.

And then… life happened.

Schedules shifted. Weather changed. Months passed. Before you knew it, getting back out there started to feel like something you had to restart from scratch.

You don’t have to pick up exactly where you left off.

Sometimes all it takes is stepping back into the Pier 84 Boathouse in Hudson River Park. It’s a really nice place!

This is the front entrance to the Pier 84 Boathouse in Hudson River Park, where Manhattan Kayak Co runs a professional public paddling center offering low-cost rentals, classes, and guided trips for all skill levels. The entrance is adorned with a colorful string of flags and a yellow kayak above blue double doors and wooden sliding doors. The welcoming and organized entrance leads to a high-quality setting for groups and visitors.

a group of people sitting and standing in front of a store

A candid moment of connection between Eric Stiller, Founder of Manhattan Kayak Co, sitting in a yellow touring kayak with his dog and paddle companion Charlie, on the pier at Manhattan Kayak Co. (Pier 84). Eric dared to create a world where he can enjoy his dog, his sport, his city, and his friends altogether. All who enter are welcome to live that lifestyle too. The lush white hydrangeas in the foreground create a soft, natural frame. The lighting is warm, diffused, and serene.

 

With some friendly and helpful guides and instructors.

a group of people posing for the camera

 

Get back on board to remember, refresh, or relearn what a good paddling session feels like.

a group of people on a boat in the water

a person sitting on a boat in the water

 

Or… finish the classes you started last year — or years before — and find out.

Try kayaking or surfskiing to go farther and faster.

a person riding on the back of a boat in the water

Train for the Hudson Cup Race.

a person riding a surf board on a body of water

 

Or… tame the stand-up paddleboard once and for all, and open up a level of fitness all its own.

A man raising the nose of a Starboard SUP entirely out of the water while maintaining balance in front of the Statue of Liberty. This step-back pivot turn is an advanced maneuver requiring precision, core strength, and technical mastery. Most people see the Statue of Liberty from a crowded ferry; paddling there is the ultimate secret NYC experience. There are crowds of tourists on the pedestal of the statue in the background. The contrast between the masses and the solo athlete on the water is a powerful status narrative for a high-achieving professional. The deep Lady Liberty green, the crisp blue sky, and the pops of red and blue on the board create a vibrant, classic American color story.

Bring your dog.

Woman and chihuahua on a stand up paddle board in the middle of the Hudson River in Manhattan

Teach your kids.

a person riding on the back of a boat in the water

Become a member and join us on our away trips.

 

A joyful group of six Manhattan Kayak Co Adventure Club members paddle tandem sea kayaks past the Breakneck Tunnel, enjoying the peak fall foliage of the Hudson Highlands during an exclusive members-only day trip from NYC.

Four paddlers navigating a narrow wilderness waterway on inflatable paddleboards.

members at a table eating food

 

a bird perched on a tree branch

 

Some trips are farther away than others.

Three colorful tents behind large white pine trees upon a small island, when Manhattan Kayak Co members go for kayak camping in the Adirondacks.

Group of people around a campfire at night near a stone structure.

Then come back and realize…

Kayakers watching the red bursts of Macy's Fourth of July fireworks on the Hudson River.

NYC can be hard to beat.

A group of Manhattan Kayak Co members sea kayaking along downtown TriBeCa toward One World Trade Center at the start of a 30-mile circumnavigation trip.

And there’s no place like home.

A vibrant rainbow perfectly frames the Intrepid Museum. A paddler, who has just come back from a river trip, is looking at the rainbow with mindfulness and presence. This awe-inspiring moment is the ultimate luxury in NYC.

With the crew.

The waterfront patio at Pier 84 boathouse with public rental program participants, kayak class students, and trip participants preparing for their outings on a weekend.

A wide shot of an outdoor patio at night with string lights, several people socializing around tables, and the Midtown skyline in the backdrop.

Your shoreline. An evening escape for members to unwind and connect with the skyline as the backdrop.

Or find your peace.

A Manhattan Kayak Co's Adventure Club member relaxes on the waterfront patio of the Pier 84 Boathouse. Her feet are crossed at the ankles and propped up on table as vibrant orange and purple sunset clouds roll over the sky.

MANHATTAN KAYAK COMPANY WILL ALWAYS WELCOME YOU!

It’s our 30th season of bringing “A Quiet Antidote to Urban Anxiety,” as New York Magazine wrote in our first year, and helping people realize that “You Don’t Have to Be in Boulder, Colorado, to Be in an Adventure Sport City,” as The New York Times wrote in a Styles section feature on Manhattan Kayak Company.

I explain this more fully in our Paddling for Fitness and Wellness Blog, should you want to learn more about why this is more important now than ever.

The prescription is simple:

Fresh air. Sunshine. Exercise on the water. Friends. Shared laughs. And getting a good night’s sleep!

a group of people kayaking on the Hudson River near NYC

So just sign up for something on our schedule, come in, and experience some old-fashioned enjoyment. I’m sure you’ll be glad you did!

Hope to see you soon!

Cheers,

Eric Stiller and the MKC Cast and Crew!

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