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Choose your NYC adventure

Beginner: First Strokes

🟢 No kayaking, paddling, or swimming skills needed.

Our entry level experiences are designed for everyone. We provide all the gear and a safe supervised environment on the water.

Open from May through October. All activities are by reservation. Our schedule fluctuates with the river and weather. Use this real time calendar to check live availability and book your visit.

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I was trying to find ways to fill my time, and I decided to give kayaking a try. Taking that leap was the best decision I have ever made.

Intermediate to Expert

🟦    Intermediate – 3 classes or screening
◆     Advanced – 4+ Intermediate trips in 2026
◆◆  Expert – 3+ Advanced trips in 2026

Our season runs 12 months a year, using specialized suits to stay safe in every temperature.

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Intermediate:
Build Your Instinct

We ride sea kayaks and paddleboards along the Manhattan skyline and under infinite skies.

Ready to join? Complete 3 Classes or pass our screening.

Kayakers paddling toward George Washington Bridge with the green Palisades in the background.

I quickly realized that the MKC methodology offered me a concrete path towards acquiring the skills necessary to safely paddle Manhattan waterways. Progressing through the tours, I learned the nuances around tides, traffic, and weather.

Advanced: Hone Your Endurance

Sea kayaks and paddleboards–expect the water wilderness to test you.

Ready for this? Complete 4+ intermediate trips in 2026 or pass our screening.

A group of 15+ high-end touring kayaks in the middle of the NY Bay looking north toward the Lower Manhattan skyline and One World Trade. There is a high-energy athletic vibe where paddlers push their limits alongside peers who share that drive. The primary colors of the boats (yellow, red, blue) pop against the deep blue water and the crisp, clear sky. The way the group fans out toward the city creates a powerful sense of forward momentum and collective purpose.

MKC has taken us to hidden creeks, secret coves and various beaches in every borough; we have circumnavigated the Island, battled Hell’s Gate…
 
We have seen our home from unique vantage points and continue to marvel every time we paddle around the Statue of Liberty.

 

Expert: Own the Harbor

Sea kayaks and SUPs: the path to storing your own boat here and paddling on your own schedule.

Think you’re ready? Complete 3+ advanced trips in 2026 or pass our screening.

A fleet of Manhattan Kayak Co's performance sea kayaks (including P&H Cetus, Wilderness Systems Tempest, and Impex models) and a SIC Maui racing SUP parked on Coney Island Beach, with dry bags and paddles ready for the 17-mile return leg back to Manhattan. The iconic Parachute Jump and Ford Amphitheater are in the background. While millions of people visit Coney Island by subway, this tribe arrives via the Verrazzano Narrows and the Atlantic Ocean.

My summer memories are filled with not just shared time on the river but kayaking–and later paddleboarding–trips to Red Hook for barbeque, New Jersey for sushi and bubble tea, Harlem for seafood…

 

I’m glad to have met so many people and made so many friends. Outside of the boathouse, we keep in touch, meet up for drinks, and go to see shows and exhibits.

  • Locals’ Escape

Membership

Valuable for frequent paddlers.

50–100% off every session—Basics classes included.

Free monthly guest pass. 25% off all private groups & lessons.

Access our fleet of 100+ boats and boards in group sessions.

Boathouse socials in NYC + weekend escapes away from the city.

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  • 18+
  • ⚪
A lone kayaker is carved in black silhouette against a fiery, copper-orange sky as the sun dips behind the industrial cranes of Bayonne. She executes a sharp, determined stroke to cut through the dark, choppy harbor water, while rippled mackerel clouds catch the last of the intense light overhead. Photo by Regina Nicolardi.