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PORTLAND PADDLE

Kayaking & Paddleboarding on the Maine Coast

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PORTLAND PADDLE

Paddling Adventures on the Maine Coast

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About Portland Paddle

Portland Paddle offers sea kayak and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) rentals, tours and lessons in Portland, ME. We provide paddling adventures for all skill levels, including complete beginners. Portland Paddle is located a short drive or walk from downtown Portland at the East End Beach. Our site on the waterfront of Casco Bay is perfectly situated for paddling. We are a seasonal business open from mid-May to mid-October. Our hours may vary in the spring and fall.

Updates & News From Portland Paddle

Six Historic Forts in Portland You Can Reach By Foot or Kayak

Forts of Casco Bay: Part 1 – European Settlement to the Civil War We’ll follow up this post soon with another featuring the fortifications surrounding Portland harbor that were built after the Civil War.  The sites of Portland’s earliest defensive structures are all a short walk or paddle from Portland Paddle’s site by the East…

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March 12, 2024

Endangered Gray Whale spotted in New England!

An Exciting, but Potentially Troubling, First Sighting Gray Whales were once common in New England waters – photo courtesy of New England Aquarium The New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life aerial transect research team recorded a grey whale feeding 30 miles off of Nantucket this week, the first time this species has…

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March 6, 2024

Discovering the Intertidal Zone

The Joys of Tide Pooling and Beach Combing with Melanie Collins This winter we’re posting a series of interviews with Portland Paddle guides, each one focused on a specific topic related to paddling the Maine coast. Today we’re sharing a conversation with Melanie Collins about the intertidal zone! Melanie is a registered Maine guide, ACA…

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February 29, 2024

Six Historic Forts in Portland You Can Reach By Foot or Kayak

Forts of Casco Bay: Part 1 – European Settlement to the Civil War We’ll follow up this post soon with another featuring the fortifications surrounding Portland harbor that were built after the Civil War.  The sites of Portland’s earliest defensive structures are all a short walk or paddle from Portland Paddle’s site by the East…

Read More »

March 12, 2024

Endangered Gray Whale spotted in New England!

An Exciting, but Potentially Troubling, First Sighting Gray Whales were once common in New England waters – photo courtesy of New England Aquarium The New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life aerial transect research team recorded a grey whale feeding 30 miles off of Nantucket this week, the first time this species has…

Read More »

March 6, 2024

Discovering the Intertidal Zone

The Joys of Tide Pooling and Beach Combing with Melanie Collins This winter we’re posting a series of interviews with Portland Paddle guides, each one focused on a specific topic related to paddling the Maine coast. Today we’re sharing a conversation with Melanie Collins about the intertidal zone! Melanie is a registered Maine guide, ACA…

Read More »

February 29, 2024

Our Clients Love Kayaking in Portland, Maine with Us!

5 star
A Must! Wow!

We had such an outstanding experience! We went for my SIL birthday and to be honest I was super nervous. Our guide was amazing and made us feel so comfortable. We were given dry suites to wear over our clothes and he walked us through everything we needed to know before launching into the bay. He was calm and had such great energy. We paddled all the way to Cushing Island, stopped on a beach to eat our packed lunches and then paddled back. I felt safe the whole time and we had a blast. It was a beautiful day and I will be going again for sure!

– Lmnja, TripAdvisor
Incredible Experience!

My sister, father and I did a 2-night, 3-day kayaking adventure with Portland Paddle. It was an all around incredible experience!! From my initial conversations with the owner, Zach, to booking (and asking a million questions) with Eric to the most skilled, down to earth and thoughtful guide - Garrison - we were treated with kindness, patience, and professionalism by the whole team and had a trip of a lifetime!! Can’t thank you all enough (especially Garrison!!) for making my Dad’s 75th bday one to remember :) We highly recommended Portland Paddle!

– Leeha H, TripAdvisor
Wonderful Trip!

I took a half day tour around Casco Bay, led by Janet Robinson. The trip was wonderful. Janet is very knowledgeable and a skilled kayaker. She took us out just beyond one of the peninsulas so we could see the expanse of the ocean and hit 3 foot rollers. They were awesome, and a new experience for me. We stopped at Fort Gorgeous for lunch and then paddles back to our launch site. I have been on several trips and kayak workshops with Portland Paddle. In my opinion they are one of the best commercial kayak outfits in the Portland, Maine area.

– Tom W, TripAdvisor
We Had an Awesome Time!

We had an amazing time on the Fort tour. Perfect for myself who hasn’t kayaked in years and my 13 year old son. Kyle was our tour guide and he was awesome!! Kyle made the adventure even more fun. He was helpful and knowledgeable. The tour of the fort was really cool. My son loved exploring the fort. Perfect for a teen. Portland Paddle has so many different tours to choose from. It was very easy to book. I would recommend Portland Paddle to anyone looking for a great time!!

– Christina D, TripAdvisor
Highly Recommended!

I did the Fort Gorges Kayak Tour and was not disappointed! They were able to accommodate me as a solo kayaker without any issue. Our guide, Alonso, was a really great guide. He was super friendly and positive and approachable and gave us lots of interesting tid bits of information about the local wildlife, and or course about Fort Gorges. The gear was good, the service was even better. They were able to also help change my trip last minute. Would highly recommend!

– karenkimduong, TripAdvisor
Perfectly Gorgeous Morning Tour

Alonzo was an excellent tour guide. He prepared us prior to departure by running through the equipment and safety procedures, then guided us to Fort Gorges... Alonzo was super safety conscious, which was comforting, and since I’m older he took special care to help me so I didn’t fall when walking around the fort.

– Freedom277666, TripAdvisor
Fun and Educational!

Highly recommend. We went on the Fort Gorges tour yesterday morning and had a great experience. Our guide, Henry, gave us a kayaking tutorial (how to hold the paddle, how to steer etc.) prior to us pushing off from East End Beach. He was helpful and knowledgeable about the history of the Fort and gave us plenty of time to explore before we headed back in. I'm looking forward to taking some of the other tours and classes offered here in the near future.

– Nancy N, TripAdvisor
Amazing Trip

We did the sunset kayak tour in a double kayak. The instructor was fantastic. I can't believe I'm forgetting her name but she paddled the whole coast in 2020 with her friend. It was very well organized, safe, and fun. She explained what different locations were around us out there in the water and some history. Also just talked to each of us in general. It was very nice. Highly recommend it.

– Carrie, TripAdvisor