Melissa Tan

Review of Rowing Dock

I've always wondered how to get to "that boat rent...

I've always wondered how to get to "that boat rental area west of Mopac." When Paddle Zen failed us and was closed/vacant (??), we found ourselves driving across I-35 to find some stand-up paddle boards (SUPs). The hubs navigated us to some area near Zilker Park, and I kept telling him we're in the wrong area if we're trying to get to Texas Rowing Center. Apparently, he knew what he was doing, which is not always the case, because he was trying to get us to ROWING DOCK aka "that boat rental area west of Mopac."

We arrived at 10:30am, and the parking lot was already full, so we had to park alongside the road. I hate parking on the side of the road; it just feels unsafe to me, but we had no choice.

The rental process was pretty easy and straightforward: sign a waiver, put down a credit card, wait for quick instructions, grab your rental, get in the water. There are open storage baskets to put your shoes/nonvaluables, and they'll hold your credit card and keys. Everything else should stay in the car.

We rented SUPs for $20/hour. Neither of us have ever been on a SUP, so we weren't sure how we'd fare. It was pretty easy, and neither of us fell in! Although risky, I wish we had brought along a camera. Unless your balance sucks or you're just goofing off, you shouldn't fall in.

We were technically 10-15 minutes late getting back to the Rowing Dock, but they were pretty lenient with the times and didn't charge us extra. We underestimated how long it would take us to get back, as we had to work against the wind. I would recommend turning around at the 20-25 minute mark, so you have 35-40 minutes to get back. I also found you go faster when you sit down on the board, so if you're struggling against the wind, SIT.

Also, don't get off and swim! I think it's illegal, and you will get fined! Despite pollution concerns, it has to do with the strong currents controlled by an upstream power-generating dam.