Maine Kayak Reviews

A unique experience. We went out on the bay and the ocean. It was a blast. Peaks Island is also a great pace to get away to--and it only takes 15 minutes on the ferry.

You cannot go wrong with Maine Island kayak. Tom is as genuine and down-to-earth as they come and their expertise is top notch. Highly recommended.

We loved it! Jim was a fabulous guide - he clearly is very knowledgeable about the sport and was super helpful - everyone got comfortable really quickly. We had so much fun, learned a lot of interesting things about Peaks and the surrounding islands as well as kayaking, and enjoyed every minute of the trip. Thanks again to Jim! We will definitely be back.

Stunning location, open ocean and bold rocky cliffs right around the corner. Nice, single kayaks. Peaks Island is worth a visit too!

A great company with decades of experience on beautiful Peaks Island. I started as a customer, now I'm a guide!

We had a group of 4 girls this past weekend (first weekend in October) on our kayak excursion and had such an awesome time! Jim, our guide, was so awesome and such a cool chill guy, he was so informative and made the entire group feel comfortable and safe. Out of our group some of us had never kayaked on the ocean before or with ocean kayaks but we felt safe the entire time. I highly recommend a guided excursion on Peak's Island - this was one of the highlights to our weekend getaway! The foliage and views were gorgeous this time of year in Portland! Thanks Jim and the Maine Island Kayak Co. keep up the good work!

We booked the half day kayak tour and had a great time. Our group happened to be pretty small which was great. Our guide was very knowledgeable and I was impressed with not only what he knew about the bay itself but navigating, currents, tides, etc which made me feel very at ease that we were with someone who knew what he was doing. He also took the time to teach us correct paddling technique and make sure we were fitted and comfortable in our kayaks. In terms of the area where we paddled, we got to see a few different islands, explore an old fort, and we were lucky with seeing some wildlife including a seal. It was really the highlight of our trip and I would highly recommend it for anyone in the area to make the ferry trip over.

We had a fantastic family experience with Joe today. He taught us novice kayakers not only how to safely maneuver around the islands but provided great insight to the local history and lobster industry. Keep up the great work Joe. You are a true advocate for the sport and Portland area.

Here is the bottom line for those of you who are busy or know what you want and it isn't a story of how and why:

1) I have and will continue to recommend Maine Island Kayak to all my friends. If you are in the market for a new or used kayak or if you have a great boat but are not as happy as you could be with fit, or are just seeking information and options CALL THEM NOW. Seriously, go see them. It will be worth your time. Besides, it's in a beautiful location just off Portland,ME and it's easy to talk others into riding along with you.

2) NDK (Nigel Dennis Kayak) Echo. Great sea kayak and play boat for smaller people. Excellent body contact made even better by customized fitting out by Tom Berg MIKc. resulting in easy control of boat.
Keyhole cockpit, 3 hatches, 16' 7". Handles like a dream. Puts fun into kayaking. Fast. Never tippy. Turns and edges smoothly. Carbon Kevlar makes it light. Handles waves and swells nicely.

Now the story...

I don't think it is much of an exaggeration to say that I was a reluctant paddler. I loved walking around lakes or standing on shore staring out to sea, but getting into a boat and paddling out from shore had never been my idea of a good time. My husband grew up in and around water and loves kayaking and really, really wanted me to try it. Friends were helpful. Everyone had a kayak to lend. I tried a few. It was just so much work, I didn't get how anyone could think it was fun. Then I started watching people who seemed to do well - and didn't appear to be struggling the way I was. They had boats that fit their body type. Their boats weren't forcing them to over reach because the boat was too wide for their arm length. They weren't sitting too low or too high...they weren't slushing around in their boats. I started doing my homework. I read specs, I went to stores, I tried some very nice boats, none of which fit. The disappointing part was I couldn't get anyone to listen to what I was trying to tell them. Finally, I came across NDK. They had a new boat out which replaced earlier attempts at cutting down a low volume boat for smaller paddlers. I contacted Maine Island Kayak because they had a demo model. What convinced me to make the trip to Maine from Vermont was Tom Bergh. He listened.

When we arrived, Tom had ready an assortment of boats in different sizes and volumes layed out on the beach for me to try. Tom asked me to get in each, even the ones that looked obviously too large, just to get an in person feel for the differences in length, width, volume, cockpit opening style, etc. Then I took each out into the bay. It was the best demonstration of how "fit" impacts paddling and ultimately increases or decreases the "fun" factor. Everything came together. It was that simple.

I have had my Echo nearly a year. It is obvious to me that the boat can do many things that I can't yet do, but I am learning. It's a joy to paddle and it makes me want to develop into a far better paddler.

The NDK Echo sits low in the water. It makes turning fun. I can play now on the water ... swinging it around in a near full circle with two strokes. My husband says that I can make this boat dance. But I know the truth. The Echo makes me look good. It's light and easy to move. It goes through waves and in and out of rock gardens without struggle. It's fast. It's perfectly balanced and it's beautiful. I love this boat and, surprise, surprise, I now enjoy kayaking.