It's been years since I've been here. Today, Nick helped me out with a kayak. Beautiful day, easy access to the water. They provide dry bags, maps, parking and is very close to the shop & water. I hope to make this a weekly habit. Great place to commune with Mother Nature and those out on the water. Enjoy.
Fun afternoon excursion with the family. Everyone else had the same idea so we had to wait about 20 minutes for a double kayak to come back in. The hard to please teenager enjoyed it as well.
Our group of 10 people arrived to find a very large group (summer camp maybe) ahead of us. We were concerned we may not get to go. We had only been there a couple of minutes before one of the employees made his way through the crowd and greeted us. and asked what we were interested in. We were not really even ready and organized our self yet. but they did an amazing job of getting the camp group on there way and getting us outfitted with what we wanted and on our way. The staff were all friendly, helpful, polite and fun to deal with. Thank you for the Great experience we will be back.
Friendly staff nice kayaks singles or doubles great area to enjoy the water and have a nice couple of hours out.
Awesome experience. Southwind Kayak is located in a prime location with immediate access to the Bay and harbor. They have lower hourly rates then other kayak rental companies in the area. There is plenty of free parking under the bridge. The employees were very nice and helped us launch the kayaks.
Fun experience, great prices, good customer service.
I absolutely love coming here. So fun to be outside and on the water. Not to mention it's at an extremely affordable rate.
Exstreamly friendly stuff, easy parking and they will get you set up and on your way in no time. The prices are far and that area is just perfect to go out on a kayak for 1-2 hours. Highly recommend!!
They are also on Amazon. He had a question on what lock system my yak has for the seat and went as far as to track me down and call me to eliminate any snafus with the order.
Never in 10 years of ordering stuff online has anyone done something like that.
I'll damn sure be back as I need parts and accessories for my fleet.
Great location and the guys were really nice to us and provided tips for us as beginners. Would defiantly come back!
If you rent something, you get free, shaded parking. There is another lot up from there for Pearson's landing.
Good prices on rentals, very close to the channel probably with much better parking
Great place to rent kayaks to explore the Back Bay.
Great location and knowledgable friendly assistants. The equipment was in good shape and adequate parking in the shade.
Nice little place to come after riding the Turnout.
Decent rates, and great access to the bay and harbor.
Friendly, helpful staff at a good location and fair price.
Back Bay is a Beautiful scenic natural area amidst the South LA sprawl. A Hidden gem, Great staff, I took a miss turn on my way back from the bay and they waited 15 mins past close and just charged me for my time out. !;) fortunately they have a tip jar !;) parking is shaded by the freeway, nice cool car on your return. I've been before and will kayak here whenever visiting my family who lives in Irvine.
So much fun. Been here twice, friendly customer service and very affordable. Just make sure you get here before 9am on weekends because it does get packed
We had an amazing time. The staff were super friendly. Well structured and organized. My family enjoyed themselves.
Great service. Great time. Kayaking in the back bay is one of my favorites
Great place to rent a kayak! Fair pricing and good service!
Great place to kayak , super friendly staff , quick and easy to get on your way.
I've been a couple of times now to Southwinds, the team here are really friendly and a great help to get you out on the water as quick as they can.
Very friendly staff, make it easy to have a great time in the Newport harbor. The water is calm and a big harbor that doesn't get old. I always have a great time coming here
late 30 minites then rained and boat was stuck in the harbor. we never were able to take the gondola...
Easy to rent a kayak, free parking, friendly place.
Reasonable price. Good service. Very good experience. Loved this sport.
I wish i knew that gentleman's name who helped us with a short and friendly tutorial to kayaking. It was my first time and I loved it. Please go here for great family fun in the sun.
The friendly and knowledgeable staff at Southwind Kayak Center made renting a kayak a fun experience. They gave us excellent advice about were to paddle. They recommended that we paddle into Newport Bay first , then paddle up the river before returning the kayak which was an excellent choice. Getting in and out of the kayaks was a breeze, as a friendly staff member did most of the work for us. We will definitely look into renting a kayak from Southwind Kayak Center again upon returning to Newport Beach!
Nice equipment. Excellent customer service. Fair rental prices. Convenient location with plenty of parking.
Great store. Bought a Ride 135 here, it handles my weight really well. Very customer service oriented.
Helpful and friendly staff, got us in boats we needed - we wanted to try sit inside kayaks for the first time. The person who helped us was familiar with the boats and they did their best to find one my 6'6" husband could get into. They seem to have more different boat options than some rental places.
Everything about our experience was great! Friendly and upbeat staff! The location is great--not super congested like some of the locations in Newport where you are constantly dodging boats, dingys, and other not so experienced folks! Easy place to launch from! I will definitely be coming back!
Great location to kayak through a protected waterway...as well as all newport harbor and not usually sold out on busy weekends
The employee were very courteous. It was a great location to start kayaking
I took a group of 8 friends here for a birthday party over the weekend. All the staff was so nice and prompt when servicing us. Not to mention the Newport back back is GORGEOUS in the afternoon. They even have refrigerated sunscreen if you forgot to bring your own. Free parking & you don't have to carry the boats down. :)
Easy access to paddleboard, kayak fish, in Newport bay
Mike at Southwind Kayak was an amazing person to deal with when I bought my Pungo120. Knowledgeable and very easy to talk to. If you have a desire to purchase a kayak you can t go wrong at Southwind. They are the best.
Very friendly staff. We walked up on them helping a huge 30 person plus group and they were able to help us no problem. Offered to watch our valuables.
As always this place is amazing. I brought my husband here about 4 years ago for our first time kayaking and this is the place we go to every year ever since. 100% thumbs up.
COVID update: wear your mask!
The staff is great and easy-going.
The kayaks are great and safe.
It might be a little difficult to find. But it's behind the RV storage lot.
4 years later: the staff is still great and this is still the best spot to kayak!
The staff here were super helpful and nice and kind and it shows that everyone loves their job working at Southwind, helping folks like me and my wife (two novices) enjoy a time out on the waters.
Top-notch customer service, very fair prices, a decent-sized shaded parking lot.
What more can I ask for? 5 stars!
Had a fantastic personal kayak tour from Michael lasting 2 hours exploring the back bay. We were kayaking beginners and he gave us a tutorial on how to use the equipment and was very relaxed and reassuring throughout. We could go at our own pace and choose what to explore. Water and snacks were available and free parking at the base. We had a great time and would recommend it to anyone!
I had an emergency with my travel trailer that I had just recently purchased used, and had nowhere to park it. It was late and nothing was open so a friend of mine suggested to temporarily park it here until the matter could be resolved, and to be perfectly honest going against what I thought would happen from past experiences didn't happen at all I was relieved. So yeah the place is nice,its clean and so far the people have been to my surprise easy going. And I'm very greatful giving the circumstances being as they are that at the least this was pleasant, Bryan Salerno
Stopped by at about 3:30pm on a Monday. They close at 5:00pm so we were able to get a good hour in.
Josh & Max were great! This was my 3rd time and my guests 1st time paddle boarding. Max was super about giving us some good tips before we went out!
Masks are required when you enter their property as of today 8/3/20. Plenty of free parking steps away from where we received our boards on the beach.
Unlike some other places they do take credit cards - not just cash - so thankful! Josh was also great about holding onto our car keys while we went out. They were both so helpful and kind!
When asked, Josh mentioned their busiest days are Thursday - Sunday. Kayaks are usually more popular than paddle boards.
Their location is awesome - especially for beginners because we had the option to stay in the back bay or go out toward the ocean.
I totally recommend this place for first time paddle boarders and/or kayakers!
We will be back!
Nick was very nice and helpful. The pricing for a double kayak was great. We got to see a number of birds and fish jumping out of the water. I has a good time and would definitely recommend to others.
The employees at Southwind Kayak Center will steal your personal belongings if given the opportunity!
We were some of the last renters to return a kayak later in the afternoon recently and we overlooked a several hundred dollar Bluetooth speaker when packing up our belongings. We immediately noticed our mistake, but because we returned our rental immediately before the facility closed for the day, we had to wait until the following day to contact the Southwind Kayak Center staff. The representative employee on the phone states that the speaker has not been found. It was without any doubt, left in the front seat of the kayak that we rented. To make matters even more disappointing, their policy is to record all of the contact info from those renting from them. One would think that they would contact their patrons immediately upon recovery of lost items.
Hi There,
I will call ahead tomorrow to make arrangements to pick up my speaker tomorrow. I look forward to writing a review that reflects my now positive experience.
Cheers,
Mike
Great kayaks and paddle boards that are high quality. Staff is friendly and will give you a short tutorial on how to use equipment. Good location as well to start your tour in the bay that isn't too crowded and is safe. Prices are a little high though
Love this place, the staff is super friendly and will take care of you all the way until you're on the water and on your way. Then, when you come back, they'll be there to help you out and take care of all the equipment.
The equipment here is great too, kayaks are very stable on the water! Being in the harbor with some larger motorboats going by, this is a huge boon to be able to cut through their wake and not get tossed about.
Easy access from where this is to go either into the harbor, or go the nature route into the back Bay. I've already been here 3 times in the past month and will continue coming back.
And when you're done, you can pickup some fresh seafood at Pearson's!
A great place to visit, the price per hour for $ 20 is very quiet and excellent
WONDERFUL experience! We had a great time kayaking and the prices were great. Josh helped us immensely and was super kind! We plan on going back kayaking before leaving since we had such a great experience here.
We had the best time today. We rented from the kindest most welcoming young man ever! My two kids said that he was the nicest man ever!!! We didn't catch his name, but gotta tell the boss....he is a keeper. We had a blast and would come again. This is our favorite place to rent from in Newport!!! The best service ever!!!!
Decent price on kayak and Sup rentals . Located right between the nature side and the harbor side of the bay.
Easy rentals, prime location, good covered parking, and fair prices. The workers are nice too.
They are the least expensive renter that I could find in the area, they have free parking, and a prime location. The staff was there promptly at 9am, was courteous, friendly and helpful. Additionally, this is a great place to paddle. We went about 6.5 miles, exploring all the little inlets going towards inland until we reached a sign that said "No Entry". You could also choose to go about 2 miles towards the ocean, according to our guide. We saw a variety of wildlife, including lots of birds but especially a few seahawks and falcons. On the dirt shores of the preserve islands (that you are not allowed to walk on) there were many little crabs, and in the shallows further in we spotted at least a dozen little rays.
We had an awesome time. Great place to rent kayak and paddle board in Newport Beach!
Great place and good staff. Staff was very helpful and gave good directions on where to head. Prices are reasonable and there is a ton to see. Lots of rental options as well.
A great spot to explore the bay from. The Back Bay to the right and the marina to the left. Easy to spend an afternoon. A good experience. Thanks.
Wonderfully nice owners. A variety of options to SUP or kayak large areas or smaller canals!
Best place to rent SUPs from in the bay, great staff and gets you right out to the islands
Friendy & Great service and equipment. Enjoyed a kayak around Balboa Island. Highly recommend!
This place was great, we were first timers & Rob took the time to give us a quick 411 on what to do. Great experience, will be back.
This is a great place to rent Kayaks, the staff has great attitudes, they are very friendly, helpful, courteous, patient and know what they are talking about. Thier prices are great, better than the other local rental shops, and they have good ample free parking under the bridge. They help lunch your Kayak, and they even offer free water resistant small bags for your personal articles. I highly recommend this place and the staff!
Great service, good spot to start exploring newport harbor, but mediocre equipment. With better SUP's and paddles 5 stars.
Parking can be a problem.
southwindkayaks.com
