My family has recently started to branch out into water activities.  It started with my husband and I wanting to try out kayaking on the river and now has turned into an activity that our eight year old enjoys as well.  There are many locations you can rent kayaks and canoes in the Austin area, but the place I am going to talk about today is Rowing Dock (https://www.rowingdock.com/#) on Lady Bird Lake in Austin.  We have rented kayaks and canoes from Rowing Dock and have had a very pleasant experience each time.

The reason we picked Rowing Dock for our first kayak rental in Austin is because it has a unique location where you can paddle one direction and you get to see the tall buildings in Downtown Austin and if you go the other direction you paddle through the hills and enjoy views of trees and houses on the edges of cliffs.  Parking here can be a challenge especially when they are busy so I recommend always allowing plenty of extra time to find parking and to walk to the location.  They do have a small parking lot right in front, but that has been full each time we have gone so we either park on the street or there is another lot down the street (under the bridge) where we have parked and walked 10 minutes back to Rowing Dock.  If you are parking on the street be extra careful when getting out of your car and crossing the street because there are always many cars going by. When you walk up there is a table where you will fill out a waiver for yourself and anyone who will be on the water with you that day.  Once that is complete you walk down and get in line to pay and to rent any additional equipment you need.  You can find the prices here: https://www.rowingdock.com/rentals/.  They have options for renting per hour, for two hours, or for the entire day.  If you want to rent for two hours it is only a few dollars more to rent for the entire day.  One thing I really like about this location is if you rent the kayak for one hour, but decide when you are out you want to continue past the hour you can do that and they will just charge you for the total time when you return.  You do not have to make a special trip to come back and tell them you want to stay out longer than your original rental time.

The employees at Rowing Dock have always been super friendly and helpful.  Once you rent your kayak, canoe or paddle board they will load it right into the water for you (one of the best parts; you don’t have to lug a kayak from your car).  They will also go over any helpful tips and make sure your paddles are the right length for you.  The life jacket and paddles are included with the rental.  You can also rent a dry bag or a fishing kit for an extra fee.  

Once you are in the water you have the freedom to go wherever you would like.  The first time it was just my husband and I on a kayak and we went to the right towards downtown.  It was really fun to see the tall buildings and the bridges from the water.  We even got to see a train go over the tracks right above us.  We took our time on this trip and just enjoyed the sights so we did not get too far during our one hour rental, but it was very relaxing.

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The second time we rented a canoe and we went with our eight year old.  We decided since our two year old is at an incredibly active stage this would not be the best activity for him so he got to spend some quality time with his Nanna at home.  The canoe was great for a family activity because my husband and I sat on the front and back and our son sat on the seat in the middle.  This time we went off to the left which has an entirely different set of views.  We enjoyed looking at the hills and the houses right on the edges of the cliffs.  We also saw multiple turtles enjoying the sun and even a snake swam right by our canoe.  This was reason enough for us to stay nice and dry inside the canoe.  It was also fun to watch a few crew teams practicing for their next race.

Once our time was up we headed back to the dock and checking out was just as easy as checking in.  We gave them our name, they stopped our time, and they handed us back our ID (they keep one ID for each rental to ensure you return the rental).  After your adventure there are picnic tables you can use if you want to bring lunch or a snack to enjoy.  They also have port-a-potties available for use right near the parking lot.

Another nice thing to point out is if you have your own canoe or kayak there is a dock right next to Rowing Dock you can launch from.  I like this because if you go with a group and not everyone is renting you can all still paddle together.  A couple of important items to mention.  One is that they do not have lockers to rent for storing items.  They do have cubbies where you can store shoes or towels, but they do not lock.  They recommend leaving anything valuable at home and it is not suggested to leave anything valuable in your car.  Also, it gets pretty busy on weekends after 10 a.m.  Both times we have rented at Rowing Dock we started around 9 a.m. on a weekend day and the line was pretty short, but when we got back a little after 10 a.m. there was already a line to check in.  They try to move through the line pretty quickly, but if you are not a fan of waiting I recommend going early on a weekend or go on a weekday.  The last item to note is they state on their website that a child of any age can ride as long as they go with their parents.  This is another time where I cannot recommend an exact minimum age because it really depends on your child.  For example, we know that our two year old is too busy these days to sit in a canoe so we did not feel comfortable bringing him, but we knew our eight year old would enjoy it.  You will need to determine what is best and safest for the children in your family.  I do know they require a life jacket for a child of any age and they have those available for you at the dock.  If you have any other questions they have a great FAQ page on their website at https://www.rowingdock.com/faqs/ .

Water activities are something our family is really starting to enjoy and we will definitely be doing it more often.  We find it very relaxing being out on the water, getting fresh air, and enjoying the sights.  We are so lucky in Austin to have this amazing river and so many beautiful areas to explore.  Who knows next time maybe we will try one of the stand up paddle boards! Happy Paddling!