Manhattan Kayak Company

I just did a Skyline Kayak Tour this past weekend with my friend and we had a great experience! I had a LivingSocial deal that I had purchased months ago but realized a few weeks ago that it was expiring at the end of September so I hurriedly tried to book a class originally with my boyfriend (who ended up not being able to make it due to work) for our 2 year anniversary. I stupidly assumed you just show up with the voucher and get to go out on a kayak but after browsing their website online, came to the realization that reservations were needed beacuse they have classes and everything was booked for September.
Long story short, I called up the company and one of the girls informed me that there were openings for end of September (all the booked classes had one spot on the waitlist and I needed a 2 spot waitlist for my bf and I) but that I should book it ASAP because they fill up fast. I could not find that particular class online and called her back all panicky lol. She stayed on the phone patiently with me (I felt really bad and told her I could call her back but she insisted on staying on the phone to help me) as we searched for the class and came to realize for some odd reason, that ONE class wouldn’t display on my computer. She then asked me if I wanted to book 2 spots in that class and would charge me $ 2/​pp for fee (forgot what exactly it was for). I gave her my info over the phone and our spots were reserved. Whew! THANK YOU, SANDY! The week of, my bf was called in for work so I asked my friend if she wanted to come with me since she lived in the area. I also called the company to make sure there wouldn’t be issues with a last minute friend replacing my bf. The girl over the phone was very pleasant and assured me there would be no issues. We both showed up, signed the waivers, gave her the LivingSocial codes and that’s it!
Now onto the actual kayaking experience! I would recommend you wear flip flops or bring flip flops unless you’re okay with going barefoot into the kayak. I had sneakers and brought flip flops because they tell you there that you get wet from the waist down (which was very true). You get wet from water dripping off the paddles, not from water splashing into your kayak (for me at least). They have changing rooms and lockers there so just bring your own lock. Oh, and bring a towel if you want to dry off! I didn’t bring one and just stood in the changing room air-​drying afterwards with my hand as a fan lmao.
What did I wear while kayaking? Tank top, velour zip up hoodie, and thin leggings (I probably should’ve worn shorts since my leggings were soaked) and I was fine (probably because I spent so much energy paddling). I am one of those people that cannot stand the cold and we did the 9:30AM class. It was pretty windy and waters semi-​choppy but nothing the class couldn’t handle. The instructor first gave us brief instructions on how to hold the paddle and how to maneuver your kayak which I found very helpful. I’ve kayaked before (around 5x?) but didn’t know there were certain ways to hold the paddle, etc. It seemed like a majority of my class were beginners (never kayaked before) and everyone did great so no worries if you’ve never kayaked before! My friend also never kayaked before and she had fun! They also teach you how to get in and out of the paddle.
Paddling in the kayaks became very tiring for me because we were going against the wind and the current (plus I’m a weaksauce) but it was really relaxing in a way. I loved the view and just being on the water. The current/​wind was so strong that once we reached our «destination», it seemed like it took 5 minutes for us to drift back to our starting point haha. All that work for nothing! But it was a great workout and I NEVER workout. I did feel pretty chilly after the whole kayaking because my leggings were soaked and it was super windy out so maybe bring some dry warm clothing for after.
In conclusion, if you’re a beginner, don’t be afraid and just do it (Skyline Kayak Tour)! Remember to book your spots online IN ADVANCE. Spots fill up quick! The staff is very friendly and informative and you get a great workout! I would definitely go back to do it again with my boyfriend next time: D Thank you guys for the experience!
Things to Bring:
1. Towel
2. Flip flops or barefoot in the kayak
3. Change of clothing for after kayaking
4. Lock
5. Waterproof camera
6. Light hoodie for during kayaking (if you don’t like the cold and/​or it’s windy that morning)
7. Preferably shorts for during kayaking (my leggings were soaked and sticking to me = cold)
8. Bathing suit under clothing during kayaking (you get wet waist down)

This is my 2^nd summer doing a kayaking tour with this company. Booked both times for my son and myself and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed both outings!
The staff & tour instructors here are very pleasant & professional. I’ve recommended this kayak company to many of my friends & family… 2 thumbs up to this business!

I give this place Yay! YAy! YAY!
I was introduced to MKC via the Groupon for the Skyline tour and boy oh boy am I glad I did!
What I liked:
1. The instruction is quality: I ask A LOT of questions and like to receive feedback and know that the people instructing me know what they are talking about and are good at COMMUNICATING that information.
2. Great equipment, awesome facility, and friendly staff!
3. They cater to all levels and keep the group together. If you are slow and steady, no worries and if you are fast and furious they will keep you paddling upstream.
4. Absolutely awesome photo ops — BUY the little plastic case in the gift shop. I unfortunately witnessed the slow death of a phone not in a protective plastic case today and it was unsightly.
5. You better work B*#$%! I could hear Britney in my ear as I hustled during our Kayak Basics 1 course. During the day tours I usually hear the soundtrack of Last of the Mohicans and pretend that I am Daniel Day Lewis.
6. It’s definitely kind of gnarly being out on the water and yes, I know the Hudson… the HUDSON?!
Shrug…you gotta get dirty somehow!

Took a SUP Basics 1 class with Shannon on a beautiful sunny Saturday and it was fantastic. There were 6 people in the class and we all had the opportunity to ask questions, etc. There are lockers — bring a lock and a water bottle, sunscreen, change of clothes if you desire, a towel, flip flops. There are also changing rooms and restroom. People wore bathing suits or booty shorts. We all wore life jackets and I wore a running cap, which helped since it was so sunny. Taking this class at MKC was a thoroughly enjoyable experience — you definitely engage your core/​glutes/​legs to ensure that you stand up and stay on the board! I’ll be back for the SUP Basics 2 class with MKC!

One of the many hidden treasures of New York City. It is located on the west side immediately next to the intrepid. My boyfriend and I came to Manhattan Kayak Company on Friday afternoon without reservations and were able to rent Stand Up Paddle boards with no problem at all! They have free lockers to store all of your valuables. The facility had a very retro vibe on the interior. Supposedly the tent within the storage unit is actually the owner’s personal office space!
The workers were all very friendly and made us comfortable (I was a little nervous as I have never been on a SUP before). For just $ 15/​pp we got to rent the SUP for about 30 – 45 minutes. It was very quiet the entire time we were there, just 3 other people were renting at the same time as us (no complaints there!!)
We look forward to returning later this summer for some lessons, maybe even a yoga class. If you’re ambitious enough they have a 4 hour tour in New Jersey where they incorporate SUP within a Japanese village (pretty sure it includes sushi of some kind, and of course a killer workout!) This one defiantly goes on the top of next summers bucket list!

Wow! What an experience! This place is the real deal. I love to stand up paddle board and kayak and I have SUP’d/kayaked with many organizations out in California (where I live), but not one compares MKC in quality of teaching, equipment, safety and most importantly FUN! Eric Stiller is an AMAZING instructor! Thanks to him, I am finally SUPing correctly!
Everyone in the office is so friendly and full of life! This place is filled with great energy!
What a treat to do something like this in NYC! I am so glad I didn’t pass this opportunity up. I will surely come back every chance I get!
Thanks Eric and Susie for the best day on the water!

I came on a Sunday and was able to find Street parking around 11^th Ave in the morning around 8:45 (be patient and you’ll find some spots). However, this is close to the theater district and the whole mess of Times Square so if you can, I would definitely take public transit here and feel be free to explore after.
Walk toward the Intrepid museum toward the water and on the left you will start seeing Manhattan Kayak Company’s signs. Follow the signs to the boathouse!
Free use of lockers, changing room, restrooms = win
I did the Skyline Kayak Tour with the bae which lasted roughly one hour. It starts off with a quick tutorial of how to paddle, and after that you are off!
We paddled north toward the Upper West Side then we paddled back down south again. The view was gorgeous and our tour guide Alejandro was an expert and friendly.
I was told the tour was a full in terms of the number of participants, which was six people. It was still a small number of people and a great student: instructor ratio!
I highly recommend this tour and the company! Will definitely be back to try the tour at nighttime!

EDIT: I was offered a free return trip from the owner Eric S for their beginner sunset after dark tour and it was night and day from my previous experience.
— The tour guides were electric
— The owner Eric S. took my friend and I on a tour around MKC’s facilities
— The tour was super fun and relaxing, everything was definitely going according to plan this time around
— My friend didn’t want to get her sunglasses wet, so an employee at MKC let her borrow a pair and eventually gave them to her for free!
— I was even offered a 50% discount my next time around at MKC!
Thanks Eric and MKC for making my 2^nd experience a memorable one. I wish MKC the best of luck going forward!

Would like to make an update from my previous experience:
Got invited back by the owner himself; Mr. Eris S. He offered my friend and I a free Sunset after Dark tour. It was a great experience! From the moment we walked in it was all big smiles and warm hellos. Eric even gave my friend and I a private tour of the place, teaching us all about the history of kayaking and of MKC itself (it’s always nice to learn something new!)
As for the actual kayaking experience, it was not only a lot of fun but also a really beautiful experience. We had two tour guides, they gave the whole group a thorough run down on how to best take on kayaking, paddling techniques etc. The magic really happened when we finally got in the water, we got to watch the sun set behind the beautiful Manhattan skyline; the tour guides even had us stop to take photos!
Overall, had a really great experience and would strongly recommend this tour for any beginner kayak-​er looking to enjoy the beauty that is Manhattan!

$ 5 for a 35 minute kayak ride in the Hudson. Nice! I wish we could have kayaked in a bigger space (our boundaries were confined within the pier area), but knowing me, I probably wouldn’t have been able to handle the tides. It was a fun time and the staff is awesome!

This place made me fall in love with NYC again. I took my first paddleboard class here and was hooked. The instructors are great — they really emphasize technique so that you can learn how to go on trips with a kayak or paddleboard. The Hudson River is no joke — it’s quite strong and you need to know what you are doing in order to enjoy yourself and stay safe on the long trips. The team at MKC put a lot of effort into teaching people so they can learn a new sport, and they are so enthusiastic that it is very motivating!
There is nothing like being in a kayak or paddleboard in the evening, after a day stuck inside in the office. The gorgeous NYC skyline is in front of you, the sun sets in a hundred shades of pink across the sky, the moon rises over the city as the lights come twinkling on, and the water is so calming and soothing — all this while getting a workout!
I was surprised to read some reviews where people complained that MKC said they should have had experience to sign up for a trip. Mkc puts safety above everything else, and as fast as the current on the Husdon can be, they do all they can to make sure people are capable of handling the trip they signed up. There will always be people who think the first time they go skiing they should start on a black diamond slope — but that’s not a safe approach. I greatly appreciate the team at MKC for letting me know when I can handle a trip and when I need to train more before I go — it gives me things to aim for!
The space is nice and welcoming as well, with lounge chairs out back and a hang out area inside. It’s a little tough to find the first time, at the end of the pier near the intrepid — keep looking for it tho, it’s so so worth it!
I wish I could give MKC 100 starts instead of just 5.

I went out Paddle Boarding today and the experience was phenomenal. I had a great encounter with the personnel at the front desk; super friendly! And my guide, Julieta was super encouraging despite falling off the board a few times. I would highly recommend coming here for a good time!

Yes there are many free kayaking places in NYC, but if you want to do more than paddle next to a pier/​flat water, if you want to really explore NYC in a kayak or SUP, you need to go to the professionals — MKC.
Eric, Jules and the rest of the team at MKC are the real deal. Eric has been a professional paddler all his life and has even written a book about his attempt to circumnavigate Australia by kayak. You learn paddle basics, efficient technique and safety. MKC have taken me on tours to the Statue of Liberty, George Washington bridge, Staten Island and the ultimate tour circumnavigating Manhattan.
I store my own kayak at MKC, paddle with the friendly community of kayakers and enjoy the fantastic boat house facilities.
A unique hidden treasure, slap bang in the heart of the city.

It’s impossible to write an unbiased review about Eric Stiller’s Manhattan Kayak Company. This is family!
I took my first ride on one of their kayaks back in 2005, when they were still down at Chelsea Piers. I got hooked. So I bought my own and stored it with them. That was until the stand up paddle boards came along. The first time I saw one, I immediately sold my kayak and bought two inflatable SUPs to play with instead and I have never looked back.
But this is not about my love for SUPs. I’m writing this review because I love the community and the access to the water that Manhattan Kayak Company has given us Manhattanites. Life and friendship is all about what you send out into the world. Everyone that works there are the best quality people you can hope to find. So not only do you get a GREAT workout, an unforgettable sunset on the Hudson river while you see the daylight reside and Manhattan’s lights take over… You get to do it with GREAT people who you end up calling friends and inviting them all over for BBQs. Actually, Jules is much more likely to do the BBQ than me!
Here’s to Eric, Richard, Jules, LouAnne, Jay, Pablo, Nano, Carey, Shannon and Sam A.K.A. My Standup Paddleboard Family! Thank you for creating something completely unique and in stark contrast to the concrete jungle that’s only 20 feet away.

I learned how to Stand-​Up Paddleboard at the Manhattan Kayak Company. The owner, Eric Stiller, is as passionate as can be when it comes to water sports. His instructional session with me was detailed, yet easy to understand, and I was standing up and paddling within 10 minutes!
The location is desirable and scenic. MKC is located on pier 84, close to Hell’s Kitchen, and shares a harbor with the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (very cool). 10/​10, would paddle again.

My girlfriend and I heard about paddling a kayak to the Statue of Liberty through MKC and decided to check it out. What a fantastic experience! A beautiful day with a friendly and knowledgeable guide and we met some lovely folks on the tour. Seeing the city and NY harbor from the water was stunning and we haven’t stopped talking about it since. Unlike some of these reviewers we had no problems booking and found the personnel at the company quite helpful. They did ask us about our kayaking experience and both of us have paddled on and off for a number of years. We were not offended by their questions and one would wonder about a company that wouldn’t question one’s experience! Anyway, it looks to me that they have trips for all levels to enjoy.
We’ll be back!

A group of six of us headed down there this morning for a private session with Jules. It was seriously some of the best fun we’ve had in New York! The space was large & accommodating. Staff were extremely friendly & helped us onto our kayaks after an interesting introduction were we taught the basics. We kayaked over the Hudson, past large military ships & the U.S. coast guard. Some of us were there to chill & have fun paddling in the sun, others wanted to paddle a lot more & race ahead, but nothing was a problem. Jules was seriously cool & led us on our adventure. She even took some images for us on the water & text them through following our session. Worth every penny. Would recommend it to anyone. Virtually impossible to fall in. Can get a little wet from the waist down. Bare feet are best for the kayaks, which were so colorful & comfortable. Go do it!

Really awesome little spot. As soon as I stepped inside I felt instantly zen and calmed, as if I was in Hawaii or California. The staff are super chill and friendly and have a west coast vibe. Went kayaking for about an hour and had a fabulous time. The only downside is that the river is so polluted :((don’t litter people).
I also noticed some people paddle boarding which seemed like a great workout and a lot
of fun. I will definitely return to kayak and maybe try the paddle boarding.

The location next to the intrepid is a great spot. The water is very quiet next to that big colossal. Then they take you out of the safety zone to the Hudson. After years of hard work, the water is quite clean. Occasional fumes follow the boats like the circle line that come into dock at the pier south of there. The kayakers seem to enjoy the wave wakes that these boats make.
Scared of water? They are super gentle about it. Luckily the waters next to the intrepid are gentle too.
Instructors Doug, Jay and Brandon that I have experience with were great. I’m glad they get paid to do something they love. I always tip at least 20% Because you always get good lessons when your teacher loves the subject and truly wants you to love it too.
I’m ready for more. I’m going to join them for more tours. They go 15 miles out to the Statue of Liberty if you are ready!

Manhattan Kayak moved up north to 44^th street. The embayment is spacious — I mean HUGE! It’s perfect for newbies, because it’s nice and calm and it’s good for more advanced SUPers who need to build up endurance by doing laps. Plus the view of the intrepid is fierce!
I took the SUP intro classes last year at the old location so now I’m there for SUP rentals ($ 15 for 30 mins) and skill builds, working up to one of the excursions. Shannon was a great instructor for the skill build and really helped improve my technique in just one hour. If you want to have a good workout on the board, she’ll make sure you get one!
I’ve spent quite a bit of the summer here and I recommend Manhattan Kayak to anyone who wants to learn any paddle sport.
I can’t say enough good things about this place. Eric, Shannon, and Seth are all about making sure you know what you’re doing in the bay so that you can handle the tricks the river throws out on the tours. This is a great place to learn.
PS they now have lockers to stash your stuff but be sure to bring your own lock.

The view is absolutely gorgeous as we were sailing North. Our kayaks were very stable and you can either choose to go on a single or double. I took my phone with me and put it in my life vest (thank goodness it had a thick padding or else my phone would have never survived). The waves are decently strong for a 4pm sail in late summer. You get a clear view of the Freedom Tower and if you just look hard enough, you get a glimpse of the statue of liberty and the Verrazano Bridge. I highly recommend for couples, friends, and even just a gift for yourself. Many people came solo and everyone was really nice so you can really just mingo. Got this as a groupon and it came with a free drink at the Frying Pan. It was great!
Just as a side note: the hudson river is pretty nasty but it was worth it! Also, good luck for all the paddle board sailers. I felt the waves hitting against my kayak and I can imagine what the paddle boarder feel. Oh and NEVER CALL THEM, it took them 3 days to return my call.