Cape Cod Kayak
North Falmouth• (508) 540-9377• www.capecodkayak.com

Cape Cod Kayak provides a full range of activities for the kayak enthusiast

out of various locations in the Upper Cape area. They offer tours that range from two to three hours. The cost is $25 for the kayak, paddle, spray-skirt, PFD, and a brief, basic instruction. Though they will deliver kayaks to most locations throughout the Cape, they primarily run kayak tours in the Upper Cape area, such as along the Mashpee River, in Wild Harbor and West Falmouth Harbor, and Scorton Creek in Sandwich, to name a few. Besides offering a different tour each day during the summer months, Cape Cod Kayak also offers daily, weekend, and weekly-rental options on kayaks, and they don't charge for delivery. Rental prices start at $30 for up to 24 hours for a one solo kayak. Kayaks with rudders rent for $45 for the day.

Cape Cod Coastal Canoe & Kayak
Falmouth & Cape-Wide• (508) 564-4051• www.paddlecapecod.com

One of the premiere paddling companies along the East Coast, Cape Cod Coastal Canoe & Kayak began its first summer in 1993 leading interpretive canoe trips on Waquoit Bay in East Falmouth. Today, they offer daily nature trips in canoes or kayaks, April through mid-October, and explore 60 paddling routes throughout the Cape. One trip is scheduled per day, the whole experience lasting around four hours. It's perfect for the person who's always wanted to learn to paddle, but has never had the opportunity. Naturalist and guide/owner Fred Bull meets you for each trip and gives some basic paddling and safety instructions before taking you off on a great adventure into salt marshes, through inlets and into bays, some with small islands to explore.

You can choose from among solo kayaks, tandem kayaks, and canoes. Tour prices are the same, no matter what the location, and range from $30 to $50, depending upon whether you rent a solo or tandem vessel. Children ages 7 to 12 ride for free in the same canoe with adults. If you have your own kayak or canoe, Fred welcomes you to join any one of his tours at half price. Cape Cod Coastal also supplies snacks and beverages and the staff's knowledge of the habitats you'll pass, so bring along binoculars. They also lead trips for the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and Thornton Burgess Green Briar Nature Center, as well as many other public and private conservation organizations. Cape Cod Coastal Canoe and Kayak does not rent boats.

Waquoit Kayak Company
Edwards Boatyard, Mass. Rt. 28, East Falmouth• (508) 548-9722• www.waquoitkayak.com

Waquoit Kayak Company sells and rents canoes and kayaks, and also specialize in guided tours of the Waquoit Bay estuary, one of the largest bays and most beautiful areas on Cape Cod. The tours, which are led by U.S. Coast Guard-licensed Captain Walter Chadwick, take advantage of their location right on the tranquil, picturesque Childs River, which provides paddlers with a protected starting point where they can become familiar with their kayak or canoe. After a 20-minute paddle on the River, you will enter Waquoit Bay, which has shallow clear water with an
average depth of 4 feet,
allowing for interesting bottom viewing. Here, too, you get to explore Wash-burn Island, which is great for walking or a picnic. Paddlers with all levels of experience should enjoy this tour, which includes your choice of kayak or canoe, a PFD, and instruction in basic paddling techniques and water safety for $50. Private kayaking or canoe lessons are also available by the hour starting at $25. Kayak and canoe rentals are available for $25 for a half-day and $35 for a full day. There's convenient parking at Edwards Boat Yard.

For the more experienced paddler looking for an adventure tour, Waquoit Kayak Company also offers adventure tours. Captain Walter transports you by powerboat, along with your kayaks, PFDs, paddles, and light refreshments (water, juice, and granola bars), to a picturesque location along Nantucket Sound or Vineyard Sound for a challenging paddle. Hadley Harbor, at the northern end of the Elizabeth Islands, can be particularly challenging because of its tidal flow and rocky shoreline If this tour interests you, we recommend that you call for details. The cost of the tour depends upon the month, day of the week, and tides. A full day tour during the summer costs around $100 per paddler.

Eastern Mountain Sports
1513 Mass. Rt. 132, Centerville• (508) 362-8690• www.emsdirect.com

Open year-round on Mass. Rt.32 near the Hyannis Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, this store has access to sit-on-top kayaks, which have no cockpit and are often used by scuba divers. The store also carries flat-water kayaks, which are shorter, and sea kayaks, which range in length from 15 to 22 feet and are used for touring, since they have a lot of storage capacity. Eastern Mountain Sports also has a full range of paddles, flotation vests, safety equipment, maps and charts, camping and backpacking equipment, and clothing for sale in their retail store. EMS recently started to offer a basic kayak tour for beginners to intermediates. The tours are two hours in duration and cost $25 per paddler. You start from Shallow Pond in Centerville and practice a portage into Wequaquet Lake.

Cape Cod Waterway Boat Rentals
Mass. Rt. 28, Dennisport• (508) 398-0080

This company rents canoes and kayaks for use on Swan River, Swan Pond, and Nantucket Sound. A solo kayak rents for $15 per 90 minutes; a tandem is $20. Canoes rent for $20 for 90 minutes. Daily rentals are $30 for a solo and $40 for a tandem kayak or canoe. The shop is open from the beginning of May through mid-September.

Cape Cod Museum of Natural History
Mass. Rt. 6A, Brewster• (508) 896-3867• www.ccmnh.org

The Cape Cod Museum of Natural History offers three-hour tours led by expert guide Fred Bull of Cape Cod Coastal Canoe & Kayak (see previous listing). You can explore different locales all over Cape Cod--in ponds, rivers, and marshes--and learn the basics of paddling and water safety. Trips include rest stops and drinking water, and some include a short hike. Fred brings scientific collection equipment, a spotting scope, and binoculars for a closer look at the flora and fauna. Tours run daily from April through October and reservations are necessary by calling the museum for times and details. The cost to paddle a solo kayak is $25; it's $50 for a tandem kayak or canoe. The trips range from three to four hours, and the time of day that tours are offered depends upon the tide.

Goose Hummock Shop
Mass. Rt. 6A, Town Cove, Orleans• (508) 255-2620• www.goose.com

The Goose Hummock Outdoor Center is a great place to start your Cape kayaking experience. Located on the sheltered waters of Town Cove in Orleans, just off the U.S. Rt.6 Rotary on the Orleans/Eastham town line, this outdoor center is the Lower Cape's No. 1 resource for paddling. Staffed by local sports enthusiasts, the Goose Hummock is also a great source for Cape Cod sporting goods and has been for over 50 years. The Goose offers the largest selection of kayaks and accessories for sale on Cape Cod. There's also a large selection of canoes and kayaks for rent from $25 for four hours and $45 for full days up to $175 a week. The store is open year-round, but only offers rentals during the summer months.

The Goose Guides offer instruction and guided tours during the summer as well. Basic coastal kayaking instruction is $50 per person for 3 hours. Tours range from $50 to $80 depending upon length of tour.

Audubon Society Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
U.S. Rt. 6, Wellfleet• (508) 349-2615• www.wellfleetbay.org

Audubon Society Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary offers guided canoe trips with an environmental slant from the beginning of April through the end of October. Trips through marshes and ponds, from Chatham to Provincetown, are the specialty here, and you won't find more knowledgeable guides anywhere else on the Cape. Learn about the natural history of this area and practice your canoeing skills. The fee is $16 for nonmembers, $10 for members, and reservations are necessary.

Jack's Boat Rental
U.S. Rt. 6, Wellfleet• (508) 349-9808• www.jacksboatrentals.com

You can explore the Outer Cape's hidden ponds, inlets, and marshes on guided kayak tours from this location. Tours are given from Memorial Day through Columbus Day weekend and range between $25 to $40 per tour which will last approximately two to four hours.Since no experience is needed, beginners and children are especially welcome. Note that times vary because of fluctuating tides. Jack's, which also has locations at Nickerson State Forest in Brewster, (508) 896-8556, and Gull Pond in Wellfleet, (508) 349-7553, also rents single and double kayaks and canoes for $25 per half-day.

Off the Coast Kayak
Whaler's Wharf, Provincetown• (877) PTKAYAK• www.offthecoastkayak.com

See Provincetown and Truro from a new perspective--off the coast! Off the Coast Kayak offers a variety of guided tours on the Outer Cape, from short trips around historic Provincetown Harbor to longer tours that include a delicious picnic lunch. They also offer regular sunset tours in the harbor and, when possible, a special moonlight cruise. For the longer, off-site tours, OCK will transport you to the tour site and back to their beachfront office in an off-road vehicle that pulls a trailer full of kayaks and accessories. Their equipment is top-of-the-line, their lunches are scrumptious, and no matter how you travel with Off the Coast Kayak, it's traveling in style! Open from the end of May through the summer months, Off the Coast Kayak runs tours and rentals out of Whalers' Wharf, right off the beach. They have a variety of rental boats: half-day solo rentals are $25, full-day rentals (9 AM to 5 PM) are $40. Walk-ins are always welcome, but we would recommend making a reservation as tours do fill up at $60 per person, and $110 per couple.