Tahoe Paddle and Oar

Friendly and helpful staff! Kayaks and boards were ready for us down by the water, which is great! Not much worse than having to carry a paddle board the same size as you down a few blocks, trust me! We got a bonus — there was an adorable puppy who greeted us both days we went.
Although the first day was too rough and choppy and we couldn’t go out on the water, the guy at the counter was very helpful in explaining we can either get our money back since we had a Groupon or we can save the voucher and use the cash value within the next few years.

Great weather, no wind or chop. Kayaked Crystal Bay with guide Michael and a few paddleboarders. 3 hour tour deal (we did a 9AM-​12PM tour) for $ 45 through Travelzoo (they also have a Groupon running currently too)! Had tried to come earlier in the summer season but they didn’t have an available tour guide that day, and it was super windy, so we decided to come back before the voucher expires Sept. 25.
SETUP: Crystal Bay Tour, 2 Person Minimum, normally priced at $ 95/​Per Person, with the deal only cost $ 45 per person! You can choose from Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP), single person kayak or double (tandem) kayak. The tour guide gives a quick lesson on how to operate your water vehicle of choice (how to best get on/​off, position hands on the paddle, how to stand/​kneel/​sit on the paddleboard, etc.). For adults, wearing a lifevest is optional as long as the life vest is onboard/​accessible.
DESCRIPTION: Most popular tour (there are 2 offered), starts at the shop and then from the beach heads east towards Speedboat Beach which has natural hot springs and gigantic boulder mazes along the way… and then you actually paddle across the California-​Nevada border around Brockway Point into spectacular Crystal Bay. We even saw some of the predatory ducks diving for fish, hot springs steaming off the rocks, a pretty neat home built AROUND the boulders and trees, and a huge quartz rock due to the low lake level (about 4 – 5 feet lower than normal). Crystal Bay provided a nice stopping point to search for quartz and agate in the calm, clear water. The underwater cliff dropoff point was pretty cool too to see the dramatic change in water depth and color from green to dark blue. Boulder maze was tricky, some shallow rocks did trip us up a bit. Lots of neat history lessons and fun facts along the way as well.
DURATION/​LENGTH: ~2.5 hours /​4 miles roundtrip
PARKING: FREE at the Tahoe Paddle & Oar Shop
Definitely a fun activity if you’re on the sandy North Shore of Tahoe! Paddle at your own leisure/​speed with certain tour «stops,» not rushed at all, actually quite relaxing! The deal is pretty much like getting two for the price of one. Highly recommend, maybe next time I’ll try SUP.

The staff is extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and a pleasure to do business with.
We needed a drain plug for one of our Kayaks. Looked simple enough. We imagined a rack with various sizes. But no. Turns out there are many many sizes and only right one.
We went to T, P, & O to get help. We got it. They went above and beyond. They searched through many drawers, showing us sizes that were not a fit. Finally, we all went out to our Plymouth Voyager van, where the kayak in need was located. Turns out, the size of the plug we needed was rare. So, back to the store, more looking, but to no avail. So, we gave up for a bit. While we were on our way back home, we got a call. She had found one! It was a perfect fit. And, she wouldn’t take any money for the replacement plug, but we insisted.
We recommend T, P, & O for all your Rafting/​Kayaking needs.
Enjoy!

These guys rule. Conveniently located, priced fairly, easy process and a fabulous day on the lake. After our paddle board fun we asked about the weather and were given a full report of the area. Above and beyond what would be expected. We’ll be back!

I love Kings Beach! Its my ultimate go-​to place in Tahoe. I secretly think this is my own private beach but in reality, its no where close to that. But hey, nothing wrong with dreaming right?
Ever since I fell in-​love with this beach, Tahoe Paddle and Oar has been by my side. It was a start of a beautiful relationship that blossomed into another love — paddleboarding.
Tahoe Paddle and Oar is where I rented when I was still a newbie paddleboarder. I’ve seen so many pictures and videos and really wanted to try paddleboarding. Tahoe Paddle and Oar is located across KB, you have to go here first to get your rental forms filled out. Then walk across the street and head down to the beach where your paddleboard is parked near the shoreline all ready for you. There’s a small shed where you bring your rental form and they take care of the rest. They will ask you if it’s your first time and if you say yes, they give you a quick tutorial that sets you up for success. Prices are quite reasonable, I might add. $ 20 for an hour for a paddleboard; rent for 2 hours and get the third hour free. If you have the energy for a great adventure on the lake, then this deal is for you. They also have kayaks to rent if you’d rather be sitting down. The best thing about Tahoe Paddle and Oar is that they are open early — 8am and as a paddleboarder, I have found that mornings are the best time to be on the lake when it’s glass and calm.
I own a paddleboard now but I still come here to bring my friends and family that needs to rent. Ethan is friendly and cool and very knowledgable. Renting is easy and hassle-​free. Next time you are up in Tahoe and looking for something to do, Tahoe Paddle and Oar is your answer.

My husband and I had the best time on our Kayak tour this morning! Equipment is superb, Michael led us on tour along with a group of paddleboarders and it was just marvelous. We learned a lot about the history of Tahoe in addition to getting exercise. I highly recommend using Tahoe Paddle and Oar for a terrific adventure in Lake Tahoe.

First paddle board experience and for sure not my last. They were able to handle our large group of 10 and were friendly and accommodating. They had our equipment ready to go when we arrived at the beach. It could not have been more convenient. I would definitely come here again.

This shop was recommended by the rental company we used to book our condo. I have to say, they were GREAT! We rented a SUP for two days. One of the days we had terrible weather and didn’t use the board at all. The guy, whose name I have forgotten, who was in the shop itself when we returned the board (and when we rented it) only charged us for one day. How cool is that?!! I would not hesitate to tell anyone to rent from these guys. They also have a multi day rental discount! Cool place and GREAT service!

So Kayaking is one of my favorite things to do so even on a brief weekend trip (the first weekend in Tahoe), I had to squeeze in Kayaking!
We stayed down in South Tahoe — however — the numerous kayaking places in south tahoe the entire way up until Kings Beach either were A) closed or B) Demanded $ 10 CASH to park (who carries cash?) So we were forced to push forward until we found a spot. Either way, it worked out. The employees were laidback, friendly and made it easy on us.
We opted for the Tandem Kayak (brave!) and set out.
A few notes:
1. theres a sandbar 10 ft out or so so you can’t push off directly from shore.
2. There’s rocks underwater for quite a good bit (we turned left) that hit your kayak so that stops your heart a bit.
3. The views can’t be beat.
4. the water is freezing in early May

bought a voucher on TravelZOO for a Paddle tour and when i called to make reservations (3 weeks ahead of time) Ethan said nothing was available at all
on the weekends and they close in September. Tried called Travelzoo and they
won’t do anything. There is nothing on the voucher that would tell me it can only be used on a weekday. FALSE advertising by both companies. Beware of this company and also TravelZOO you will not get a refund and they don’t check on the companies
to see if its even valid.

We rented kayaks for a couple of days in a row as we liked the beach they are on (behind Steamer’s in King’s Beach) for paddling to other beaches in the area. My only complaint was the process. Staff on the beach were minimally helpful — good at filling out the form and taking your payment, not so great at dealing with any sort of a crowd. I agree with the other reviewer, incredibly inefficient to have you stand in line to rent the kayak or board, then stand in line again to return it. I asked one of their staff who were hanging on the beach looking at their email or texting (boredly) and they rudely told me to get back in line. Nice touch — but you can tell they are over it with respect to crowds by August. Still, that’s what’s nice about having several choices. I’ll rent elsewhere in future.

Rented a kayak and a paddle board here a couple of weekends ago with the family.
They were very nice and helpful. Apparently, the first weekend in august is the busiest weekend in Lake Tahoe, so they were very busy, so when we wanted to trade in our kayak for another paddle board, we weren’t able to, but they were super cool about it.
My only complaint, is that I wish they had two lines-​one for renting and one for returning. I waited over 20 minutes to return our paddle board because there were so many people wanting to rent in front of me. They were great a honoring the time you came in, not the time you got up to them, because of the line, but still, never fun having to wait in a long line both to rent and to return.
But besides that, it was great.

My family & I had a great time taking the Crystal Bay SUP tour for $ 45 a person. The guide was encouraging, helpful, and made sure even the stragglers didn’t get left behind. We had some first timers in the group and the guide took the time to explain how to paddle and safety tips. Everyone working Tahoe Paddle & Oar was very kind except for one person and I’m going to guess that one person was hungover (we got there at 9:30 am on a Saturday). Fortunately that one person was not our guide, who was fantastic. It is hard going 5 miles but totally worth it to see all the beautiful scenery and clear blue waters. If you do a tour through them, you can park free near their office instead of having to pay the $ 10 kings beach parking fee.

We were looking to buy one or two kayaks. One for my almost 7 yo son, and second for me, wifie, and our 2 yo — probably a tandem. Tahoe Paddle and Oar carries the Ocean Kayak brand. I did my research on
and decided either on this or Malibu Kayaks that is sold in Truckee.
My son and stopped by to look at the kids kayak (Banzai) they had. I had previously called and Taylor said they had it and it was on sale and we could demo it. True enough, it was available, but it was too big for my son — in that his feet didn’t reach the foot rests. Strangely enough, all the adult kayaks had a foot rest that he could reach. We looked at a couple and decided to come back and try them in the water; it was almost closing time.
Couple days later, we came back with the whole family. My wife had by then decided that she wanted a single for herself, so the only open questions were what I would get for me and our 2yo daughter. We chatted with Laura this time, and she suggested the Venus for my wife and Scrambler for me which had a place to put my daughter between my legs. (I didn’t want a full-​on tandem)
As they promised, they let us take the brand-​new Venus to the lake (across the street from the showroom /​store). Since the Scrambler is part of their rental fleet, they let me take that out (no charge) to test-​paddle. Over the next several hours we tried different kayaks, two different-​sized Venus (my wife preferred the 11′), the Scrambler, and another kids’ Venus. Laura and rest of the staff was very helpful. Ethan, the owner, came by where we were on the beach a couple of time, he and I chatted how to position my little one on the Scrambler. All in all, they were helpful and laid back, letting us do what we needed to make our shopping decision.
In the end, we bought three kayaks and paddles. Ethan gave us a decent discount on the whole package. He helped us load two of them on the roof of the jeep (need to come back for the third). All in all, almost $ 2K spent, but we have three brand-​new boats that we will enjoy. And the shopping experience was great. Recommended.

We rented two standup paddleboards yesterday and the staff was great and the price was great $ 20 an hour 3^rd hours free total deal. We have rented on the Northshore this was by far the best rate and good quality boards. Beautiful area to SUP
Great guys and awesome boards, we will rent from them again very soon

5 Star Experience! Super friendly staff, off street free parking, loaned us a dry bag for free, placed the kayaks in the water for us, gave us quick beginner lessons, and off we went. The best two hours we have experienced on the lake. No one tipped over or fell in the water. Super stable kayaks which is great for beginners.

Great spot to rent kayaks!
We chose to rent from Tahoe Paddle and Oar because of their buy 2 hours and get the 3^rd hr free deal. Fortunately, you don’t pay upfront because the water got so choppy we came in after about 45 mins. Note — I don’t think this is typical and the staff warned us about choppy conditions before we came.
Staff was very helpful on the phone and quick to get us checked in and out on a boat. Free parking in the back.

Great experience dealing with the staff. They allowed me to park on the side of the store and was quickly in and out with a paddleboard reserved at the beach. They were able to hold my car key so I didn’t have to worry about leaving it on the beach. The prices here are a lot better than most places around town and the staff were able to answer any questions I had. I would highly recommend this place to rent a kayak or paddleboard.

A group of us bought the Travelzoo that included a guided kayak or SUP tour, and a voucher for lunch. We checked in at the shop before 9am, and then ran across the street to the beach. After some instructions on paddling, we got in our kayaks and headed out on the very flat water. The lake is pretty so it was very scenic, but as far as the guided tour, there wasn’t much to it. We stayed close to the shore, so if you are a beginner, this would probably be a great option.
We could have stopped to swim at a small public beach, which was pretty much the only area without a bunch of painful rocks to walk on, but it was cold. We decided to keep paddling through some more boulders. That was entertaining, but very mellow.
Afterwards, we used our $ 10 vouchers at the restaurant that was half a block down. Almost everything on the menu was more than $ 10 so bring more money. The food was fine.
I would rent a kayak or SUP to paddle around at my leisure, but probably not do a guided tour.

I will be the first to tell you that I used to laugh at people on stand-​up paddle boards. What kind of lame sport is this? But, now that I have actually tried it, I can’t mock them anymore.
Tahoe Paddle and Oar has a brick and mortar store along N. Lake Boulevard and a rental station on the beach for kayaks and paddle boards. The price was right and it is a much less expensive option than any of the beach toys with engines. Jet boats, power boats and parasailing get really expensive really fast.
The most pleasant surprise was the ‘lesson’ we received from the staff when they realized we were first timers. Rather than rent multiple boards, we just rented one to share. Kids are required to wear life vests, but adults just need to have theirs strapped to the board.
Our kids had a blast learning to paddle, but mostly going for rides on the back of the board while Mr. K or I were paddling. Kings Beach is a great place to learn to paddle since it is a very gradual slope. So you can be way out there, but the water is only a couple of feet deep. Easy for people to hop on and off.
It takes a while to find your grove and it turns out it is a pretty decent core workout. An hour was plenty of time. Still not up there with my love of kayaking or canoeing, but considering it is something you can easily share, we’ll most definitely do it again.