Paddle the Chicago River at your own pace and choose your path through the steel and concrete canyons of this beautiful city!
Launching from our dock under the Kinzie St. Bridge, Wateriders is wonderfully close to the heart of downtown Chicago and just a few minutes paddling from the main attractions. We offer the best urban kayaking experience in the city, at the best rates. Single and double (tandem) boats are available.
Don’t waste time and energy paddling from far away to where the action is! Renting a kayak with us is the easiest way to experience the beautiful Chicago River.
We provide a lesson before you go on how to correctly paddle as well as how to stay safe on the river. Then we get you set up comfortably in your boat for your ride!
Reserve a time or feel free to drop in (call ahead for availability). We strongly suggest reservations – especially on weekends – to ensure you will get out on the water at the time you want.
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NOTICE:NO RENTALS MONDAY, AUGUST 21st FROM 12 NOON UNTIL 2:30 PM
Due to the 2017 Great American Eclipse, we will not be open for rentals until after the celestial event is over as a safety precaution.
We will be hosting a guided Eclipse Paddle for anyone who wants to view this from the water. There will be limited seats for this event, so if you are interested, book soon!
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WhenMonday - Friday, 12 PM to 6 PM (last boat out at 5 PM)
Saturday - Sunday, 9 AM to 6 PM (last boat out at 5 PM)
Click here for calendar
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ReservationsAvailable every half hour
Reservations take priority over walk-ups
Reservations are for seats, not for a specific type of boat. If you make a reservation, we do our best to allow you a choice of single(s) vs. double(s), but there do exist circumstances when this is not possible.
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Walk-UpsCall ahead for availability
We do not reserve all of our seats in advance - we save some flexibility for walk-up rentals. However, these are subject to availability, and we will make a waiting list if we do not have boats available at the time.
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DurationMinimum 1 hour rental. All rentals are pro-rated $5 per 15 minutes per person after the first hour
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Price (first hour)Weekdays - $20 per person
Weekends - $25 per person
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Group SizeMaximum of 6 boats per group without a guide
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BoatsSingle and double kayaks available
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Weight LimitsSingle kayak - 250 lbs (approx); Double kayak - 500 lbs (approx)
