Frequently Asked Questions

A: We have four locations this Summer (2023): Monksville Reservoir (Ringwood), Shepherd Lake (Ringwood), Spruce Run Reservoir (Clinton), and Atsion Lake (Shamong). Paddleboards, single kayaks and double kayaks are available at each location. Boats with small electric motors can be found at Shepherd Lake and Spruce Run Reservoir.

Hours are as follows:

Monksville Reservoir: Friday 10-6, Sat & Sun 9:30-7, Monday 10 -6

Shepherd Lake: Weekdays from 10-5, Sat & Sun from 10-6

Spruce Run: Monday-Wednesday 11-4, Thursday-Friday 10-5, Saturday-Sunday 9-5

Atsion Lake: Thursday-Sunday 10-5

To book your reservation, you’ll need to have planned a few details: which location you’d like to visit (they’re pretty far from each other, so please check on a map which one is closer to you), when you’d like to come visit us (date and time), how many people will be in your party, whether you’re looking for kayaks/double kayaks/paddle boards, and how long you’d like to stay out. Click the tab above that says “Book by Location,” and follow the prompts from there!

Please remember to read the confirmation email that you receive after booking: it has a lot of details in it that will help you prepare for your visit.

In general, you will need to arrive about 30 minutes before your reserved time to get a parking space and get yourself ready so we can get you on the water starting at the time you’ve reserved. For example, if you reserve for 2 p.m. on a Friday, please complete your waiver ahead of time and arrive at 1:30, so you can park, put on your sunblock, etc. and we can have you on the water starting at 2 p.m.

We look forward to your visit!

A: Reservations are highly recommended if you plan to visit us, and they must be completed online. This simply ensures that we will have enough equipment to accommodate you, and helps us be more efficient on site. We recommend booking a few days in advance if possible, but online booking is available even on the same day.

A: We only accept credit cards at this time. If you’d like to purchase something on site, we can add it to your booking and charge the card you have on file.

A:  Please do all you can to be on time for your reservation. You are paying for a time slot rather than an amount of time. We will always try to change your time slot if you aren’t able to make it to as as planned, but we tend to sell out on beautiful summer days. If our schedule is full, we will not be able to adjust your reservation time. This means being late (or not having completed your waiver ahead of time) may cut into the time slot you have reserved/ paid for. You are responsible for arriving on time as well as returning from the water on time.

If you are stuck in traffic, running late, lost, etc. please call us! We will do the best we can to reschedule your appointment to a slightly later time. Sometimes this is possible, and sometimes it is not possible. If it isn’t possible for us to move your time back, you will have the option to use your remaining time on the water or move your reservation to a different day to get the whole time.

Please note that if we don’t hear from you, or if you call to cancel after the start of your reservation time, a refund will be limited or unavailable. (Please read our cancellation policy for more information)

We want you to have a good time on the water and will do whatever we can to make it work for you!

Please do everything you can to come back at your scheduled time, as you see it in your confirmation email. This is both the time we expect you for safety reasons, as well as the time the equipment becomes available to other people.

We often get very busy, and if you come back late it may delay someone else’s rental. Please be considerate.

If you would like more time added to your rental, please give us a call (its a good idea to save our number in your phone!) and let us know you’d like more time. Our staff will do our best to rebook you to a longer rental time slot. If were are sold out, they will let you know we can not extend your rental and you need to head back on time. Please make this call with enough time to get back to shore in case we are not able to extend your rental.

If you come back late from your reservation, you will be required to pay for the extra time you used in addition to a late fee. Our late fees are $10 per person per 15 minutes. The late fee rate goes up to $1/minute after closing time. Please be considerate of our staff and other customers and come back on time.

Our company is different from some other rentals, in that we charge for a scheduled amount of time before you go out, rather than after you get off the water. Doing things this way allows us be as efficient as possible.

Please do your best to estimate the amount of time you want to use. Blocking time off for your rental means it is no longer available to other customers. For this reason, we do not process refunds for coming off the water earlier than scheduled.

The only exception to this is if the weather is dangerous: for example, if it starts to thunder while you are on the water, we will ask you to come back to shore immediately and we will adjust your rental time to reflect the time you actually used.

A: Sorry, but reservations can only be made by either booking online or visiting us in person.

A: YES you must be capable of swimming- We do not rent to anyone who cannot swim. We DO NOT make exceptions to this rule, for your own safety. We are not coming out on the water with you. The life jacket you will be wearing will help you stay afloat, but is no substitute for knowing how to swim if you end up in the water.

That said, recreational swimming is not allowed. This is a NJ State Park rule: swimming is not allowed in any state park waters, except for in clearly designated swimming areas with lifeguards present.

There is a swimming area at Atsion Lake next to where we rent kayaks. Even at Atsion, swimming from a kayak or paddleboard is not permitted, since swimming is only allowed in the designated swimming area.

A: There is no sharing of equipment allowed. For example, if someone rents a kayak for 4 hours, they are the only person allowed to use that kayak for that 4 hours. There is no “switching” between different parties. If other people want to use the equipment, they will need to book a separate reservation.

If you need to cancel your reservation more than 24 hours in advance, please use the link at the top of your booking email to do so. If you’d like to cancel with less than 24 hours notice, or if you’d like to reschedule your booking, please EMAIL us as far in advance as possible. For a full refund, cancellations MUST be requested more than THREE hours ahead of the start time on the reservation. If a reservation is cancelled more than one hour but less than three hours before the start time on the reservation, the refund will be 75%. Cancellations made less than one hour before the start time of the reservation will be eligible for a 50% refund. Once the rental time begins, there will be no refunds.

Reservations are held for up to 30 minutes past the reserved start time, after which the equipment may be released to other renters and no longer available to you. If you do not reach out and do not show up for your reservation, you will not be eligible for any refund or to reschedule. If the weather is dangerous, we will close and reach out to you using the phone number/email address you listed on your booking. If you are worried about the weather, you are welcome to cancel within the parameters of the aforementioned policy.

Please note: If you are late to your reservation, we CAN NOT guarantee that we will be able to change the start/end time of your booking to accommodate you. If we are booked out, you will either be able to use the equipment for the remainder of your paid time, or be rescheduled to a later time slot if one is available. If you launch late, you still have to return at the time listed on your booking, and no refund or credits will be given. Please call or email us as early as possible if you think you will be arriving late so we can do our best to find the best resolution.

To reschedule a reservation, just reply to your confirmation email. Your confirmation email will give us enough information to find your existing reservation. Please make sure to include when you’d like to reschedule to, and we will send you a new confirmation email if the requested change is possible.

Some people don’t want to wait for us to get back to them, so they create a new booking at the time they would prefer to come, and then cancel the reservation they no longer need. This works too!

We only close if the weather is dangerous: thunder, lightening, heavy/sustained rain, high winds. If we do not plan to open at our usual time in the morning, we send out an email as early as possible, generally at least 1-2 hours in advance to make customers aware of the delay or closure & give them options. We always make decisions related to closure on the same day, rather than any sooner, to be as accurate as possible.

In the event of light rain or passing light showers, we tend to stay open. If rain or storms are in the forecast, please make sure to check your email in the morning before you begin to drive to us, or give us a call to learn what the weather is on site.

If you see a forecast that doesn’t look promising and you want to cancel or reschedule your reservation, you are welcome to do so. If we are open, our cancellation policy applies. If you want to reschedule, please make sure to include a new time/date so we can move the reservation for you.

Sometimes it is windy on the water, which can make it more difficult to paddle, especially if you are inexperienced. If it is a windy day and you are concerned you will not be able to control your equipment, we recommend changing your rental to a lesson or guided paddle (if possible), so that our instructor can accompany you, coach you, and make sure you are safe.

If you are out on the water and it becomes windy, we recommend sitting or kneeling if you are on a paddleboard, since standing up adds more wind resistance. Whether you are on a paddleboard or in a kayak, staying closer to the shoreline (not too close) will help break up some of the wind as well.

If you notice it is windy right as you are launching, we recommend paddling into the wind at first, so that when you get tired, the wind takes you back to where you started, which is hopefully our docks. If you let the wind take you, it will be harder to get back.

If you feel you are not strong enough to control your equipment, please find the nearest shoreline to pull up to, and alert our staff so that we can come and get you.

While we try to avoid bad weather, we occasionally get caught in a passing storm.

If you are out on the water and clouds are dark or a storm looks possible, we ask that you stay in our sight just in case the weather turns. If a storm begins or if you hear thunder, we require that you paddle back in right away. Your safety is always our priority.

Once you’ve arrived on land, your reservation time will be adjusted to reflect the time you have used on the water. For example, if you reserved for 2 hours, but you were only out 45 minutes, we will change your reservation to one hour & refund you the difference in price. (Feel free to reach out via email once you’re home safe if you don’t want to talk about it in the rain.)

One hour is the shortest length of time we offer on the water. If you spend less than 15 minutes on the water before bad weather hits, you will be eligible to reschedule. For any amount of time over 15 minutes, one hour is the minimum charge. We do not offer weather related refunds outside of our regular cancellation policy.

A: Our yoga cancellation policy is a little stricter than our regular cancellation policy, due to the yoga teacher traveling to site just for their class.

Cancellations are available for a 100% refund up until 48 hours prior to the event. Cancellations between 24-48 hours prior to the event will be refunded at 50%, or will be eligible to reschedule. Cancellations less than 24 hours before the event will NOT be entitled to a refund. If the weather isn’t looking good, we will cancel class as early as possible (please remember to check your email in the AM before you start to drive). If class is cancelled due to weather, participants will be able to reschedule to take any other SUP Yoga class this season.

We require 24 hours notice of cancellation for a full refund on lessons. With less than 24 hours, we offer a 50% refund. After the start time of the booking, there will be no refunds.

A:  You do not need a lesson, but we highly recommend it.

A lesson will teach you proper technique while paddling, as well as different ways to turn and maneuver so that you feel comfortable and in control while you paddle. Taking a lesson is a great way to start or improve on your skill level if you are already a casual paddler, as well as to get a good workout. Learning or improving your technique also helps to reduce future injury caused by “bad habits.”

With every rental, we provide you with a paddle and life jacket, explain how to stay safe on the water, and make sure you are comfortable on the equipment before sending you out.

A: Currently, lessons are currently being offered on weekend mornings/early afternoons, as well as Mondays and Fridays at Monksville Reservoir. Our instructor has many years of experience, and is an excellent teacher. If you’d like to book a lesson, you can do so by clicking here.

A:  Public and private lessons are the same structure. Private means that just you and your party will be working with the instructor, where as Public means that up to 5 strangers can join the same class.

The benefit to a private lesson is that the class will move at your speed: whether you need more time to learn something, or whether you would like to get a little more advanced.

With public lessons, the instructor will balance the needs of all of the participants. While this lesson is less expensive, you may be grouped with people of different abilities than you. On the other hand, if no-one else signs up for your class, you may just get a private session for a lower price!

A guided paddle is different than a lesson, in that it is more active: this option allows you to paddle with our instructor without a lesson. She will decide the best path for the day based on the conditions, she will keep track of time, and she is there to keep you company, give you pointers (if you’re interested), and keep you safe. This is a great option for anyone who wants to paddle but doesn’t want to go out alone, someone who is working on their confidence and technique on the water, or even to accompany kids whose parents aren’t interested in paddling. Guided paddles are for up to 5 participants.

A: Currently, lessons are currently being offered on weekend mornings/early afternoons, as well as Mondays and Fridays at Monksville Reservoir. Our instructor has many years of experience, and is an excellent teacher. If you’d like to book a lesson or guided paddle, you can do so by clicking here.

A: This is a personal preference. You are welcome to leave your shoes on shore or you can bring them with you. Our general recommendation is to bring your shoes with you to make sure your feet are protected until you get in and after you get out of the boat, though some people do leave theirs on land.

At Monksville Reservoir, we use a dock system to help get you into the water. On land it’s rocky, so please be aware of the terrain if you choose to leave your shoes on shore.

At Atsion Lake, we launch from a sandy beach. Please know the sand does get hot!

At Spruce Run and Shepherd Lake, we launch from docks, and recommend wearing/bringing your shoes!

A: We suggest you wear a waterproof watch. We also sell small waterproof bags for your phone (starting at $10). Please note: being unsure of what time it is is not considered a valid excuse for coming back late 🙂

Yes, life jackets/personal flotation devices (PFD)s are required at all times while on the water. We provide life jackets with every rental. We carry Adult Universal (90+ lbs), Youth (50-90 lbs) and child (30-50 lbs) sizes. Life jackets are an important safety measure, even if you are an excellent swimmer.

If you have your own life jacket, you are welcome to bring it! In order to be able to use it during a rental, it must be coast guard approved (it should say so on the inside of the PFD).

If you’d prefer not to wear a rental life jacket, you can purchase a new one on site (Monksville Reservoir only).

It’s a good idea to wear clothes you don’t mind getting wet, and keep a towel in the car.

Synthetic fabrics tend to repel water, which helps them to dry quicker. These fabrics would be the best choice for paddling.

Wearing a hat & sunglasses is also a good idea!

Cotton holds water and can get very heavy. While this isn’t as much of an issue in the summer, this is especially important to remember for paddling during spring and fall weather: heavy, wet clothes can make it harder for your body to stay warm in cooler weather.

A: Here are the addresses for our 4 locations:

MONKSVILLE: 1081 Greenwood Lake Turnpike, Ringwood NJ 07456 will get you to the entrance of Monksville Reservoir, south boat launch. You should see our sign at the road. Use the access road and you’ll find us at the far side of the parking lot.

ATSION LAKE: 744 US-206, Shamong, NJ 08088 will get you to the entrance of Atsion Lake Recreation Area. Drive straight and we are on the far left side of the beach.

SHEPHERD LAKE: Shepherd Lake Road, Shepherd Lake Recreation Area, Ringwood NJ 07456. Typing “Shepherd Lake Boathouse” into Google/Apple Maps will show you to our location. Make sure your GPS is taking you to the park entrance on Morris Road: other park entrances may be visible on maps, but are not open to the public.

SPRUCE RUN: 68 Van Sickles Road, Clinton NJ 08809 will get you to the entrance of Spruce Run Recreation Area. Follow the signs for the boathouse.

A: We are right on the water at all of our locations, and so you will launch from and return to the same place. Our staff will do all the work of moving the equipment. You just need to make your booking and complete your waivers ahead of time. Please read your confirmation email for more specific information relevant to the location you’ll be visiting. We do our best to make things as easy as possible for you!

A: Our last rental goes out one hour before we close each day. Online booking will only offer you available time slots. We don’t stay open past closing time for any reason, so please don’t be late!

A: All locations are open through Labor Day.

Monksville Reservoir and Shepherd Lake stay open the latest in the season, offering weekends through the end of September.

A: Yes, all parks we are located in offer public launch areas. Personal equipment will need to be launched at the public launch, and not at our rental launch, so please plan ahead to meet your friends on the water. In most of our locations, the public launch is very close to our private launch. It is the furthest away at Spruce Run, and will require parking in different places.

It’s best to call the park or visit the state park websites to learn specific rules if you plan to bring your own equipment; our staff may not have this information readily available, and all visitors are responsible for knowing state park rules.

A: We need a parent or legal guardian to sign on behalf of anyone under the age of 18. Even if your child is 17.5, we still need you to sign for them.

Our general company rule is that anyone who is 16 years old or under must have an adult on the water with them.

At Atsion Lake, noone under 18 is allowed on the water without an adult on the water with them.

All of our participants must be able to swim, must be able to paddle well enough to control the board/kayak, and must wear life jackets at all times.

A: We know it may be frustrating, but we cannot let anyone under the age of 18 out on the water without a signature from a parent or legal guardian. We really don’t like turning anyone away, but we simply cannot allow 17-year-olds out without the appropriate signature. Your 18-year-old friend CANNOT sign for you, sorry!

A: We are a family-friendly business, and we think it’s great for kids to get a chance to experience the water!

Children 3 years old and younger are allowed to go in a tandem kayak with two adults, by sitting between the seats or in one parent’s lap.

Young children may be able fit in a single kayak with their parent or guardian, though we don’t usually recommend it: single kayaks are easier to tip and there isn’t a whole lot of room to both paddle and hold a child.

Children 10 years old and younger can sit on a paddleboard with one of their parents, provided they are capable of staying on the board, following the rules, and that the total weight on the board does not exceed 280 lbs.

We evaluate on a case by case basis to find the most reasonable and practical solutions to keep families safe while they are having fun on the water.

Children who want to take out their own equipment must be able to control the equipment, must have their parent or guardian with them, and must follow all rules (no swimming, wear a life jacket at all times, etc).

If you are the parent or legal guardian of the child, you are able to sign on their behalf and bring them along. All children MUST wear life jackets at all times. We have life jackets to accommodate children who are 30-50lbs and 50-90lbs. (If your child is over 90 lbs, they will need an “adult universal” life jacket.). We have a few “infant” life jackets at each location. Children under 18lbs generally do not fit into life jackets: if this is the case, they will not be allowed out on the water. If you have your own coast guard approved life jackets, please feel free to bring them along. All parties must be wearing properly fitted life jackets to be allowed out on the water.

A: We are a dog friendly business! All dogs must be on a leash (6 feet or shorter) any time they’re on land in the park. Our staff generally loves dogs, but some people are afraid of them, some dogs don’t like other dogs, and the parks have quite a bit of vehicle traffic, so leashes are very important.

When bringing your dog to paddleboard, we advise you bring along an old towel/yoga mat to cover and protect the deck pad of your rental board (Damage to the deck pad from dog nails will incur a substantial fee).

We also highly recommend doggie life jackets be worn by all dogs on the water. The handles on the back of the jacket make it significantly easier to pull the dog up out of the water and back on board, keeping your dog safer and preventing damage to the equipment. We generally have some doggie life jackets for sale on site at the Monksville Reservoir and Spruce Run locations, but we cannot guarantee all sizes will always be in stock (feel free to call and ask).

We recommend starting with a one hour rental if your dog doesn’t have experience on a paddle board, to make sure you and your dog are having a good time!

And finally, this should go without saying, but please make sure to plan ahead for dog poop (you will need to bring it out of the park with you!): the park does not offer garbage cans (there are bears in the area). Though we love dogs, we expect you to be responsible for your furry friends if you choose to bring them along. We will not have poop bags available for you. Please do not leave poop bags in or around the Porta Jons. Trash left in our rental area is removed by our employees, not by a garbage company. Thanks in advance for being considerate!

A: Absolutely! All dogs must be on a leash (6 feet or shorter) any time they’re on land in the park. Our staff generally loves dogs, but some people are afraid of them, some dogs don’t like other dogs, and the parks have quite a bit of vehicle traffic, so leashes are very important.

We highly recommend a life jacket for your dog- if the dog jumps out of the kayak, the handles on the back of the jacket will help you bring them back on board. Please note that it can be difficult to get a large dog back into a kayak without tipping it! We recommend that you and your dog have prior boating experience before choosing to rent for longer than an hour.

And we feel this should go without saying, but please make sure to plan ahead for dog poop (you will need to bring it out of the park with you!): the park does not offer garbage cans (there are bears in the area). Though we love dogs, we expect you to be responsible for your furry friends if you choose to bring them along. We will not have poop bags available for you. Trash left in our rental area is removed by our employees, not a garbage company. Thanks for being considerate!