The On The Water Adventure That Will Have You Seeing Providence In A Totally New Way

Photo Courtesy of the PattyJDotCom Instagram

Providence has always offered lots of enviable escapades from historic and supernatural tours to cultural and art events. Anytime I am in the city for a festival, a meal, shopping or a simple stroll, I always see people paddling down the river,  blissfully drifting amidst all the clamor and ruckus. I have always wanted to join in and I finally did!    

I reached out to Providence Kayak. They offer a choice of rentals (tandem or single) and also guided tours.  You can book a forty five minute excursion or 90 minutes. We ultimately took single kayaks for 90 minutes. It was enough time to leisurely paddle under the mall past the brick buildings on Promenade Street and back to the dock.

Image Courtesy of the Providence Kayak Instagram

Here is what you want to know prior to your paddle. The kayak is cradled and you can hold onto an overhead bar as you get in and out of the vessel. The helpful staff will give you clear directions and you get in and out of the kayak. It is an open kayak, put sunscreen on your legs!  (I did a cursory application of sunscreen at home and a reapplication when we parked. I was careful to cover my arms but only casually spritzed my legs and wound up with streaky skin!) The life vests have zippered pockets that are “splash proof, but not waterproof.”  The pockets are big enough for your phone and keys. You will see lots of wildlife! We saw schools of tiny fish, geese, ducks and my all-time favorite, cormorants.

Photo Courtesy Of Christina

There was a 5 for 5 promotion. If you pick up 5 pieces of trash while kayaking, you will get $5 off your next paddle. (I thought I could scoop things up with my paddle but no, better to glide up to something in the water and grab it.  Bring gloves!) This is a very commendable effort as I saw the staff there emptying buckets of retrieved trash into the dumpster.

For your own heart of Providence kayak adventure contact www.providencekayak.com .

About The Author

Christina is a life long Rhode Islander who has been dedicated to mission-driven human services work. A mother of two, she recycles, composts, and runs her household with solar energy. An animal lover and a world traveler, this bon vivant has jumped out of a plane, bungee jumped (twice!), run over the Newport Bridge, swum across Narragansett Bay, and penguin plunged.