Beginner Kayak Rentals in Friday Harbor – Safe and Stable Tandem Kayaks for Rent!
Kayak Rentals
WHY CHOOSE OUR BEGINNER KAYAK RENTALS IN FRIDAY HARBOR?
- Best rental kayak prices in Friday Harbor for high-quality safe and stable sea kayaks.
- Best kayaking region on San Juan Island for novice paddlers.
- All Kayaks are GPS tracked to ensure customers stay in safe and protected waters.
- GPS tracking units have capsize detection and mobile notifications to our office!
- New tandem kayaks designed with rudders which makes steering a breeze.
- No car-topping necessary! We can trailer kayaks to the beach and save you time and trouble!
Ready to Start Your Adventure?
All Our Kayaking Tours in the San Juan Islands Come with a 100% Money Back Guarantee.
Book a kayak trip with Confidence: As a small family owned and operated company, all we ask is that give us the opportunity to show you the amazing wonders of kayaking in the San Juan Islands.
BEGINNER KAYAKING RENTALS ON SAN JUAN ISLAND
Beginner kayakers can now rent kayaks in Friday Harbor with no experience necessary.
Our tandem rental kayaks are very stable and a safe choice for those concerned about kayaking safety. This stability makes the kayaks very easy to get in and out of.
Beginner rentals are an excellent choice for groups of friends or family. Two cockpits offer flexibility – especially when paddling with children!
Beginner rentals offer more flexibility in timing and a more private experience without the high price tag of a custom guided tour!
KAYAK RENTAL OVERVIEW
Our kayak rentals are exclusive to Griffin bay the most protected and placid location off of San Juan Island. Griffin bay is home to many interesting marine birds, harbor seals and sometimes even whales! You can also paddle to and hike in American Camp, the national historic park located on the south end of San Juan Island.
San Juan Island Beginner Kayak rentals are for either 3hrs or 6hrs and start at 12pm. If you wish to rent for longer or for a pickup or drop off that start at a different time please give our office a call and we can assist you with a customized experience.
Sea Quest only rents kayaks that are top quality – our kayaks offer better performance than standard recreational or sit-on-tops but are just as easy to use! Tandem Esperantos are high-performance sea kayaks designed for open ocean and rough seas. These quality rental kayaks are equipped with special outfitting that accommodate all body sizes and shapes while providing excellent control and comfort. They intuitive steering system allows you to control the direction the boat moves with very minimal effort!
Those looking to paddle outside of Griffin bay into more exposed waters should read our eligibility requirements for advanced kayak rentals in the San Juan Islands from Friday Harbor to see if you qualify. Feel free to call us if you have questions about your skill levels for renting a kayak outside of Griffin bay.
If you are interested in paddling with one of our guides, view our list of guided kayak trips and make your reservation now!
BEGINNER KAYAK RENTAL PRICES
- 3hr rental – $109 per person plus 8.3% state tax
- 6hr rental – $129 per person plus 8.3% state tax
LET US DO THE MOVING!
We make your experience convenient by providing transportation to and from the beach. If you have your own car we can meet you at the beach with your kayaks. If you would like to pick the kayaks up from our base of operations, you may do so provided you have kayak racks or cross bars on your vehicle.
DURATION
3 to 6 Hours
GROUP SIZE
All Group Sizes
AGE RANGE
All Ages
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Beginner Friendly
STARTING FROM
$109
DEPARTURES
Noon Every Day
LOCATION
San Juan Islands, WA
RATED 4.8/5
(346 Reviews)
- REVIEWS
















He is living his passion and it was an inspiration to listen, learn and experience all that he has to offer. His knowledge of kayaking, camping, and his love of the San Juan Islands was so apparent to us. His level of species identification in both flora and fauna is impeccable. His appreciation and depth of knowledge on the ocean environment and sustainability was endless. We felt safe with his directions in the water and had a great time camping. He and Paige were great hosts.
One tip would be to not pack too much at this time of the year. One water resistant top for the campground will do. Booties are advisable. Rocks under your feet and toes getting in and out are not very comfortable and limits your ability to move your boat, etc. Sunscreen for sure and lightweight wool socks are GREAT! Sandals for the campground are fine. Binoculars are definitely a plus, unless you have 20/15 eyesight like Caleb. Ha!
He is also something of a "Whale Whisperer" as we called him. His pinpoint sense of where whales, dolphins and other sea life may be was always right on. On our second day we were lucky enough to see a transient pod/family trolling the waters in the late morning. In the evening, we camped on Turn Island and I truly believe it was because Caleb had an idea that the same pod might be headed in that direction.
After dinner, the same pod was seen coming toward the island and a strait where they were hunting seals. To ultimately see nature in a purest sense taking place from the island and anywhere from 100- 1000 feet away was amazing. The breaching, dorsal fins, herding mannerisms of the whales was riveting. It can't happen like that on every trip, but being with Caleb you knew it wasn't because he wasn't trying.
Even if we hadn't been so lucky to see the whales, the kayaking was blissful and it was just astounding that Caleb had an answer for virtually every question we had. Toward the end, we joked while paddling through a few afternoon choppy seas "We must be able to come up with a question!" "What doesn't he know?" And then, we just laughed.
It was a perfect trip! I would recommend the three-day kayaking trip to anyone with reasonable kayaking skills. And being that we were in tandems, that makes the trip that much more enjoyable. Teamwork Rules!!! Thanks to Sea Quest for answering pre-trip questions and special thanks to the incredible Caleb and Paige.









- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes! You can absolutely rent a kayak in the San Juan Islands without experience. Our rentals are super safe and only go out in protected areas.
Despite the risk of capsizing being extremely low, capsizing does occasionally occur with use of our rental sea kayaks. Fortunately our routes are never far from shore so you can swim for land or flip the kayak back over and re-enter with the use of your paddle float.
- GEAR LIST
WE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING:
- Chart – map of safe paddling zones.
- GPS unit which alerts you if you are too far from land.
- Rescue Float.
- Emergency signal streamer.
- Bilge pump.
- VHF Radio
WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING:
Beach clothing, beach foot wear, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and lunch. Bring a hat, warm sweater and rain jacket if cool, cloudy, windy or rainy.
No prior experience is required. Our beginner rental routes are set so that the paddling environment is safe and enjoyable.
- MAPS & ROUTES
Maps will be provided for your rental. We only allow renters to launch from safe protected zones indicated on the maps!
- PLEASE NOTE:
Be aware that whales, winds or currents can occasionally delay our other rentals/tours so we may not always instantly available for shuttles! But we try are hardest to be responsive and to communicate effectively in regards to our logistical/shuttle coordination.
National Geographic chooses our San Juan Islands Kayaking tours in “10 Best Trips in the World for 2011.”

Sea Quest Kayak Tours is on ABC News! See us Kayaking with Orca Whales in the San Juan Islands.

San Juan Islands Kayaking Trips in Killer Whale Waters of Washington – a World’s Top 10 Adventure Bargain!

National Geographic chooses our San Juan Islands Kayaking tours in “10 Best Trips in the World for 2011.”