There’s so much to do and see here in the Jupiter area. There are a few things even a South Florida-born and raised girl like me has yet to experience.
So when I recently saw a deal for a tandem kayak rental, I jumped at the opportunity. Sure, SUP is fun, but I was looking forward to sharing the experience with my husband, who usually prefers to race off when he gets a paddle in his hand.
Getting there & getting ready
We showed up to Jupiter Pointe Paddling after booking an appointment a few days earlier. The rental “shack” is just to the north of the marina building and was easy to find – plenty of parking is available.
After applying a few coats of sunscreen, signing a waiver and getting brief but sufficient instructions from one of the friendly, easy-going employees about the kayak, paddles and direction of the currents, we were off.
Paddlin’ out
It was a gorgeous morning and we paddled south, making it a point to stick west of the channel – as to be expected, it was a busy day for boating and the far east side was clogged with slow-moving paddleboarders. (Yeah, that’s usually me!)
We made it 2 miles up to the inlet before the usual afternoon thunderstorms began to threaten, but luckily they held off just long enough to allow us to stop at the Tequesta sandbar on the way back to hang out amongst the anchored boats full of partiers. (Note to self: make friends with the neighbor who has a boat.)
Thanks to the current, paddling back was a breeze. The only tricky part was navigating through all the incoming boat traffic headed toward the marina.
Once we came ashore, we were greeted by Nick, who took our paddles and asked about our trip. Just a quick walk away (or golf cart ride, if you’re so inclined), we found restrooms across from the Jupiter Pointe Bar & Grille, so we could change for our next adventure – watching the World Cup at Tequesta Brewing Co. (I’ll leave that review for another day.)
The verdict
If you couldn’t tell already, we were more than pleased about our experience with Jupiter Pointe Paddling. It’s easy to find, the staff is friendly, the location is good (near Tequesta sandbar, not far from Jupiter inlet, although being near the marina gets tricky when boat traffic is busy) and the equipment was in good condition. Two paddles up!
Know before you go
Jupiter Pointe Paddling – kayak and SUP rentals
18701 SE Federal Hwy, Jupiter
561-746-6691
