My friend and I did the full day whitewater rafting and the "Rock of Ages" canyoneering trip on two days back to back. We only spent two full days in Moab and we can honestly say that we are so happy that we booked both of these experiences with Paddle Moab!
Since we were the only group that had booked the full day whitewater rafting trip on that day, they gave us the option to instead do it on a kayak, which we did (we chose to go for the double kayak so we were on the same one). Our host was Josh, and he was great at leading us through the rapids and giving us good and safe advice for enjoying them. He was always willing to adjust to our pace and what we wanted to do throughout the trip, so that was nice. He also did a great job at sharing with us random bits of history and local culture that we wouldn't have known about otherwise - overall he was a fun and amazing guide to have! The pictures don't show any of the rapids since I made sure to have my phone secured at those times, but as you can see it's all full of beautiful scenery with the canyons around us. Our trip was in early June but the water was still cold and refreshing (although we didn't flip over!).
Our second day we did the canyoneering trip, and we had Nick as our guide. We could tell from the start he was very well experienced and knew what he was doing, so although it can be somewhat scary to rappel (especially at first), we felt very safe and he was great at guiding and encouraging us throughout the whole process. We got lucky since there weren't any other groups or people in the area on that day, so we even got to rappel off the highest cliff (about 130 ft?) THREE times, which was really fun, and we still ended the whole tour on schedule. Nick was also great at sharing some of the history from the area and telling us more about canyoneering and rappelling. I almost forgot - he was so concerned about the heat on that day that he even bought us a couple of extra water bottles at the gas station on our way to the place (we already had two each, but having that third one definitely helped us stay better hydrated).
Overall, the guides and staff at Paddle Moab really did their best to take care of us and make sure that we had an amazing experience on both days. The cost for each adventure can be somewhat pricy, but it was cheaper than other places in the area that we looked at it, and it is definitely worth it if you want to enjoy the outdoors at Moab...
Read moreMy wife and I booked Paddle Moab's Rent and Ride experience. The trip overall was good considering the weather conditions and that the float trip lasted only 2 hours. However, we had a very negative experience while dropping off the paddle boards. The staff informed us that they prefer that we do not deflate the paddle boards and instead strap them to the vehicles fully inflated. This sounded reasonable. However, when we were getting dropped off, the driver (who was awesome, no complaints there) told us that due to there being extreme wind all day, he recommended that we deflate the paddle boards and told the same to the people renting the duckies/kayaks.
When we were finished floating, the wind was so intense that we couldn't maneuver the paddle board on top of our vehicle as there were huge gusts of sand blasting us in the face and the wind was trying to launch the paddle boards off into the distance. So, we took the driver's advice and deflated.
When we got back to the shop, the person who checked us out acted extremely rude and unprofessional. When she saw that the paddle boards were deflated, she let out a deep and nasty sigh and shook her head. Keep in mind, we were right next to her so she was doing this blatantly to our faces. She then proceeded to say "You really had to deflate them? Now we have to inflate them ourselves". She then proceeded to demand $30 dollars as the inflation fee, which she did not disclose when we booked the trip in-person and nor did the driver disclose. Keep in mind, these are INFLATABLE PADDLE BOARDS and inexpensive pumps exist so considering this experience was almost $200 and all the staff had to do was drop us off at the trailhead (we had to pack the boards and drive them back to the shop for them), I really don't see this as much of an inconvenience. Considering there were at least 5 employees standing around doing nothing, we just couldn't believe that we were being spoken to so degradingly and rudely.
Ultimately, I suspect that because this shop was closing for the week to go on a multi day raft trip for the staff (which sounds insanely fun by the way and knowing how hard these guides work, it is definitely well deserved), the staff was frustrated at having to do additional work. However, if the stoke is too high to provide decent customer service, next time don't allow reservations on the day prior to...
Read moreThis outfit is awesome! You would be remiss not to book your trip with Paddle Moab. The entire staff is so friendly and very knowledgable. You don't feel like a number getting pushed through the system. We saw a lot of other outfits sending loads of people on rafts. They looked unenthusiastic to say the least. Plus their rafts were loaded with people. I have hired several guide businesses in different areas of the country. I've been disappointed when I went with the big advertisers with some trendy building. It's the small businesses that really put their heart in to what they do and it makes a huge difference. When we pulled up to the location, I had a feeling it was going to be a great time. I booked a 6 hour rafting trip for today that included my 74 year old mother and my two children (12 and 13). Everyone had an amazing time. Big splashes, lots of time to swim along the raft and tons of history and information along the way. My mom said it was one of the best things she had ever done and my kids immediately asked me if they could go again. The water shooters that were in the raft were a huge hit for my kids who loved trying to drench other rafts we encountered. All of the guides work as a team and you can't go wrong with whomever you get. We were in Jeff's raft. We loved our time with him. He knows so much about the history of Moab, the geology and environment. It was incredibly fascinating and we asked so many questions. We got a chance to talk with other guides who were also full of great information. At one point we looked back at another raft and everyone (including the guide) was in the water floating along with the raft. These guys are legit. They are also the last locally owned guide service in the area. Make sure you tip big. It's expensive to run a small business and they deserve to be tipped well for the experience they provide. Have a...
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