Urban Kayaks — Local services in Chicago

A cool way to see the city from the water. It was a very casual experience - they verified my reservation, sent me over to a quick safety video, and then sent me on my way. I would describe some of the staff as happy and chill and some of the staff as disinterested and curt. The kayaking itself is great - not a problem for beginners. I recommend either wearing swim shorts / swimsuit or bringing a change of clothes, because my shorts were soaked afterward from the already-wet kayak I was assigned. Next time, I'd try the river kayaking location, bring my own kayak, or rent a boat with friends. I can see how this would be a great experience for those that really like kayaking, SUP, or want to do something...

Disclaimer: I was not a customer, but witnessed a customer's experience.

I was walking along the lakefront and saw two women paddle boarding using urban kayaks. An employee of urban kayaks was near them on a jet ski. One woman fell off and was clearly struggling. The man on the jet ski just watched her. A couple that was just running nearby saw her struggle and helped pull the woman out of the water to safety. I get there's an element of risk for these activities, but any decent human being, especially if they have obvious aquatic skills like someone who kayaks for a living, should have done something more than watch. I am...

I took issue with the "tour guide' as he brought us out on the water with no real plan or explanation as to what we were looking at. We did the Skyline Tour and the majority of the group assumed that meant we would be told about the buildings on the skyline, maybe a brief history, but we got none of that. It felt a little disorganized and was explained away as "Most people get that confused but I'm really just a guide. I don't explain anything, but I can if you want me to." Overall I really enjoyed the experience of just being on the water but I feel like I could've just rented a kayak instead of going...