In the middle of my family vacation to New Hampshire this summer, my husband and I escaped for a couples’ getaway with a high school friend (we go waaaay back) and her boyfriend/now fiance — they got engaged (!) at the Cliff House Resort & Spa, where we overnighted near Ogunquit, Maine. We spent two glorious days walking the rocky coastline, expansive beach and charming downtown. We reveled in some excellent meals (Cafe Amore and Clay Hill Farm get our collective thumbs’ up), but the highlight of our quick escape was sea kayaking off of Wells Beach with World Within Sea Kayaking.
Andy runs a relaxed operation out of a garage on the parking-lot level of the Driftwinds Hotel in Wells, less than a 20-minute drive from downtown Ogunquit. We called him to let him know our group of four was interested in renting kayaks, and he had two singles and a tandem all ready to go for us when we arrived in Wells. He also supplied life jackets and paddles, and he helped us carry the kayaks down some steps to the beach. He pointed out some rocks off into the distance and suggested we paddle out there to check out the seals that often frolic there. Sure enough, we spotted a few friendly seals; a little one seemed to play with us — popping his head above the water, and then disappearing whenever we got to close, only to resurface several yards away to check us out.
We paddled for nearly two hours, and we had a ball riding the waves (okay, so the guys were a little more adventurous than my girlfriend and I were). While we were quite far from shore — my husband estimates nearly a third of a mile — we never felt unsafe, as the swells were never big enough to tip us over, and the weather was glorious. The ocean breeze helped to keep us cool on the sunny day.
Andy of World Within Sea Kayaking also rents stand-up paddleboards and hard-sided kayaks on the Ogunquit River. His prices are incredibly reasonable:$15/hour for a single kayak, $25/hour for a double kayak and $20 for a stand-up paddleboard, with discounts if you rent for two hours.
Be sure to call ahead, no matter where you want to kayak, as rentals are dependent on the tides (i.e. only time to paddle on the river is when the tide is high). I highly recommend kayaking on the ocean or river during your Ogunquit or Wells Beach vacation!
What a great, fun time you had! Love the photos.
I want to come and see u guys in canada!?Email me back. And if this is going out there in the world -go and enjoy this great sea adventure, no matter what size you are.