Puddledockers

We walked in on a weekday in June and asked for a 2-​hour canoe rental. They were able to accommodate us immediately, supplied us with a dry bag, map, and a few instructions and sent us on our way. We enjoyed exploring the inlets of Cayuga Lake.
When we got back, there were two employees waiting to pull us in and unload us. I had (stupidly) clipped my camera strap onto my life jacket, and when I unsnapped the vest, the camera fell, bounced on the dock, and fell right into the water. One of the employees bravely dove in after it (that water wasn’t pretty) and luckily, he found it on the first try! Puddledockers gets a great review from me because that was above and beyond what I would have expected of any of the employees. Happily, the camera still works (after a week drying out in rice).
Thanks for the great service!

Beginners who rented a kayak from here. Fair price, great staff, good equipment and had a great time.

I wanted to give it 4-​stars but I just didn’t have it in me, I will definitely be trying this place again and hopefully my next visit is a little better. I called and made a reservation because it’s much better to do it that way to ensure we were going to have a kayak when we arrived. The weekend is a busy time and with how nice the weekends have been, do yourself a favor and call ahead of time. When I called, I had to call a bunch of times because it kept giving me a busy signal, but be persistent it’s worth it.
We walked in about 5 minutes after our reservation, the signage to get to this place is not easy. From one way you can see a sign for it but the way we were driving up, you could not and it’s not a street, it’s more like an alleyway. We could tell it was busy, there was about 15 high school kids sitting outside and we groaned with disappointment, hoping they wouldn’t be near us. There was only one guy working the check-​in area and he said we would have to wait because we came in a big crowd, totally understandable, he was very nice about it. BUTTTTT we didn’t know it would take THAT long. There was only about 3 people working, all showing these kids individually how to use a kayak, I couldn’t imagine why they didn’t just show them in groups. We waited and waited… 45, FORTY-​FIVE minutes later we finally got to sign the forms and talk to someone.
It was a mess. Everyone was nice but during the weekend in the summer, I think they need more staff. We got there with no one else around and by the time we checked in there was about 10 other people waiting. We still got our 2 hours in and we really enjoyed the time out, it’s not expensive either. I want to give it 4-​stars, I think next time if my experience is better I will but the long wait even with a reservation was a little bit too much.

We rented a canoe from these guys and it was a very easy and pleasant experience. After some basic safety and navigation tips we were equipped with life vests oars and a wet bag and off from their dock. It takes around 30 minutes to paddle up to Lake Cayuga from their dock. Maybe less if you know what you’re doing.
We were almost deterred by a number of negative reviews which all appear to be a couple of years old or more so figured it was time to correct the record. They couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful.
If you’re looking for a tranquil lake where you’re the only person around, this place just outside Ithaca isn’t it, but convenience wise it can’t be beat and it’s still lovely and peaceful once you’re away from shore.

I have never kayaked before and recently rented from Puddledockers. I had a wonderful experience with them. I gave Puddledockers a call a day before just to see if it was easy paddle to Cayuga Lake from their dock…(yes, very easy and accessible). The guys there were so nice and helpful. They asked me what kind of kayak I needed, for how long, and suggested I make a reservation because weekends were their busiest days.
We arrived when they opened at 9am. They fitted us with life jackets and into a 2-​person kayak. They also saw that we had packed a little picnic and lended us a waterproof sack to place all our food into so it wouldn’t get wet during the trip. They showed us where to put our water bottles in the kayak, gave us a waterproof map and suggestions where to picnic!
We rented the kayak for 4+hours and it was the most BEAUTIFUL trip around Cayuga Lake. A nice little break for us NYC dwellers! Puddledockers made our first time kayaking experience easy and memorable. We would absolutely pay them another visit next time we are upstate!

I was in Ithaca a few weeks ago and rented a kayak from Puddledockers. It was was an extremely pleasant experience. The staff was very professional and knowledgeable. I highly recommend Puddledockers!

I rented a canoe here in August 2012. I must admit, I was a little concerned because of all the reviews. However, the location was convenient, so I came anyway. The folks here were friendly, professional and the process couldn’t have been easier. Prices were very reasonable — ~$ 24 for a two hour rental. The shop was very busy that morning — all manner of canoers and kayakers — and I didn’t witness any rough treatment of customers or altercations between customers and staff.

Really sweet friendly guys! We had a blast canoeing all around the Jungle and taking pictures. Ithaca looks different from the water. Loved it!

I approached Puddledockers with extreme caution after seeing negative reviews on Unilocal,which led me to be concerned about unhelpful staff.
However, after two hours of Kayaking, I am pleasantly surprised that everything went so smoothly. I should note that I’m an absolute beginner and simply requested a basic Kayak to get out into Cayuga lake a bit. (I also went at a relatively quiet time.) The staff were courteous and efficient and I had no problems at all.
The most convenient thing about Puddledockers is that they are located right by the water so that it’s painless and easy start kayaking right away (after signing waivers, paying, life-​vests, etc.). We were happy not to have to bother with transporting the Kayak to and from the lake ourselves.
Going out towards Cayuga lake is more scenic, but I also explored the areas near Wegmans (the water is dirtier, but I think area has a charm to it in the summer time).
Overall I had a very good experience and would be happy to go back. Other people’s negative feedback on Unilocal seem to focus on busy times or Kayakers who already have some experience. Perhaps these people would have been better served by renting from Cornell Outdoor Education or East Mountain Sports. However, as a beginner who was able to fit in time at a non-​peak hour (late afternoon on Sunday), I had a really great experience with Puddledockers.

Dear Puddledockers,
IF
We call you to ask if you rent kayak paddles separately from kayaks…
AND
If we ask how much the rentals are…
AND
You tell us that they’re $ 20 per day and have to be returned by the end of the day…
AND
We tell you that we’ll be over in about twenty minutes…
THEN
You should have told us on the phone that you’ll refuse to rent us kayak paddles separately from your kayaks because all of your kayaks (and the paddles associated with them) have all been otherwise reserved and you have no spare paddles for us to rent.
Your apathetic and unapologetic staff at least had the courtesy of suggesting Eastern Mountain Sports might have paddles for us to rent, instead. And they –did– look up the phone number of the nearest outlet for us. That was appreciated.
On behalf of all your future patrons, please have a care. And please get your shit in order.
Sincerely,
–Kevin

Friendly staff and simple to rent a canoe. Location is easy to get to, but not ideal for canoeing, because it takes some time to get to the lake itself. But a 4-​hour rental should give you plenty of time to paddle to the lake, paddle around, and even have a picnic. Be sure to paddle downstream toward the lake; upstream is not picturesque at all!