Kayak & Paddle Board Rentals and Tours at The Bay
Paddle Sarasota Bay from The Bay Park in downtown Sarasota. Rent a kayak or paddle board, join a guided kayak tour, or book a winter sunset kayak tour. Dogs are welcome on rentals.
Open Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
October hours: 9:00 AM–4:00 PM.
Winter operating hours vary with tides and sunset. Check the booking calendar for current availability.
The Bay Park Kayak Launch, 1055 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, FL 34236
Choose How You Paddle The Bay
Everything launches from The Bay Park. Book online — the booking calendar shows what’s open on your day.
Kayak & Paddle Board Rentals
Head out on your own for two hours and paddle Sarasota Bay at your own pace.
- Single kayak $35 · double kayak $45 · paddle board $45
- 2 hours — add an hour for $10 per boat
- No launch fee at The Bay
- Dogs welcome
Guided Kayak Tours
Paddle with a Ride & Paddle guide through The Bay Park’s restored mangrove bayou and out along the downtown shoreline. Look out for herons, dolphins and manatees.
- $54 per person
- About 2 to 2.5 hours
- Tours are by kayak; paddle boards are rental only
WINTER · SELECTED EVENINGS
Sunset Kayak Tours
Paddle out from The Bay Park with a guide and watch the sun go down over the barrier islands, with the downtown skyline behind you.
- Departs 5:00 PM from The Bay Park kayak launch
- Back by about 6:30 PM
- Selected winter evenings, chosen for the tide
- Single kayak $65 · double kayak $130
Upcoming sunset tours
- Friday–Sunday, November 27–29
- Friday–Sunday, December 4–6
- Saturday & Sunday, December 26–27
- Saturday & Sunday, January 2–3, 2027
- Sunday, January 31, 2027
ONLY AT THE BAY
Bring Your Dog
Your dog is welcome to come paddling with you on kayak and paddle board rentals at The Bay.
- We don’t supply dog life jackets, so bring your own
- Tours are for people only; service dogs are always welcome
Plan Your Visit
Where to find us
The Bay Park Kayak Launch
1055 Boulevard of the Arts, Sarasota, FL 34236
Get directions →
We launch from the park’s ADA-accessible kayak launch on the Mangrove Bayou (number 26 on The Bay’s park map). Check in at the Ride & Paddle tent at the launch.
Parking
Park along Boulevard of the Arts, in the Van Wezel parking lot, or along the Promenade.
When we’re open
Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Sarasota Bay is shallow at low tide, so on some days we open later in the morning. Sunset tour evenings are chosen for the tide, and those days start later too. The booking calendar shows the times open on each day.
Good to know
- Rentals are 2 hours; guided tours run about 2 to 2.5 hours
- Add an extra hour to any rental for $10 per boat
- No launch fee at The Bay
- Dogs are welcome on rentals, not tours; service dogs are always welcome
- Booking fees are shown at checkout
- Kayak lessons can be arranged, subject to instructor availability — contact us
Staying on Siesta Key? We also launch from Turtle Beach. Compare Turtle Beach and The Bay →
About The Bay Park
The Bay Park Conservancy is transforming 53 acres of downtown Sarasota’s bayfront into a park for the whole region. The kayak launch at 1055 Boulevard of the Arts is part of its first phase, and Ride & Paddle offers kayak and paddle board rentals and tours from it.
Free tours from The Bay
Ride & Paddle is also the kayak tour provider for The Bay’s own free programming, including some sunset paddles. Those free tours are booked through The Bay’s calendar, not here. Their times are set by The Bay and move with the tide, and places are limited. Our paid tours and rentals book with the buttons on this page.
Ready to Paddle The Bay?
WEATHER REPORTS
87° F
overcast clouds
RENTALS
Bike
Kayak
Beach Wheelchairs
Beach Stuff
*We do not deliver e-bikes.
