Kids and adults paddleboarding and kayaking on the water – it’s a view you might be used to seeing only in lakes or large bodies of water, but thanks to a partnership with the Naperville Park District, visitors to Quarry Lake can take to the water in a few different ways.
“Here at the quarry we offer kayak rentals, for beginners, we do a paddleboard mini-session seven days a week, it’s a brief instruction and then some time to spend on the water,” said Troy Cooper, Owner and Founder of Naperville Kayak.
Whether paddle boarding or kayaking, no experience is necessary.
This time around, I joined a group for the paddleboarding class that’s gaining popularity.
“Paddleboarding has become much more popular among the younger crowd, it’s very active, a lot of core, a lot of leg work. But we have beginner boards, so it’s perfect for anyone, so you can sit, you can stand, and during this class it’s very basic, introductory,” said Rachael Chase, Manager with Naperville Kayak.
Class begins by fitting each rider with equipment and going through a brief lesson.
Then it’s time to get on the board and explore the quarry. Riders have an hour to sit, stand or paddle their way around the water.
“It went really well, I’ve done it once before, and this was actually a little easier, I guess these boards are a little wider, and they are bigger and they seem more stable, so it was fun and easy and a great family activity!” said Amy Erickson, an attendee to the paddleboarding class.
But if kayaking is your thing, classes are offered for single or tandem rides as well.
And once you get your skills up to par, you can take trips down the river in either one.
“You can start off by doing something very beginner level here at the quarry and as they get more comfortable and want to do something more technical they can go down the river and do one of our river trips,” said Cooper.
It’s all in an effort to bring new experiences to the water in Naperville.
“Our motto is ‘Keep Naperville Weird,’ so we’re just trying to introduce some outdoor, some rural feels to Downtown Napervile, giving people the opportunity to explore something they’ve never done before or something they’ve only tried in Colorado or on the east coast,” added Chase.
Naperville Kayak is a seasonal business. Rides in the Quarry take place May through September and river rides, April through October.
Naperville News 17’s Alyssa Bochenek reports.
