Kayak The Bay at PIB

Photos by OHventures

Kayak The Bay Ltd.
760 Bayview Avenue
Put-In-Bay, OH 43456
(419) 967-0796

Put-In-Bay Jet Ski & Boat Rental
South Bass Island State Park
1523 Catawba Road
Put-In-Bay, OH 43456
(419) 285-BOAT

While prevelant in the lively town of Put-In-Bay, wineries and bars are not the only atractions when visiting the island. In fact, there are many options for those seeking extreme thrills or an active lifestyle. Being that you are surrounded by miles and miles of seemingly endless waves while on South Bass Island, water activities are common! More specifically, kayaking the bay of PIB is one of the most fun things you can do on your visit, and there are a few options at your fingertips.

The bay at South Bass Island State Park

If you are not lucky enough to own your own kayak, you can rent one of these colorful vessels on either end of the island: Kayak The Bay Ltd. (by Oak Point State Park west of the Boardwalk), or Put-In-Bay Jet Ski & Boat Rental (found within South Bass Island State Park on the western portion of the island). Both are fantastic options, although the Put-In-Bay Jet Ski & Boat Rental is the cheaper option ($19/hour for single kayak, $30/hour for double kayak) compared to Kayak The Bay  ($20 for single kayak, $40 for double kayak, with $2 off coupon HERE).

Despite the higher prices, Kayak The Bay Ltd. offers guided tours (as long as you call in advance), and gives you a choice of :"sit inside" and "sit on top of"" kayak styles (while the other location offers the sit inside kayak style only). The location of Kayak The Bay - IN the harbor - also makes for a nice perk, as you can paddle by places like Gibraltor Island and Rattlesnake Island.

Our group in our life jackets ready to kayak the bay!

While visiting Put-In-Bay with my 7 college friends, we decided to go with the cheaper fare and rent from Put-In-Bay Jet Ski & Rental. Two people in my party took single kayaks while the remaining 6 of us paired up for double kayaks. My partner in crime for the day was my good pal Anna (who came all the way from Colorado for some OHventures). We all decided to only take the kayaks for one hour, so that our prices were not too high (we are all young professionals with limited incomes). Also, we were advised that we had to stay within sight of the launching docks, so we couldn't go too far.

One hour was long enough, because kayaking the bay was QUITE a workout! It required immense upper body strength, but also required a lot of communication with my boat-mate so that we paddled in sync and thus moved swiftly. A huge mistake we made was forgetting water to keep us hydrated. It was a hot, sunny day in Ohio, and we were expending a great deal of energy. This oversight hindered our ability to paddle too much. So, take it from us, and do NOT forget water!

With friend and fellow kayaker Joe!

Despite this mistake, we still enjoyed our kayak trip quite a bit. It was a great bonding experience and proved to be fantastic exercise. The view from the middle of the bay was also fantastic. Rowing approximately 20 minutes east (around gorgeous rock formations) allowed us to see the famous Benson Ford Shiphouse (as seen on HGTV's Most Unusual Homes). The only downfall of our kayaking excursion was seeing dead fish floating by, and a water snake swim by! Other than that, we loved our trip!

Be sure to take some time out of your busy wine and beer schedule and kayak while at Put-In-Bay. It's a MUST DO item on your Buckeye Bucket List.