APOSTLE ISLANDS KAYAKS - MADELINE ISLAND

APOSTLE ISLANDS KAYAKS Madeline Island Sunsets Photo Gallery

ACROSS THE BAY - A WORLD AWAY!


Welcome to Apostle Islands Kayaks! We are located on beautiful Madeline Island, the largest of the Apostle Islands. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior is one of the most popular kayaking destinations in the world. Please make yourself at home on our website, and telephone or email if you have any questions 
Best wishes, and we hope to see you soon.
 
THE 2012 SCHEDULE - KAYAKING OPTIONS:

CLICK ON THE LOWER RIGHT PICTURE FOR A MAP OF BIG BAY >

1. SELF-GUIDED KAYAKING FROM BIG BAY TOWN PARK

9.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m.  Kayak from the Town Park on Big Bay.  (Note that Big Bay is 7 miles from La Pointe.)  Paddle in the Lagoon (Nature Area) and/or paddle along the shore to the caves and cliffs at the State Park (weather permitting).  Instruction included.  Meet us at the Town Park parking lot by 9.30 or 1.30.  Limited transportation may be available by arrangement. Please don't be late!  Single, double and triple sit-on-top kayaks: 3 1/2 hours, $39 per person, children free or half-price, see below.*  (RESERVATIONS MUST BE CANCELLED AT LEAST 24 HOURS BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED KAYAKING.)

 2. GUIDED TOURS FROM BIG BAY STATE PARK

11 a.m. - 4 p.m. via shuttle from our downtown location.  Kayak from the State Park on Big Bay. Paddle through the Lagoon to the Town Park, then to the caves and cliffs at the State Park.  Return via shuttle to our downtown location. Lunch (1 - 2 p.m.) can be ordered in advance through us (extra), or you can bring your own.  Single, double and triple traditional sit-in kayaks; 5 hours with lunch hour, $59 per person, children free or half-price (see below).*  (RESERVATIONS MUST BE CANCELLED AT LEAST 24 HOURS BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED KAYAKING.)

3. KAYAK AT OUR DOWNTOWN LOCATION

Available 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.  Kayak from our downtown location across from Joni's Beach.  Please finish by 5 p.m.  Single, double and triple sit-on-top kayaks, 3 hours, $29 per person, children free or half-price (see below).*  (RESERVATIONS MUST BE CANCELLED AT LEASTS 24 HOURS BEFORE YOUR SCHEDULED KAYAKING.)

4. STAND-UP PADDLE BOARDS.  For use at our downtown location, $15 per hour (2 hour minimum). 

*FAMILIES: Children 9 and under are free with two adults in double or triple kayaks. Children 10 - 12 are half-price.

A WATER SAFETY/RESCUE COURSE IS NOT REQUIRED for sit-on-top kayaks or for sit-in kayaks on guided tours. 

SIGN UP AT OUR DOWNTOWN LOCATION OR PHONE 715 747-3636 FOR A RESERVATION


ON YOUR WAY TO MADELINE ISLAND...

In Bayfield you might want to visit the Madeline Island Information Station just up the street from the Madeline Island Ferry.  You will of course want to take the frequent ferry to Madeline Island.
When you arrive on the Island, turn right on Main Street, walk five to ten minutes and you will find Apostle Islands Kayaks across the street from Joni's Beach (a great place to have a picnic!)  You will want to sign up for a kayak rental or tour and experience the peace and quiet of nature on the water. You may want to find a place to stay on Madeline (reservations are recommended). You can camp at Big Bay State Park, 715 747-6425, or Big Bay Town Park, 715 747-280.
Madeline Island has so much to offer kayakers (beginners or experienced)!  In fact, the only way to really see the Island is by kayak. You can kayak from Joni's Beach - Long Island is only three miles away. You can kayak from the Town Park or the State Park - Big Bay Lagoon is perfect for observing the tranquility of nature (great for kids - turtles everywhere!), and Big Bay, with its three-mile sandy beach, rocks, cliffs and caves, is truly magnificent.
Your safety, of course, is our main concern, and we are experts on the weather. The prevailing wind is primarily from the west, so if the west wind is blowing, the east side of the island - Big Bay - is calm. 
Remember that "across the bay" - on Madeline Island - IS "a world away."
Have fun on Madeline Island! 
Click on the image below for
a detailed map of Big Bay..... 
(picture by Gary Knowles)

THE KAYAKS AND EQUIPMENT WE USE:

ClearWaterDesign single and double sit-in kayaks (for State Park guided tours) There is room for an adult and a child in a single or 2 adults and a child in a double.

BIC Scapa single sit-on-top kayaks for Town Park/downtown rentals.  

BIC double kayaks for Town Park/downtown rentals.  There is room for 2 adults and 1 or 2 smaller children.

BIC triple kayaks for Town Park/downtown rentals.  There is room for 3 adults, or 2 adults and 2 or 3 smaller children.

BIC Ouassou single kayaks are available at Joni's Beach and best for short distances and waves. Take a Ouassou or two with you in your boat when you visit other islands!

Heritage single (17'4") and double (16'6") kayaks with hatches for use downtown.  

PFDs (life vests), paddles and instruction are provided with rentals. Wetsuits are available but not usually necessary

KAYAK SALES: BIC: Ouassou, $389; Bilbao, $519 (fishing, $719); Trinidad, $699 (fishing, $899); Tobago, $749; Kalao, $849 (fishing, $1049); Scapa, $719 (ASA, $869); Yakka (folding), $699. YAKKAIR INFLATABLES (single $799; double $999) AVAILABLE NOW! See www.bicsportkayaks.com. COBRA Tourer $925, Fish N Dive, Triple, Explorer, Eliminator (other models by special order), see www.cobrakayaks.com.  ClearWaterDesign kayaks are available by special order, see http://www.clearwaterdesignboats.com

NEW! AVAILABLE NOW! 15' Fiberglass Adventure Kayak by Bic, $1799.

WE ALSO HAVE USED KAYAKS FOR SALE! 

ACCESSORIES:
Bending Branches and Cannon Paddles; Northwest River Supplies (NRS) equipment; Seattle Sports dry bags; New SweatVac Apostle Islands Kayaks caps, EVO wetsuits and rashguards etc. (Actually, we have everything!)  We also have swimming fins, masks and snorkels.
WHY SIT-ON-TOP KAYAKS?
In the unlikely event of a capsize, it is easy to get back into a sit-on-top kayak and get out of the water quickly. We use traditional sit-in kayaks, which are more difficult to reenter, only on guided tours.  No one in the area will rent you a sit-in kayak unless you have taken a water safety/rescue course and have the certificate with you.  

THERE IS NO NEED TO BUY BOTTLED WATER when you come to Madeline Island!  PURE, COLD ARTESIAN WATER IS CONSTANTLY RUNNING AT OUR LOCATION - AND IT'S FREE!  Just bring your own bottles or we have #1 and #7 bottles for sale.  

 

You can look forward to a great time on Madeline Island!  In the meantime, check out these links: www.madelineisland.com, www.madferry.com, www.bayfield.org, and for information on the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, www.nps.gov/apis

Thanks for visiting. Again, we look forward to seeing you! 

APOSTLE ISLANDS KAYAKS

690 MAIN STREET, LA POINTE, WI 54850-0498, TELEPHONE 715 747-3636. NOTE EMAIL LINK BELOW.

(Updated 4.3.2012)

 

It is enough for me to contemplate the mystery of conscious life perpetuating itself through all eternity, to reflect upon the marvelous structure of the universe which we can dimly perceive, and to try humbly to comprehend even an infinitesimal part of the intelligence manifested in nature. - Albert Einstein, column for The New York Times, Nov. 9, 1930 (reprinted in The NYT obituary, April 19, 1955)