Kayak, Canoe, or Sail into Summer
The long-awaited warm days are here in Wisconsin, and our Outdoor UW team is here to help you make the most of this time with outdoor recreation equipment and experiences. Headquartered at Memorial Union in downtown Madison, Outdoor UW can help you kayak, canoe, or sail into summer.
Explore Lake Mendota by Kayak
No need to go up Nort’ to experience Wisconsin water by kayak. We have you covered in Madison, Wis., right on the shore of Lake Mendota, where Memorial Union has been for almost a century.
Let’s start with the basics; what is a kayak? Kayaks is a narrow boat designed to be powered by people using paddles that have a wing shape, called a blade, at each end of the paddle. With its two blades, the paddling industry refers to these as double-bladed. To move the kayak forward, you pull each blade through the water, alternating from side to side.
It’s likely that the most challenging part of your kayaking experience will be getting into the kayak. After that, it’s smooth sailing. (We make no apologies for this pun.) Our on-site outdoor recreation staff can provide instruction on paddling and entering and exiting the kayaks. No matter your level of kayaking experience or skill, Outdoor UW is a great place to have your paddling adventure.
Our team also recommends checking out this video to help you prepare to get into a kayak:
We have single (one-person) and tandem (two-person) kayaks available for rent, with prices starting at $15 per hour. You can start your journey on Lake Mendota from docks dedicated to Outdoor UW-related activities.
Make your reservation online, by phone at (608) 262-1630, or by visiting the Outdoor UW team’s service desk at Memorial Union.
Enjoy Lake Beauty in Your Canoe
You can canoe with a canoe rented from Outdoor UW. Canoes are the perfect, leisurely way to explore Lake Mendota from the Outdoor UW dock. Your almost soundless paddling will help you fully experience the sights and sounds of the lake.
Like the kayak, the canoe is person-powered, but it is wider than a kayak. Canoeing is generally considered to be more challenging to learn than kayaking in terms of steering and moving forward, but canoes are more stable than kayaks. Another difference: canoes usually have an open top, whereas kayaks generally have an enclosed or raised top with a lowered area only for riders’ seating.
When you canoe, you’ll use a single-bladed paddle. Remember how we described a double-bladed paddle earlier? Well, as you might think, this paddle only has a wing shape at one end. The person that sits in the back of the canoe, called the helm or stern, will steer the paddlecraft. The stronger of the two of you would be best help if seated in the front of the canoe, also called the bow.
As with all Outdoor UW paddlecraft rentals, you will have staff on-site to help you have a great experience, including teaching you how to paddle and how to start canoeing, called launching, and return to the dock, with the return being called landing.
The Outdoor UW team has shared this video to help you prepare to launch and land:
Let’s help you get started on an outdoor experience for a lifetime; we have canoe rentals that start at $19 per hour.
Reserve this paddlecraft, and take the first step toward your adventure by making a reservation online, by calling (608) 262-1630, or by visiting the Outdoor UW team’s desk at Memorial Union.
Sail Away from the Worries of the Day
Sailing? Why, yes, you can do that, too, right from Memorial Union if you join the Hoofer Sailing Club. No experience is required, and no need to own your own sailboat. In fact, the Sailing Club has said that most of its members learn to sail by joining the club. The club offers lessons for all skill levels.
One of six outdoors clubs that make up the Wisconsin Hoofers, the club began in 1939, and it (along with all Hoofers clubs) welcomes anyone 18 or older to join. To join, you either need to be a University of Wisconsin–Madison student, staff member, or faculty member or to be a Wisconsin Union member. (Anyone 18 or over can become a member, including those with no University affiliation: union.wisc.edu/get-involved/become-a-member.)
The club has more than 120 different sailboats and sailboards spread between eight different fleets and made up of 15 types of crafts. You’re welcome to read about the club’s fleets here. What are sailboards? They are a modified surfboard-like craft with a mast and sail. Riders stand on the board and surf, which is often referred to as windsurfing but is also called sailboarding or boardsailing.
This is not like many yacht clubs of which you may have heard. Club members work to keep the club and its resources financially accessible with membership rates ranging from $75 for a few months-long trial to $599 for a four-year membership. (Limitations may apply for some prices. Visit hoofersailing.org/membership for details.)
If you’ve ever visited the outdoor dining and entertainment destination, called the Memorial Union Terrace, you likely saw Hoofer Sailing Club members enjoying their membership as they glided across the water in the club’s beautiful sailboats.
You can join the Hoofer Sailing Club any time online, at the Outdoor UW service desk on the lower level of Memorial Union, or via phone at (608) 262-1630.
Bonus: Sup with SUPs and Outdoor UW Events?
What’s up with SUPs is that Outdoor UW has them in multiple sizes for your rental enjoyment. SUP stands for stand-up paddleboard, and our Outdoor UW team has both a single-person SUP and eight-person mega SUP, also known as SUPSquatch. How do you not check out something called SUPSquatch?
SUP paddleboarding involves standing on a large board designed to glide on top of the water and moving across the water by pushing a paddle with a tear-drop-shaped end, also called a blade, through the water. Our instructors will be on-hand to help you, from standing up on the board to how to best hold your paddle.
We often hear things along the lines of, “Oh, I couldn’t do that,” or “I don’t have the balance for that.” Don’t doubt yourself. Not only can you do this, but you’ll get a full-body workout while having fun. The balance, stability, and paddling involved all combine into a fantastic, low-impact strength workout that you will feel in your arms, legs, and core. Not great with balance? That’s even more reason to give this a try; this can actually help you improve your balance.
The rentals for SUP paddleboards start at $15 per hour, and our Outdoor UW can help you get started online, in person at the Outdoor UW office, or by phone at (608) 262-1630.
Outdoor UW events are a great way to get on the water or enjoy the outdoors in other ways. From two-hour paddling events to yoga at the Terrace to nights filled with family-friendly activities on Lake Mendota, Outdoor UW has created events designed to help you explore and have fun. Outdoor UW’s events continue even after summer fades, and cold days return, pivoting to other types of experiences, such as snowshoeing and ice skating. The Outdoor UW team can also help you host private adventures for friends, family, or team members, including pre-created events and custom experiences created in collaboration with you.
Let’s Help You Get Paddling!
Our Outdoor UW team looks forward to meeting you and helping you have an outdoor experience of a lifetime.
You may even be eligible for a discount on your adventure. Many services include discounts for current UW-Madison students, and Wisconsin Union members are eligible for 10% discounts on
paddling rentals on Thursdays. We also have locker rentals available for $20 as well as shower facilities.
There’s plenty to do and explore during your Memorial Union visit, such as on-site, iconic dining options, free art exhibitions, an art studio, and a variety of year-round free and low-cost events, such as concerts and cooking classes.
With many ways to get outdoors and countless other experiences offered at Memorial Union throughout the year, it’s always a great time to visit Outdoor UW and start your adventure.
