Paddle Zen

Paddle zen was awesome! Carly provided some great customer service and was very helpful and friendly. I’ve been to barton springs paddle boarding a few times and I’d have to say that paddle zen took the cake on this one. Great location and some nice staff workers. Hope to come back soon!

Parking was easy, owner was very helpful with easy to follow instructions! Was more fun than the pictures!

Great place to paddle board. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

We had an awesome time paddle boarding, and the lady who helped us out was so nice.
We ended up paddling all the way to Congress and back, and had time to just sit on our boards, in two hours.
It was a pretty windy day, so our party ended up falling into the water a few times.
It is a difficult place to spot. It’s behind an apartment complex, down the hill (by the river) but you have to park up top and then walk there.

My wife decided to try paddle board yoga last week — I will admit to being somewhat surprised because to my knowledge my wife has never been on a paddle board and isn’t exactly a yoga guru — but far be it for me to discourage trying something new… anyway, she went and had an amazing time.
She said that her instructor, Elisa, was fantastic and was very supportive of newbies. It was a great experience from start to finish — the location on the beautiful lake, learning the paddle board basics, doing basic yoga (it’s clear that they format each class to the level of that specific group) and she said that by the time they were in relaxation pose (I assume that means sleeping?) she had no interest in ever getting up. She also had a very easy time booking and paying online. (I will note that she doesn’t give a full 5 star rating often — so she must have really meant it when she said it was the best $ 25 deal in town.)

Great place, great people! I called last week to set up a lesson because I was less-​than-​impressed with another place that basically sets you on a board and wishes you luck. It is definitely worth $ 50 to get the personal attention and coaching. My instructor was Nell and she is patient, attentive and awesome. I highly reccommend Paddle Zen to everyone, but especially to those who are just starting out. As someone else mentioned, this part of Lady Bird Lake is much less crowded. There’s parking, so you won’t have to worry about someone backing into your vehicle and taking off without leaving a note (not that anything like that happened elsewhere) ;) Yes, you have to walk down to the dock but it’s no big deal. Their rental rates are really good and they offer six-​month and twelve-​month packages. Check ‘em out, you will get hooked on paddleboarding and Paddle Zen!

Paddle Zen is awesome! We met Nell today and she answered all my questions about buying a board for myself and my husband. The best thing is that they allow dogs on their rentals. Many places don’t allow dogs on their rental boards which is s big bummer when you have a dog who loves the water.
If you are going to rent or buy a board visit Paddle Zen first! They are off East Riverside. This area of the lake is much quieter. It’s like a hidden jewel because the waterfront is gorgeous and much less traveled than west side.

Great place to rent paddle boards! Easy parking, easy location, and they put the boards right in the water. I had never paddled the east side of I-​35 and it was a welcomed change. Much more calm, and nice coves to rest. The owners are great people!

Very nice people. The rental boards were in good shape. We had a great time and would rent from them again.
The 2 reasons I hold off on 5 stars are;
The logistics weren’t 5 star. You park and sign in at the rental shop next to East Riverside. Then you have to shuffle on foot by yourself through the parking lot, around the apartment buildings, and down a large grassy lawn towards the water. This really isn’t a problem, but I’m wondering if they should offer to run clients down to the water on a golf cart for tips or something to enhance the experience a bit.
Also the staff helping you with board rental and basic instruction were good, but really didn’t stand out in terms of enthusiasm and information. Granted, you’re not paying for a guide experience, but these folks setting you up with the board and giving you instructions still could offer a little more to enhance your experience. I can’t really complain about them too much, but I’d give them 4 stars instead of 5.

We tried paddling one day by renting on Town Lake. It was so fun, we wanted to buy our own boards. We went to several different shops, and the other places weren’t bad, it’s just that we fell in love with a board at Paddle Zen. Even after going elsewhere, that board was stuck in our dreams. With how fast boards go, we didn’t even know if it would still be there, so we casually stopped by the other day. But there it was still a siren calling our name. Wearing semi-​tight jeans and a shirt that didn’t breathe, I was a little caught off guard when they said I could test drive the paddle boards I was looking at! It’s easy to pick out a board based on looks only to find out that you don’t like it so I thought what I great idea! I was going to go home and change, but then when I thought about the usual 35 traffic jam, I said what the heck? So they took my board out there, and I liked it right away. However, I was really impressed when not only did they let me try the other one I was interested in, but they brought out two more to try that I didn’t request just to make sure I was making the most well-​rounded decision. Brilliant! But of course, it was still the first one that called me back… but better to feel safe in the decision!
I just thought their customer service and expertise were great. Besides, it’s pretty unusual to easily be able to try out the board you’re looking at before buying it. But what a great idea with it being such a huge investment! The other thing is although it’s always about the money, I really got the feeling that the owners were in it, not just for the money, but because they loved it. You just get that feeling from certain board shops… and then others just feel like an establishment only there to make money.
The other thing I liked is the American made boards they carried. It’s almost impossible to find American made boards. And to me although maybe they were slightly more expensive, it wasn’t enough to be unaffordable (that is any more unaffordable than SUP’s in general!).
It also sounds like Paddle Zen has a little community going with events and get togethers. Their brochure on paddle board renting looked pretty interesting as well.
Anyways, I’d definitely recommend the place!

What a blast– definitely make a reservation if you’re planning to go on the weekend but apart from that it was a really easy and relaxing way to get out on a Sunday afternoon.
The whole team made the process very simple and straightforward, the gear was clean and in nice shape, we got some good advice from Austin and the rest of the team– what more could we ask for?
This is a GREAT location for beginners, as there was almost no traffic near our location and we could go wherever we wanted without worrying about crashing into kayakers.
Highly recommended. We are looking at whether it’s better to just buy a paddleboard or sign up for one of the memberships…

I can’t say it’s as good as it gets because it was my first time ever stand up paddling but I do give it 4 stars. If it wasn’t for the facebook deal for this, it wouldn’t have caught my eye but I’m glad that it did. My sister and I came on a Friday where the deal allowed up to 2 hours on a weekday and 1 on the weekend.
I personally think 1 hour is short so I’m glad we took the offer of 2 hours. We were pretty much the only ones out on the lake until we saw a few others. It was a great workout, especially for the abs. It can get pretty tiring standing the entire time. My sister actually ended up sitting — she might as well gone kayaking. Don’t wear shoes, you’ll be barefoot.
The entire experience was phenomenal to getting there, parking easily, store service, signing in, waivers, walking down to meet the guy who would teach us to stand up paddle. I was a bit hesitant about taking my bag with me because the guy said it would most likely get wet. I regret NOT taking my bag because if you’ve already got good balance and have a pretty active lifestyle, you wont have to worry about falling. So in other words, you can bring a bag to wear over the shoulder to carry water, sunblock, hat, etc. but just pack light. Also there’s lockers at the store so if you dont want to bring anything with you, you can either store it up or leave it in the pod where you get your paddles near the dock. I wish I knew this all beforehand.
We didnt have a watch either so I wasnt sure how we would get back in 2 hours, thankfully the guy said that he wasnt too strict on time and we actually ended up coming back in time. Just make sure if you dont have a watch, ask others out on the lake or on the trail for the time. :) Going under the bridges can be pretty stinky because of the bats though so I suggest paddling hard and fast.
Absolutely relaxing (depending on day and time you go of course), beautiful scenery and a great workout!

I couldn’t resist giving giving it a try and I wasn’t disappointed. They’ve got the shop but they also have a little shack and tent right on the water. While it doesn’t look like there’s a whole lot to see right there, you can go as far up or down the river as you like, and I found that there was plenty to see even in just an hour. I did take two good dunks, but even that was a blast, and it’s a piece of cake getting back on the board. It’s also surprisingly hard work to start, but once you find the rhythm and develop a good stroke it all comes together. They do recommend that you stop by early and make a reservation if you’re trying to go on weekend. So to finish up, don’t be a spectator; give it a shot!

Well, we arrived at about 8:20 Sunday morning to rent some boards, but there was no one at the dock and their storage unit was locked up tight. We thought maybe it’s because we didn’t make a reservation, so we went back up to the store checked the signs in the window, but nothing seemed to imply that a reservation was required. We ended up going down to the main rowing docks instead.
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I’m happy to report that we were able to give Paddle Zen another shot, thanks to the owner Lori. This end of Lady Bird lake is much calmer (water-​wise) and much less chaotic (crowd-​wise) than the area west of Mopac. Most of the time we had the water all to ourselves for an awesome sunrise paddle. Their equipment is much newer and clean than the main dock areas and the staff was much more personable. I’m happy to turn my 1-​star into a 5-​star.

Paddle Zen: Austin’s new GEM!
I went to Paddle Zen for a Friday morning session with my bestie. We arrived to a locked-​up shop, but a lovely hand-​written note that basically said, ‘meet us at the water!‘
At first, I was completely turned off by this, but as we neared Paddle Zen’s beautiful dock, I realized this business represents everything that Austin– and I– have been waiting for. They have a small operation, which lends itself to quality experiences and heightened, individualized customer attention. The reason they weren’t in the shop when we arrived was because of their motto: ‘one with the water’. They were doing their job! They take it that seriously! :)
Through my experience with Paddle Zen, I learned that they are the only locally-​owned SUP shop in Austin, and they not only care about the quality of boards they’re putting out on the water, they treat each person who comes in with consideration and respect, not just another appointment or another body to get money from.
Lori + Andrew both posess an impressive knowledge of their fleet, and were willing to provide paddling techniques and insights the other places don’t take the time for.
Paddleboarding is s addicting as it is relaxing. Why not take advantage of an all-​around ZEN experience? Considering what I know about every other SUP location in the area, Paddle Zen is without question THE place.

Went to Paddle Zen to try my hand of stand up paddling. It was awesome, the people were awesome and the area it was in also awesome. No crowds, open area to paddle, knowledgable people.
Moral of the story: Go here to get your paddle on.

An absolutely fantastic local business. The staff and owners are very nice, and seem to genuinely enjoy helping customers have a great time out on the water. The rental prices are very reasonable, and the staff will help you adjust your paddle to the proper height and mount your board in the water. The location right on the lake just can’t be beat.
They’ve just dedicated one board in their rental fleet as the «dog paddle board», so you can take your pooch with you! (Doggie life vest recommended!)
We had an absolute blast paddling around, and everyone made the experience a great one for us.

Took advantage of localiter deal and did three hours of paddleboarding at Paddle Zen. Staff was super nice & helpful. Location was great. Since there aren’t any other paddleboarding companies nearby, you’re not having to share the water. As a novice this took the stress away of having to watch where you’re going and just enjoy the sport:) We’ll definitely be back!

This place is great for paddle board renting on Lake Bird Lake. The owners are very nice and take their time with newbies. Their pancake paddle is A LOT of fun! Paddle on a beautiful Sunday morning to be followed by gingerbread pancakes and mimosas… how can you go wrong! Great for groups. I take everyone who comes to visit me from out of town.

Today was my first time trying stand up paddle and I’m completely hooked. The folks at Paddle Zen are as nice as they come and are committed to creating a community feel around the paddle experience. I’d love to start every Sunday with Paddle and Pancakes. Great experience!