Sailboards Miami

Love this place! I’ve been going here for the kayak rentals, and the staff is absolutely lovely. Not to mention that the rentals are super cheap. Highly recommend it!

Really friendly and nice people here! They take their time to teach you the proper technique.
Safe and clean waters.
We did kayak and stand up paddle for the first time and we had a blast!!! Highly recommended.

Amazing Experience!
We give them a call in 30 min arrival time.
79 $ for windsurfing lesson and 1 hour on water with supervision.
In 30 min both of us can enjoy this amazing sport.
It is not easy at the beginning (especially lifting canvas from water)
But get used to it very quickly and than we have a LOT of FUN!
Try it with them. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks

This place is great! I come down to Miami to visit my family a few times a year and my trip is not complete without windsurfing down at Sailboards Miami whenever the weather is right. The location is amazing since the wind is usually ESE and keeps you close to shore and not to mention the amazing people working there. I’ve become a regular and can always rely on them to give me an accurate report on whether it’s worth it to come down. Of course getting cast out into the ocean is always a concern and the staff make it very clear to be conscientious of the wind direction. I recommend this place to everyone who is looking for an amazing time down in Miami. These guys know what they are doing and are guaranteed to give you your money worth.

Beats owning kayaks and windsurfers. You show up. Get in the water. Have fun. Go home. Easy.

Sailboards Miami is a convenient spot for paddle boarding along Rickenbacker Causeway. It’s not a beach area I’d want to hang out at for hours on end but if being active on the water is your goal, this is a sure bet!
Right after you pass the toll and before you get to the bridge, be on the lookout for a truck and shack which is where this biz is located. I’ve never had a problem finding a spot to park but during the weekends, the lots are definitely more full.
Standup paddle boarding (or SUP-​ing) costs $ 25 per hour and they prorate it after the hour in case you go a little longer. The bay is usually pretty calm and you can see Vizcaya and the Grove on one side, and Key Biscayne on the other.
The staff is very friendly and can introduce you to paddle boarding if you’ve never done it before. They also have windsurfing boards and kayaks for rental (and instruction, if needed). They hold your keys and anything else you might want to leave behind if you are alone or with others in the water.
This is definitely a go-​to spot when I have visitors in town and I look forward to coming back when I just want some R&R time on the water.

Definitely worth spending the day on Key Biscayne! Sailboards Miami is not only convenient to get to but the staff is extremely helpful. I was nervous when a group of friends and I headed out to SUP. After a few minutes of instruction I was on my way. Very affordable!

Nixon is a patient & expert windsurfing instructor. He takes you the basics on the shore, and then into the calm & beautiful waters to experiment & learn. A perfect experience. A must try in Miami.

Had a great time paddle boarding to Vizcaya. Very friendly staff. Will definitely do it again.

Sailboards Miami was a nice little treat in Key Biscayne. We had not gone kayaking in years so it was definitely a fun experience. You can take different routes, but we chose a simple one since we aren’t used to the kayaks. We kayaked to Vizcaya and back all under 50 minutes. Good prices and friendly staff. Definitely worth a try!

At Sailboards Miami, you get your moneys worth and pay for the experience of working with a knowledgeable and friendly staff.
My friend and I came here yesterday to try paddleboarding, and the manager was friendly and able to set my friend up as soon as we arrived. One of his workers gave us a short five minute lesson and we were off. Paddleboarding here is fun for beginners because the water is shallow, but if you are more experienced you can go to the deeper end of the water. The manager also told my friend and I that they do 30 minute lessons where they give you more instruction on paddling technique and keeping your balance, so I would definitely like to try that in the near future. I found it a bit difficult to keep my balance.
Note to others: Paddleboarding is harder than it looks, at least for those who are uncoordinated and unbalanced. I probably fell about seven times within an hour.
The location is also very convenient and is less than a 5 minute drive after the Key Biscayne toll.
Overall, paddleboarding at Sailboards Miami was very fun and costs $ 30 an hour. If you are on a budget, use the Unilocal check-​in discount, which is 50% off the second person or second hour, so if you are with another person and splitting it down the middle, it should come out to $ 22.50 (tax included), which is the norm if you want to ever do something like paddleboarding or kayaking.
I will definitely come back here again.

We did kayaking and it was awesome! Very tiring but fun! People running the show are super friendly! This is a must!

Ovidias (sp), his wife are passionate about getting people to enjoy their time windsurfing or kayaking, and their energy is infectious! I had a great time this weekend. The location on Biscayne Bay is amazing. My husband has become addicted to windsurfing because of his time here on business trips. This was my first visit, and I understand his enthusiasm. I can’t wait to return!

Honestly, my first kayaking experience was a lot better because of the staff involved in this little place! It it so adorable! Seriously you walk past their little shop and it looks like something out of a movie. The owner «Ovidio» (looked him up on the company website) was the friendly and attentive. He has a cute little bird on his shoulder! It was adorable! The single riding kayak only cost $ 15 for 1 hour, and double rider is $ 20 an hour.
The location is great, you can go kayak all the way to Viscaya. This is a perfect spot for both tourist and locals. As I am a local I would definitely come back again with these guys! They even let me keep my shoes in their place and my friends keys they leave it in a special box. PS, there is this awesome arepa/​hot dog lady right by them! $ 3.00 of the best tasting arepa! A must try after a great work out!

This place was fantastic! My boyfriend and I were in Florida for the weekend and spent the day in Miami before we flew home that night. We love kayaking in new cities, and decided to try this one out. They were super nice, very informative about different places to kayak (we went under the causeway, into the bay, around to Vizcaya and back,) and gave us tips on how to navigate with the winds and tides.
It was a beautiful day to kayak (When is it not beautiful in Miami? Why do we live in Philly?) We were gone for over an hour but they didn’t round up on their rates. The two guys who were there were knowledgeable about the area and gave us some fresh coconut to try (amazing btw.)
And with the whole credit card thing, just take the slip with you when you leave and shred it when you get home. Problem solved. The park has homeless people who take your slips if you throw them away.
They were wonderful here. We would return in a second the next time we’re in Miami.

I’ve taken a surfing lesson in Hawaii before; that was worth the money because it was difficult.
Here, windsurfing looked pretty easy. The lesson guaranteed that you would know how to operate it in an hour. That seemed to bode well for self-​attempts, if an hour’s lesson would get you up and running on your own. I saved about $ 50 just trying it out myself. Staff gave me tips, and it helped! I was able to windsurf on my own in about 20 minutes. And I am by no means coordinated or athletic. I’m accident prone.
For the review about being stranded by the wind and needing to be rescued… it really sucks and it would’ve been nice for Sailboards NOT to charge you the extra, but to me, they are by no means obligated to do so. I would say to anyone considering getting out into open water to either beware of the risks and live a little, or don’t go out here without a lesson. If the lesson sucks, at least you feel like you’re being supervised.

Despite the negative reviews, we decided to give this place a shot… and I’m so glad that we did! This was definitely the highlight of our trip.
We signed up for the 2 hour beginner group lesson. At $ 79/​person, I think it’s a really good deal, especially after we called and found out that the group sizes are only about 5 people. I signed up with 2 of my friends, so we were paired with two sisters to make up our group lesson.
The directions on the website are a bit confusing, but you’ll understand how to get there once you’re actually en route. We opted to walk (it’s pretty close to the Vizcaya MetroRail station) but walking or driving are both equally convenient. We arrived and were immediately greeted by their friendly staff.
After filling out all the paperwork, we started our lesson with Philip. He first talked us through the technique on land, then took us into the water where we were able to practice individually with him. He was patient, knowledgeable, and really fun to work with!
After about 45 minute-​1 hour of lesson time, you’re given a board and a sail and left to try on your own. I thought it would be hard to windsurf on my own, but the lessons really helped. Philip was also in the water the whole time, looking out for us and coming out to help if we got stuck. I never felt scared of being stranded because I knew that Philip (and the other members of the staff) were constantly watching to make sure we were safe.
They also made sure that we had a fun time! They joked around with us the entire time and kept it really lighthearted and fun. And near the end of our time, one of the other guys who worked there challenged us to a windsurfing race. Donald, if you ever read this… you know I won :)
We even got a little bit of extra time at the end and since we were the 3pm lesson (last one of the day), we hung around for a little bit afterwards while they were closing up, taking pictures and chatting with the staff. The owner made us feel very welcome and definitely made an effort to talk with us.
I highly recommend this place! We only went windsurfing, so I can’t comment on their other services, but if it’s anything like our windsurfing experience, you won’t regret coming here.

Not sure about the negative reviews others are posting — I just hope that several people’s bad experiences won’t deter you from trying this outfit.
I personally had great experiences. I rented their Kayaks 2ce to go to Vizcaya and beyond. First time the weather was quite bad which some people complained about — well folks, if you do not check the weather like I didn’t, you only have yourself to blame.
I had also taken windsurf lesson. When I first came out, it was stormy (again not checking those weather forecasts). I came back after ~15 min of that and the owner didn’t charge me.
Since then, I went windsurfing numerous times, BUT every time I go out to rent, I always check
(this is for Key Biscayne, if it doesn’t work, select Florida and Key Biscayne from the drop-​downs) — gives you the wind speed/​direction/​weather and rating time of day! Awesome and never let me down. Price is reasonable — I believe $ 30/​hr (1 hr minimum) and then you can pay for 15min increments. Pretty convenient
Certainly if I read those reviews, I would have never tried this place, which would have been too bad. I haven’t had problems, but I recommend that if you are concerned about your credit card, etc, bring adequate cash, as well as one of those water capsules to put your car keys in.
Hope this helps some people out.
Happy surfing
EDIT: I just wanted to add a coment to this review. Some time ago somebody tried to run a charge through my credit card numbers in Florida. Since I am from out of town, I rarely use my card here. For some reason I immediately thought back to the earlier comment someone had made about misuse of cc information which is copied onto paper. I understand that there is a long link in between the propritors and the banks handling these papers, so I would feel more comfortable if there was an electronic reader for the cards.

Have been renting kayaks from Sailboards Miami for years and have always had an excellent experience! Great location, great service and an experience you can’t get anywhere else!

I love kayaking on the Rickenbacker. You can kayak to vizcaya, which is a pretty place. It is fun and good exercise. $ 20/​hr for a tandem is not so bad. The people who run it our nice and I have never had a problem with the service in the few times I have been to this place.

Rip off outfit. They told me winds were fair, but there was just enough wind to get far out, then wind DIED for hours. It took me two hours to swim the equipment back in and carry it ½ mile.
Not only they charged me for the entire 3 hours, but more importantly, they stated that they dont do rescues.
Rent from them and you better check the wether your self (DONT TRUST THEIR REPORT), or your taking your own risks. Also, if you get stuck/​hurt or anything, GOD BLESS YOU. Your on your own.
VERY DANGEROUS OUTFIT
I heard Ritz-​Carlton in Key Biscayne lowered their rates and they may be safer.

Well… I had some friends in from out of town. I thought it would be lots of fun to take them wind surfing. I called in the DAY before and made reservations for 4 people. My husband had been wind surfing twice with them before and had no issues.
Our reservations were NOT honored. The guy was a complete jerk when my 2 friends arrived 5 minutes before time. He said that the reservations were for 1 person. I specifically said 4 people. After my friend made a fuss, they allowed her sister and her. They had overbooked but were sleazy and did not just admit that. Instead they tried to pass blame. First by saying that the reservations were for 1, then later when I told them I would Unilocal,they insulted us more by saying that we were late. The lady at the office did call and apologize, however the guy at the trailer insisted on passing blame. I will admit that I was 2 minutes late, but hello… my friends were 5 minutes early and they still were trying to pull a fast one.
The fact that they don’t honor their requests, makes me give them a BIG thumbs down.

I did kayaking with them, and it’s conveniently close to South Beach and Downtown neighborhoods. The only thing is that kayaking to Vizcaya and back would itself take a little less than an hour, and the waters inside the watery part of Vizcaya is murky and filthy.
However, it’s nice to be able to get a close-​up of Vizcaya. And if you’re interested in kayaking to the Marine Stadium, I heard it’ll take a good hour and half.
So you’ve gotta be willing to go kayaking a long way down. But personally, I think the experience at Oleta State Park is better. But I would definitely return to try out windsurfing!
And there’s the unmentioned 10% discount for students.

These guys guarantee that you will learn how to windsurf in one hour and they make it happen!
They are true experts in windsurf, kite surf and kayak.
I have been sailing out of here for over 10 years now and to date my best experience is leaving my office early on Fridays and renting a board and a sail tailor made to current wind conditions… sail for an hour or so… and chill while I watch the traffic build up in rush hour. This is way cheaper than any therapy in the world and you get the best view of Miami from the bay and powered by nothing by wind and a bit of muscle.
Their equipment is in top shape, their instructors are excellent and prices are attainable.
Try it out folks… and ditto to everything that Katherine M. said before me.