North Island Surf & Kayak

To be honest, this one is hard for me to rate (so hard that it's taken me months to finish & submit it). The employees are incredibly friendly, so it's impossible not to like them. They love what they do, certainly. But they failed us in some ways. First, we asked about transporting the kayaks on a tiny hatchback with no roof rack. We were told it would be no problem as the kayaks "stack like Legos." But they gave us 2 different types of kayaks, so they didn't really fit together perfectly. Noodles were given to us to put between the car & the kayaks. They actually worked pretty well, and I can see us trying that method with my own kayak back home (we currently use my boyfriend's car, which has a roof rack). But at home, we have really nice straps with clamps. The kayak shop gave us frayed straps with slip knots. It didn't feel safe at all and on our way from the kayak shop, where they helped us load them, the top kayak actually slipped off the bottom kayak. We noticed immediately & fixed it before it fell off or caused damage to my car, but it was a scary experience.

The biggest issue we had, though, was that we were given bad advice about where to kayak. I'm the only person in my group who had any real experience in a kayak, and my experience is limited to lakes & calm rivers. We explained this to them & asked where we should kayak. We rented the kayaks overnight with the intention of going out that night & then going back out the following morning. We had planned to go out in the creek near the shop that evening, but they said it was high tide so we wouldn't be able to dock at the old lighthouse & we should go put in at the Alley 3 dock & tool around Little Tybee. Now, the advice about Alley 3 and Little Tybee was awesome. But there was no way we could do that at high tide on that particular evening. The current was going one way & the wind was going the other, so it was very choppy. There were no boats out there & that should have been a sign. There was one paddle boarder & he was coming in as we were going out. He asked if we were experienced kayakers & we said no. He told us he wouldn't advise going out, that he had 25 years of experience & it was too rough for him. He suggested we go to the creek by the shop! We decided to listen to the kayak shop guy & we gave it a try, attempting to stick to the edge. It was impossible. We went back in, and the other couple in our party was so freaked out that they refused to try again the following morning. So that was sad & a waste of a kayak.

The following day, my boyfriend & I went back to Alley 3 and checked out Little Tybee. And it was one of the best days of our lives! We walked around, spotting turtle nests, picking up sand dollars, finding beautiful conch shells, taking photos of countless crabs, and even seeing a stingray in a tidal pool. We even found a sponge that had washed ashore. We picnicked in our kayaks on the calm water while dolphins swam around us. The perfect day. It was just very unfortunate that the people we were vacationing with didn't get to share in the experience.

So I'd rent a kayak again, but I'll do better research about when & where to kayak in the future, and I'll bring my own straps.

Please visit this place and support a wonderful family business! They were able to support our group of 11 last minute and the check in process was super simple. You have the option to kayak for a half day or a full day and the prices are very reasonable. They have single kayaks and tandem kayaks available. You are highly likely to spot dolphins in this area and they get pretty close!

Shane was a great host and guide. We had a great time as a family learning about the local area and it's history. We spotted dolphins and manatee. Would highly recommend North Island if you're vacationing in the Tybee/Savanah area.

Afterwards, be sure to hang out at Bubba Gumbos for food and drinks!

This is a family owned and operated business that is a must visit when you come to Savannah and Tybee. Shane took me out on the kayak even though it wasn't the regular tour time and taught me lots about the island, we saw lots of dolphins and even a baby shark. I got to meet his awesome kids afterwards and we had a few beers and met some of the locals. I did not want to leave and can't wait to come back. Their website was down for a while but call them to arrange a kayaking trip. You won't be disappointed!

Hands down 11/10 would recommend. We stumbled upon this place and although the building may seem unassuming it was an awesome experience. Owner was friendly, fun and made us feel very comfortable as first time paddlers -- even gave us a discount!

Definitely worth the stop and it's super affordable for an authentic Tybee experience.
Cheers

The owner (Shane) is super nice, the kayak was in good condition, and the process was easy. We rented a 2 person kayak and Shane helped us attach it to our roof rack so we could take it to the south side of the island and paddle to Little Tybee Island. Shane educated us on the tides and when would be the easiest to paddle out and to paddle back. Shane even let us use their sunscreen (the IGA was sold out) and he loaned us a dry bag.

On July 27, my best friend and I rented a kayak (her) and a paddleboard (for me) from North Island Surf and Kayak on Tybee Island. We were both visitors to the Savannah area and the store keepers were aware of this, but rented us watercraft on a day that locals later told us was completely unsafe for us to be operating on. Though I've paddleboarded in the Pacific several times in Los Angeles, I've never had a problem, until now---as most shops here will not let you rent if the wind or current renders conditions to be unsafe.

I read through their Yelp and Google reviews and though they have an average of 4-5 stars on most of them, their 1-star reviews have a common theme. They are all stories similar to mine. If I hadn't been in the physical shape that I'm in, I'm certain I could have died due to their negligence.

The paddling was easy at first, but once we paddled past the Cockspur lighthouse, we decided it was time to turn back. After 45 minutes of hard paddling, we realized I was only staying in place and there was no way that I was going to make it back with the strong current and tide pulling me out to sea. This was quickly becoming a dangerous situation, as my arms were exhausted, it was very hot, and we were out of drinking water. My friend decided to paddle back to get help, and I stopped paddling and ended up on an oyster bed that I moored myself onto after seeing a shark. I called the shop, and they said they'd send someone on a jetski to "see what the trouble is."

I sat on the oyster bed, thankful that my phone worked despite being nearly 2 miles from shore. It was hot and I was becoming quite fatigued in the 45 minutes I waited for my rescue. The young man who was sent to help me instructed me to pull the paddleboard out of the oyster bed to reach him at the jetski, about 50 feet away. This was no easy feat, as I had shoved the paddleboard so far into the oyster bed in order to not let the current take me any further out to sea. Once the board was free, we set on our journey back, only to come to a very sudden stop when we hit a sandbar.

The employee then told me I had to help push the jetski out of the sandbar and make sure the board didn't float away. This seemed to work, initially. He then had the idea that perhaps it would be easier if I rode on top of the board and was pulled by a rope on the jetski. I wasn't thrilled about the idea, but agreed to try. As soon as as he started the jetski, the board started to go underwater, with me on it! I let go of the rope and he yelled at me for letting go, until I explained that the board and I were going underneath the jetski's motor. It was becoming clear that this was the first time he'd done anything of the sort.

He said he was concerned about the paddleboard making dents and scraping the paint on the jetski. I told him I was happy to call the Coast Guard and stand on the sandbar until they arrived, thus allowing him to safely bring the paddleboard back without the weight of myself pulling on the jetski as well. He insisted we not call the Coast Guard and we were on our way again, but hit a second sandbar right away. This time, the motor overheated and we had to wait until it cooled off to push it out again.

At no point was I asked if I was alright, if I needed anything, or efforts toward an apology. On some level, it felt like a self-rescue aided by a jetski. This is the most active rescue I've ever heard of and I regret not calling the Coast Guard in the first place. I spent the rest of the day ill from dehydration and sun poisoning. It is egregious that this company is permitted to rent watercraft to visitors on days that are unsafe for paddling. I'm not sure what the Georgia laws are, but this seems to be at best a lawsuit and at worst, a death waiting to happen.

Rented here yesterday and had a great trip. The friendly owner runs it and gave me great instructions on where to go and what to look for. Especially enjoyed seeing the fort and the fish. Spotted a bald eagle as well. Equipment was in good shape and clean and worked well. Restroom nearby. Very smooth trip. Had lunch at the shrimp place in front of it with a nice deck overlooking the water. Would definitely bring my family back here.

The operator Shane was great, even with our reluctant puppy, and we were on the water in no time.
Boat and gear were all in good shape.
Can't wait to do it again.

We have never been to Tybee before and decided we wanted to rent SUPs for the day. We were told by some friendly locals to go see Shane @ North Island. He was very friendly, accommodating and even let us borrow a cell phone dry case at no charge. The equipment was in great condition and we had a memorable day exploring the area. His staff was super courteous. We will definitely be back!