Paddle Monkeys

After very quickly googling «Stand up paddle boarding Houston,» I saw that Paddle Monkeys had hands down the best website with the most information and gave them a call. Paddle Monkeys is open Friday through Sunday, 10am — 6pm, and a reservation is recommended (not sure if that should say «required,» but I’ll elaborate shortly). Driving down towards Galveston to try out paddle boarding with my friend, I had no idea what to expect.
Paddle Monkeys appears to be owned and operated by a woman out of her home along a canal community. I suppose I expected some kind of larger or more formalized business atmosphere — but this has a real «mom and pop» (just mom?) vibe. We were greeted immediately by the shop owner who was expecting us and she showed us out back to her dock. Two paddle boards were already lowered in to the water and tied off on to the dock, ready for us to board. First we had to sign some generic releases (safety/​liability) and I had to take a waterproof pouch to wear around my neck with my cell phone in it. From a safety perspective I think this is so smart: if I really had an emergency, this guarantees I would have a working phone with me. She also had sunscreen and floating bobbers to attach to our sunglasses. Before we got in the water, we covered some general safety and navigational issues: using a map, the owner showed us where the water would be calmest, where it might be rougher, where swampy terrain might hinder us, and where the water is too shallow to bail off your board. All great information. She also made recommendations on where we could paddle to in approximately what amount of time so that we could best plan our experience. We were given a quick (but effective) intro on how to paddle and steer our boards before taking off.
When all was said and done, my friend and I were out on the water for over 90 minutes, paddling up and down the canals of the local community. We felt well equipped with basic information to enjoy our time and learn from the experience. We elected to stay in the protected canal areas since it was pretty windy out on the more «open water.» That ends up being a benefit of Paddle Monkey’s location: if you need or prefer a calmer, more protected environment the canals offer a very uniquely (almost artificially) serene experience. Lots of locals and dogs sitting out on porches to wave at. When we got back, the owner very generously only charged us for an hour of usage each. She also offered us water bottles to rehydrate on our way out. She also took two pictures of us on our boards, which was a nice keepsake — but I wish she had a) taken more and b) had taken them with my phone, so I wasn’t left feeling «indebted» to her for emailing them to me (I realize this might sound weird or petty). There was certainly good value behind the experience, especially with her lenient charging.
If the SUP landscape in the Houston area remains sparse and/​or vague, I would definitely return to Paddle Monkeys — I stand behind a 4 star review. I do like the idea of supporting small businesses, but this maybe felt a little too small or personal for my taste. I can see how it would appeal to other people, for sure. But for me, I’d like to know if there are any bigger or more organized shops on the horizon and I would try those out for sure.

I just flew in from Missouri and had a half day to kill before my meetings Monday. I searched for stand up paddle boarding and came across 3 or 4 in the area but Paddle Monkeys stood out. It appeared most if not all SUP rentals were out of season. I called Paddle Monkeys and the owner said the season hadn’t started but she would go ahead and rent one to me. I was so impressed with how kind the owner was. Her passion for her business was amazing! I recommend this business to anyone living around Houston or visiting the area. Top notch! And very knowledgeable!