Paddleboarding in Moab · Rentals
Paddleboard Rentals in Moab: Your Board, Your Pace
Rent a stand up paddleboard for a day — or a week — and let the Colorado River set the schedule. Moab's rental outfitters handle the boards, safety gear, and river shuttles, so all you bring is sunscreen and a sense of adventure.
See the Easiest Way to RentRented paddleboards lined up on a sandy Colorado River beach, cliffs behind
Why Rent Instead of Book a Tour?
A guided tour is the right call for true first timers — but if you've stood on a board before, renting gives you the river on your own terms. Launch when the light is best, linger at every sandbar, swim as long as you like, and paddle in the kind of silence no group trip can offer.
Renting is also the budget move for longer stays. A board rented for several days can carry you down the river one morning, across Ken's Lake at sunrise the next, and back to your favorite stretch for a sunset lap — three completely different experiences on one piece of gear.
The one puzzle with any river rental is logistics: rivers only flow one way, so you need a plan for getting yourself, your vehicle, and your board reunited at the end. That's why the smartest rentals in Moab come bundled with a shuttle — and why our top recommendation below solves the whole problem for one price.
The Easiest Rental in Town: Wild West Voyages
Wild West Voyages runs the rental package we recommend most: board, safety gear, and river shuttle bundled into one simple booking, on a stretch of the Colorado made for self guided paddlers.
Self guided paddlers launching boards at Big Bend with red cliffs above
Self Guided Friendly Float
Wild West Voyages · Rental + shuttle combo · $69.50 + tax per person
Do it yourself on a novice friendly section of the Colorado River. This combo package bundles a paddleboard rental with a ride to the river — perfect for paddlers with only one vehicle. The pre selected route runs from Big Bend to the Moab Bridge, about seven miles of mostly flat water with a few small waves to keep things interesting, close to town the whole way.
Your board comes with a paddle, a Coast Guard approved PFD, and a quick release river leash. Prefer to sit? The same package offers solo and tandem inflatable kayaks, and helmets are available on request at no extra charge, with splash gear and dry bags rentable too.
How the Self Guided Float Works
The shuttle logistics are the genius of this package — no second car, no hitchhiking back to a trailhead, no puzzle to solve.
Check In at the Shop
Arrive at Wild West Voyages in town at 11:30 am, get fitted for gear, and go over the route. With advance reservations and paperwork done, they can even meet you at the take out instead.
Stage Your Vehicle
You caravan together to drop your vehicle at the take out location, then their driver carries you and your equipment upriver to the put in at Big Bend and unloads your gear.
Paddle at Your Own Pace
You're your own guide for the next 2.5 to 5 hours — seven miles of flat water and small waves, sandbar stops, swims, and canyon views on your schedule.
Load Up and Roll Home
Land at the Moab Bridge take out where your vehicle is waiting, load your gear, and return it to the shop in town. Dinner is ten minutes away.
Renting for a Day or Longer
One day on the river hooks most people, and that's when a multi day rental starts making sense. Wild West Voyages also runs a full rentals and shuttles operation beyond the Friendly Float package — ask about longer rentals and custom shuttle plans when you book, and they'll help you plan your route for the days ahead.
A multi day board turns your whole trip amphibious: a dawn lap on Ken's Lake before the heat, the classic Moab Daily when you're feeling strong, and short sunset floats near town on the days your legs are wrecked from hiking. Per day costs drop, and the river becomes something you dip into whenever the desert gets too hot.
Where to Take Your Rental
The Friendly Float Stretch
The pre set shuttle route: flat water, a few small waves, and constant canyon scenery close to town. The natural first day.
The Moab Daily
The classic full day float past the Fisher Towers — the step up once you've found your river legs. See our paddleboarding guide for details.
Ken's Lake
Current free practice water reflecting the La Sal Mountains — perfect for early mornings, kids, and SUP yoga with a multi day rental.
Renter's Safety Checklist
- Wear your PFD tightly buckled for the entire route — even flat water on the Colorado carries strong currents above and below the surface
- If you hop in to cool off, stay with your board and keep your feet up to protect them from unseen rocks
- Check the daily flow rate, forecast, and wind before launching — afternoon gusts are the desert's favorite trick
- Carry at least two liters of water per person, more in summer
- Secure your paddle with the leash so nothing drifts away when you swim
What to Bring Beyond the Rental
The rental covers the board, paddle, PFD, and leash. You supply the desert essentials: a hat, sunglasses, reef safe sunscreen, water shoes or secure sandals, lightweight long sleeves that dry fast, snacks for the sandbar stops, and a camera you're not afraid to get splashed. A drybag is rentable if you don't own one — worth it for phones and car keys.
Paddleboard Rentals: Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to rent a paddleboard in Moab?
The Wild West Voyages Self Guided Friendly Float — board, safety gear, and shuttle to the river — runs $69.50 plus tax per person. Standalone board rentals without the shuttle vary by outfitter and duration, with multi day rentals dropping the per day cost.
Do I need my own transportation?
One vehicle is all it takes with the Friendly Float package — the shuttle system stages your car at the take out and drives you upriver, so you finish your float right where you parked. With advance reservations and completed paperwork, Wild West Voyages can even meet you at the take out point directly.
Is a rental safe for beginners?
The Big Bend to Moab Bridge stretch is genuinely novice friendly — mostly flat water with a few small waves — and every rental includes a Coast Guard approved PFD and quick release river leash. That said, if you've never stood on a board at all, consider a guided tour first and rent on day two.
Can kids rent paddleboards?
Solo boards are recommended for ages 13 and up, and the minimum weight for proper PFD fitting is 50 pounds. Younger kids do best pairing up with an adult in a tandem inflatable kayak, which the same rental package offers.
Can I rent for more than one day?
Yes — ask Wild West Voyages about multi day rentals and shuttle options when you book. A board for several days lets you mix river floats with flatwater sessions at Ken's Lake, and the per day cost drops the longer you keep it.
Do I need a permit to paddle?
Not for day trips on the Colorado around Moab. Only overnight camping along the river requires a simple backcountry permit from the BLM office in town.
Grab a Board. The River's Waiting.
One booking covers the board, the gear, and the ride to the water — the rest of the day belongs to you and seven miles of canyon. Spring and fall dates go quickly, so lock yours in early.
Book Your Rental With Wild West Voyages