Kauai: Stand Up Paddle Rental Wailua River & Secret Falls

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/9

Duration1d

Mobile ticketAccepted

Paddle Your Own Way to Kauai's Secret Falls

You arrive at the shop, get a lesson and map, load your SUP board onto your car, and paddle the Wailua River at your own pace to Secret Falls. The rental includes all gear—board, paddle, life vest, dry bag, straps—and takes 4 to 5 hours round trip. No experience necessary, and you're back before the afternoon gets away from you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Paddle Wailua River and visit Secret Falls

Arrive at rental shop between 9 and 11 am
Receive lesson and map instructions
Load paddle board or kayak onto vehicle
Paddle on Wailua River at your own pace
Hike to Secret Falls
Swim under Secret Falls
Return to rental shop and unload boards

The Experience

The river spreads out in front of you, green and still. You're standing in the shop one traffic light from the marina, holding a paddle that feels lighter than you expected, and the owner is rolling out a map on the counter. This is the part where most rental places hand you a board and point you toward the water. Here, they walk you through the route first—where the current picks up, where to pull over, how the hike to Secret Falls branches off from the paddle. The lesson happens right there at the shop before you load anything onto your car, so by the time you're actually on the Wailua River, you already know what you're doing.

The rental includes everything you need: a stable SUP board, paddle, life vest, leash, dry bag, and the shop handles loading and unloading at their location. They'll give you car foams and straps so the board sits secure on any vehicle—no special rack required. You show up between 9 and 11 in the morning, get your gear sorted, and then you're on your own schedule. The whole trip to Secret Falls and back takes about 4 to 5 hours, but there's no guide rushing you through it, no group waiting at a checkpoint. You paddle at your pace, stop when you want, swim where it feels right. First-time paddlers are welcome; the stability of the boards and the calm of the river make it manageable even if you've never stood on one before.

If you're not heading all the way to Secret Falls, you can rent for just a couple of hours and explore the river on your own terms. The shop also rents surfboards and surf SUPs if you want to try something different on another day, though you'll need your own transportation to get boards to other breaks. The whole operation is set up around the idea that you know what you want to do and just need the equipment and the knowledge to do it safely.

What’s included

Your rental includes a stable stand-up paddle board, adjustable paddle, life vest, leash, dry bag, car foams and straps for transport, and a lesson with map and instructions at the shop before you head out.
The shop loads and unloads the board on your car at their location, one traffic light from the marina.
You're on your own from there—paddle to Secret Falls, explore the Wailua River, or rent for multiple days and take boards elsewhere on the island.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Kauai SUP

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want to explore the Wailua River without a guide or group—you get the gear, the knowledge, and the freedom to move at your own pace, which is what makes a 4-to-5-hour paddle feel like your own adventure instead of someone else's itinerary.