You can rent a kayak to use on the Arkansas River via an app now. Here’s what to know
New self-service kayak stations are open in three of Wichita’s riverside parks.
These stations will be operated through the Rent.Fun app, which park and recreation partnered with to complete the project.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at Riverside Tennis Center on Friday, and to continue the celebration the Park and Recreation department is offering a 50% discount on all rentals May 6-12. Entering the promo code “ParkandRec” in the app will automatically add the discount.
“We’re celebrating, really, an idea that’s turned into an amazing opportunity for folks here in Wichita,” Mayor Brandon Whipple said. “We want to activate the river. We want to get quality of life activities out here, and this is one of the goals on our list to get that done.”
Renting kayaks from park staff is still available in Watson Park, 3022 S. McLean Blvd, but Shana Appelhanz, the marketing manager, said the self-service stations allow people to easily check when boats are available and adjust their schedules.
“It gives the community the opportunity to get on the water any time from sunrise to sunset,” Appelhanz said. “You don’t have to worry about your schedule or things like that. You just come out when you want.”
The stations at Kellogg Bridge, 605 S. Wichita St., and Riverside Tennis Center, 551 Nims, charge $15 per hour. At OJ Watson Park, 3022 South McLean Blvd., it costs $10 per hour. When a session is done, scanning the same QR code will unlock the cage, so the kayak can be returned.
The $43,000 project was funded by the Wichita Parks Foundation and completed in partnership with Rent.Fun. Parks and Recreation Director Troy Houtman was introduced to the CEO of Rent.Fun, Adam Greenstein, at the National Recreation and Park Association Conference last summer. That meeting sparked the partnership, according to Shana Appelhanz, city marketing manager.
“When they go to these national conferences they see a lot of vendors like this that they learn about for the first time,” Appelhanz said.
The app company has set up stations like these in 13 other locations across the United States. According to their website, the goal of Rent.Fun is to “help small parks and recreation organizations do big things.”
Every station provides life jackets, paddles, and kayaks. To pay and unlock the cage that the kayaks are kept in, users are required to download the free Rent.Fun app. It tells users when the parks are open, how much renting costs, and how many kayaks are available at each station. The only rental requirements are that users are 18 or older and fill out a liability waiver.
To rent, you will scan a QR code on the cage where the boats are stored and the app will unlock the door. The equipment will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
If equipment isn’t returned it will be the responsibility of the rider to pay for damages. A local maintenance technician will be in charge of checking the equipment and maintaining the stations.
The self-service station will be accessible to park-goers only when parks are open and boating conditions are safe. The river status is monitored by the park and recreation department and posted on their website (wichita.gov/ParkandRec) under river recreation.
In addition to these self-service stations, guided river tours are available this summer from June 28 to September 8, and reservations can be made on the river recreation section of the park and rec website. The beginning of the tours include a short kayaking lesson. People with personal equipment are also still allowed on the water as long as they aren’t motorized and the river status is safe.
