By Michele Deluca/delucam@gnnewspaper.com
By Michele DeLuca
delucam@gnnewspaper.com
Even if you don’t have the big bucks needed for a boat or water sport this summer, you can still dip a toe into some of the water-based adventures that beckon from the rivers and lakes of the Niagara region.
More and more people are finding that renting a boat or Jet Ski is one way to test the waters. Still others swimming in the shallow end before they leap into the investments required of a new water hobby.
Here are some of your options in our Niagara region water world:
Canal Princess Houseboat Charters, City of Tonawanda
If you’ve been wishing for a boat but don’t have the time or money for your own vessel, consider renting a boat house from Canal Princess Charters on the Erie Canal in the City of Tonawanda.
The three boats in the rental fleet are designed for ease of use by amateur captains. They are so easy drive that almost anyone can do it, according to owners Judy and Larry MacDonald. Larry demonstrated by clicking a toggle switch near the steering wheel. “The boat moves back and forth at the push of a button,” he said.
Prices range from $700 for a weekend to $1,200 for a week, and that includes an hour or so training. “The canal is ideal for houseboat renters,” Larry said. “It’s 6 mph boating, and you’re not going to get lost.”
The MacDonalds have been renting the 34-foot boats for about 13 years and are happy to see the revival of interest in the canal. Their boats are licensed for use on up to 150 miles along the canal, up to Brewerton, near Webster.
Houseboat renters can stop at any of the many ports along the way for picnicking, fishing or to explore the many picturesque downtown areas of the small towns and villages built on the canal.
More and more municipalities are creating transient boat docks for boats passing through the locks, and overnight stays are free in all locations except Lockport, where a donation is requested, Larry said.
The boats come complete with bedding, towels, pots and pans, a toilet and a shower. Many renters, however, are opting to use the transient boat dock facilities along the way. “All the little towns have beautiful bathrooms,” he added.
The best part, the MacDonalds agreed, is experiencing the canal itself, which includes much scenery that is unchanged from 100 years ago, and participating in the experience of moving through the locks, where lift bridge tenders are fabled for their friendliness.
“We’ve even had bridge tenders drive some of our renters to field days in their towns,” Larry said.
The leisurely experience of houseboat rentals and canal cruises can be summed up, Judy said, in a letter they received from a woman who rented one of their boats. She wrote: “As soon as I slowed down to the pace of the canal, it was absolutely wonderful.”
Waikiki Jet Boat Rental, Grand Island
Renting a Jet Ski is a “great date idea,” according to Tom Boechel, proprietor of Waikiki Watercraft Rentals. “We also have a lot of women who bring their kids out here in the summer.”
Renters pay $75 an hour, including gas, and after a quick video lesson, they pick a life jacket and they’re off, he said.
Jet Ski renters can take the skis out up to a half-mile north or south of the hotel but must stay within the view of the rental facility due to marine and insurance regulations. “We watch you in the water the whole time,” Boechel said. No one seems to mind the extra security once they realize how much water they can cover in the area, he said. “You might stand and look out at the water and say it’s not that far, but there’s a lot of water out there,” he added.
The Jet Ski rentals are perfect for those who want to ride one before making a big investment. Reservations are required, however. “They can just make a phone call and we are right there,” Boechel said, “they can order it like a pizza.”
Paths, Peaks and Paddles, Town of Tonawanda
Some people call his place “a candy store for outdoor people,” said Oren Barris, owner of Paths, Peaks and Paddles, in the Town of Tonawanda. Barris opened his business in 1991, when he and a friend started working as guides and taking people on canoe and kayak and camping trips. The store on Ellicott Creek Road came later when they decided to rent and sell the equipment needed for their adventures.
PP&P; rents canoes for $35 a day and kayaks are $45 a day for a single and $55 for a tandem. Lessons are $70 for either, and the store has a dock across the street on Ellicott Creek Road.
“We do lessons and instructions for both kayaking and canoeing,” Barris said, “and I always tell people that the lessons are open-ended. Basically, I tell people that once I become their instructor, the updates are free. They’ve got me until they win a medal in the Olympics.”
Niagara Scuba Center, Niagara Falls
If you loved “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” or even “The Little Mermaid” and have always dreamed about going under the sea, then you might want to consider taking a class in scuba diving at the Niagara Scuba Center in Niagara Falls.
“You can try it out in our indoor pool for around $35,” said Jim Clayton, who opened the Niagara Scuba Center with his wife, Michele Bergevin, in January. The store, at 7815 Buffalo Ave. in Niagara Falls, has an indoor pool open year-round, where new divers can learn all the basics, such as clearing a face mask, buoyancy control and emergency techniques.
While the introductory class is invitingly affordable, those who fall in love with the sport will have to make an investment in certification and equipment. It costs about $400 for open water certification, and upwards of $1,000 with certification and gear packages, he said.
Once certified, local divers can drift dive in the Niagara River, which Clayton said is “rated one of the top 10 drift dive trips in the world.”
“It’s an effortless dive, very little energy used, you’re moving along in a current about (4 mph),” he said.
Local divers can also view shipwrecks near Beaver Island, Strawberry Island and in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. They can also participate on diving trips with Clayton and his crew, including trips on a catamaran Clayton has just obtained in Florida.
“Scuba diving is a great family activity,” he said. “It’s one of the few non-competitive sports that husbands and wives can do together, and we have lot of families coming in here, as junior certification starts at age 10.”
“It’s something they can do the rest of their lives together,” he said.
Waterbike Adventures, City of Tonawanda
When Jim Chilton saw all the money being put into Gateway Harbor in the City of Tonawanda, and then saw how boaters came to the area in droves, it made him think. “There was no way for the average Joe to get out there, so we just came up with a few things,” he said.
For the past seven years, he has been offering a variety of affordable ways to get a little wet and enjoy the beautiful local waterways.
“We have a nine-passenger electric party boat, with a surrey canopy and a nice stereo system. It only goes about 6 mph, but it’s battery-powered. And there’s no noise and no fumes, so it’s a great way to see the canal,” he said.
The electric boat rents for $40 an hour, and “when you get three or four couples in there, it makes for cheap entertainment,” he said. Chilton also rents less expensive water rides, including kayaks and water bikes, which go for $10 an hour and $6 for a half an hour.
Fisherman’s Choice Fishing Lodge, Wilson
Captain Gary Hacker Sr. has a handful of charter captains he recommends and will help book a fishing charter for up to six people on the Niagara River, Lake Erie or Lake Ontario. He can also provide lodging and has three cabins available on Lake Ontario.
Hacker, a former Niagara County Sheriff, said Lake Ontario holds all the record-size catches for salmon and trout. “This is what the people come for: the best fresh water fishing in the world,” he said.
“The charter boats we use are all 30 feet or bigger, and all handle up to six people,” Hacker said. The price is $550 for four people and includes equipment and bait, as well as cleaning and packaging of the fish. A fishing license is required but can be obtained at most sporting goods stores or online from New York state, he said.
Contact editor Michele DeLuca at 693-1000, ext. 157.
