Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures

This is one of the only local Albuquerque outfits to offer rentals for use on the Rio Grande. Without much competition it's still a first class operation. The owner, Mike, was fantastic on every level. He provided us with great service, info on river conditions and put in and and out points on the river (also on the website), was friendly and even helped us when we discovered we needed crossbars for our rooftop luggage rack to transport the kayaks. We found some some universal crossbars at a nearby auto store. He even helped us install them and provided the necessary tools we needed and did it with a smile. Since we got a very late start, we finished in the late afternoon/ early evening. He knew of our desire to return the kayaks the same day even though it was a 24 hour rental. So we called when him when we finished our expedition and he had no problem with us dropping the off the kayaks after hours (he was still there working). We rented sit-on-top kayaks which came w/ life vests and the paddles. As new comers to the sport, he provided some excellent tips which came in handy & helped us enjoy our adventure even more. We happened to go out on a day when the river flow was less than ideal ( just under 200 f/s. iIdeal is about 300/f/s) but we still had a good time and experience ( check out his river conditions info on the website, very helpful!). Occasionally we would have to get out and pull the kayaks over rocky rapids areas or sandbars ( I had to do it more than my girlfriend since I weighed more which is to be expected). But on a hot day "touching" the water felt good. Expect that your gear will get wet getting in & out on the river. We weren't experts but it's not hard for water to find your packs strapped in on the back of the kayak or in the cockpit with you. The most difficult part of the adventure had nothing to do with Mike or The Quiet waters operation. It had to do with Covid restrictions and accessibility to in points and out points on the river. Since he is restricted from dropping people off and picking them up due to current government regs, we had to transport the kayaks ourselves. It requires at least two vehicles, one of which needs to be able to carry the kayaks. There is a lot of extra driving to and from start and endpoints, but regardless we found it worth it. Additionally, the put-in and take-out points are difficult to find but Mike/Quiet Waters made it easier by giving us some tips and providing GPS coordinate info of where the dirt roads are that lead to the put-n and take-out points (online you can choose which adventure you want to take and which put-in point you want to start at and which take-out point you want to stop at. GPS coordinates are on the website) We chose the Algodones location as the put-in point and Corrales as our take-out point. About 10 mile river trip. Took us about 4 hours without stops (made a little longer than the estimated time of 3 to 3.5 hours because of the shallows mentioned earlier). The Algodones location requires a 1/4 mile hike with equipment to put in. It's not easy especially with two kayaks. No signage about what direction to take to get to the water. I walked ahead and scouted before we started carrying all of the gear in the wrong direction. That took some extra time. Entering the water has its difficulties as you have to get the kayak and gear down some short, steep embankments at the dam. Not the cleanest area. There was a lot of rubbish from day use folks around. But we finally found a good entry point and were off. It was easier place to carry the kayaks to the car at the Corrales exit point, but it still requires a short jaunt up a hill on a narrow path to the parking lot. The river at the Corrales point is VERY ROCKY AND SHALLOW. As you approach the location, you need to stay to the far left of the river to navigate the deeper water. Go right--though it's the wider side--and you'll end up having to drag your kayak. We went right and it made the ending to our trip not as enjoyable. For the most part we didn't run into many people on the river. We saw about 5-6 groups floating in rubber rafts. Everyone was so nice and we would chat as we went by. There were also several fishing groups near our start point in Algodones where you had to make sure to navigate their lines but they were all friendly. There was some fishing going on in various locations beyond Algodones (catching catfish). The shameful part of using the river is how the local and state governments and interests groups like the Sierra Club do everything they can to NOT allow for easier access to and from the river. It's such a great resource that could help to further the tourist economy ( I don't need to tell anyone who lives here that economic infusions are badly needed). Shame on all the local and state politicians who stand in the way of making this adventure more tourist friendly and usable and who cater to special interest groups!!

I'm so thankful for this quaint little business along the river! Coming from out of town and unsure how to float the river, I was directed to this company by some locals and it was AMAZING. The owner was very helpful and knowledgeable about the river. We rented 2 kayaks and 3 paddle boards and had a GREAT DAY on the river. Quarantine has taken a lot from this company, so let's help keep it afloat by floating the river!! Thank you quiet waters adventures!!

We had a fabulous Sunday morning rafting trip on the (very full!) Rio Grande with Quiet Paddling Adventures. They were super safety-conscious, knew the river well, provided a great lunch and were really helpful. We will definitely do this again!

We were on vacation Fourth of July weekend and decided last minute to call and see if any tours were available. They happen to have two seats available due to last-minute cancellation! We were lucky enough to grab a seat on a guided fireworks raft tour. Our tour guide, Kia, was so charming and knowledgeable about the river and the landscape. The normal place where QWP would watch fireworks was still underwater, as it was an unseasonably high-water season. The spot they found for us was just perfect! Great view of the fireworks and the river side picnic of hot dogs, watermelon & red white & blue frosted cupcakes was tasty. Paddling down to take out in the dark with some scattered fireworks still going on was magical! We would highly recommend booking the Fourth of July paddle!!! We will be back for the hot air balloon festival river paddle :)

I wasn't sure what to expect from Quiet Waters and I love being in/on/around water so I was very excited that I had the opportunity to check this place out. Perfect directions getting to the pick up appt, super friendly staff, and an excellent guide (Charles). There were just 6 people on our raft and the water was very calm. I appreciated the safety info (movie and tips from Charles). The snacks were spot-on and I had a great time. Can't wait to try out a kayak!

I had an excellent time - we did the sunset float. Everyone was awesome as was the food. I will definitely be back - it's worth every cent.

What a fun afternoon. Great guide, great scenery! Highly recommend taking a trip with Quiet Waters!

There's a misconception that you cannot use the Rio Grande for watersports. Quiet Waters is changing that misconception, one paddler at a time. The deal is this: opt for a guided or solo "adventure" as they're called, on the watercraft of your choice. Expect to be at the physical location for at least an hour before getting on the water, which allows time for a safety video, talk about what to expect on the river, sizing up gear and loading up in the van. Next you'll drive 10-15 mins up to the ranch to launch. If you're doing the guided tour, you'll have your guide with you the entire time (I haven't done this, so I can't comment on the experience). The self-guided adventure lets you choose your pace and when you break to eat or swim. When doing the self-guided adventure, you'll call the office to check in twice at designated points. I did the Coronado adventure the first time, and found that I was way ahead of the guided group, even though I was barely paddling. I finished an hour ahead of the group and waited for them to arrive, before we loaded everything into the van and headed back to the QW office. From the time I finished, it was an hour and a half before everyone was loaded and ready to get back to the office. This is the downside of doing the timed activities: you do need to wait for others even if you're doing your own paddle. For the 9:30 am Coronado tour, I was on the water from 10:45 - ~1:30, and returned to the QW office at 3 pm. It's a long day, even though when you think about "3 hours on the water" it doesn't seem like it. The second time I went up to QW, I got smart and enlisted a friend that had a roof rack on their car. We parked at Alameda bridge and drove up to the office in Bernalillo. The owner was so flexible; he let us pay for a self-guided adventure but we basically just launched with everyone and then went our own way. We were able to paddle all the way down to our car, load up the paddle boards, and drive them back late in the day. It was 18 miles total, and a much better workout. I do believe that they rent inflatable SUPs as well, so if you and a friend didn't have a way to transport the rigid boards, you could still try out the inflatables. I liked this method a lot more; we had complete freedom to paddle as fast as we wanted, explore much more of the river, and take breaks as desired. QW also does straight up rentals where you pick up your craft at their office and drive it to wherever for use for up to three days. I may try this with an inflatable SUP and go up to Cochiti next time.Also, do educate yourself as to what you'll need on the water if you're a beginner. Pack more water, food, and sunscreen than you need. QW will not check that you have the necessary gear to be comfortable on the water for the duration of your adventure - that's on you.

What a wonderful vacation experience. Three Generations of family learning to kayak and paddle board. Mike was great setting the whole experience up for us. Tyler our paddle board guide was awesome. No one had any experience on it and he taught us all how to enjoy and have fun with it. I had back surgery almost a year ago now and Mike gave me a seat for the paddle board so I didn't miss out on watching my daughter and grandkids have a great experience. I recommend anyone wanting a great family memory; exciting and relaxing "Call Mike".

This was the only outfitter I found in Rio Ranch and the communication was excellent. We originally booked a rafting trip but the water level changed and we were contacted with options ranging from kayak, paddle board or cancel and get refund. We chose kayak and my grandson had such a great time the guide provided lots of local "info". I would recommend.