At Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison, I appreciate their exceptional selection of high-quality paddling gear and outdoor equipment. The knowledgeable staff, who are passionate paddlers themselves, provide expert advice and personalized service. Their commitment to customer satisfaction, makes shopping at Rutabaga a rewarding experience.
I went to have the hulivators installed on my car. I was missing a key bolt and Dan sourced the outdated thule bolt from his supplier and I'm waiting on hearing from him to return to start my kayak season.
We love being able to talk with staff regarding suggestions, use of product, etc. We know that we are speaking with experts and have always gotten good advice.
Very helpful and friendly staff. They have showed me how to install a kayak hold down kit on one vehicle and cross bars on another vehicle. Both times I did not ask or expect them too. They go above and beyond for their customers. I am writing this review as a response to a email I received after an online purchase. It too exceeded my expectations. I ordered a paddle float on Monday and received it on Tuesday. I live in central Illinois so I didn’t expect to receive it so quickly.
I bought a kayak from Rutabaga in 2004 & always enjoyed it.
Just recently I ordered a pair of Kuhl jeans, which will outlast me!
Also have enjoyed Canoecopia for MANY years.
Great products and selection! Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. I was so happy to have hands on help from everyone in selecting my boat, getting the boat on, getting new straps. No pressure to buy anything - they listened to what I wanted, the specs I was interested in and got me hooked up and out the door - no upselling. Just a great place. I will only ever buy a boat and my boating gear from Rutabaga. Worth the drive from Sheboygan. 10/10 highly recommend.
Getting started into kayaking and needed help with the roof racking. The staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable about their products. The details of easy to load and strapping were key and they helped a bunch. My wife and I have been contemplating getting into kayaking for a couple years. Transporting was always our biggest hurdle. They put the puzzle together asked the questions about our boat and car. Most of all it gave me a ton of confidence I was getting the right gear us. Well worth a little extra.
Although inconvenient to me since I live in Brookfield (Milwaukee area), I think the product selection and staff service level are excellent. Yes, there are online sources with equal or greater product selection, but there are few other paddling resources that have the service level and focus that Rutabaga has. I even know of people in Illinois and far northern Wisconsin that seek out Rutabaga as a top notch resource for us paddling fools.
I also like the fact that if I am diligent, I can find great products on sale or clearance to save money. As a result, I spread the word about Rutabaga far and wide anytime the subject of how to get the good stuff comes up. I am in the process right now of re-fitting for all my Yakima accessories because #$%&* Chevrolet keeps changing the roof racks on my Tahoe (I am on my 5th Tahoe) so I source the products from Rutabaga. Keep up the Good Work, mates!