
St. Pete Beach opened four fully automated paddle board rental stations across the city in response to residents asking for more access to water recreation.
“We’re just trying to hit some of the goals we set with our strategic plan,” said St. Pete Beach COO Jennifer McMahon. “This was one of them.”
Two of the rental stations are located near the snack shacks on Pass-A-Grille Beach and Upham Beach. The other two stations are at Egan Park and McKenney Park.
McMahon said residents can expect more amenities soon.
“We’re adding docks, new ones, here at Egan, at McKenney, so people can access water,” she said.
The city partnered with a company called PADL to install the self-service paddle boards. Each station has four paddle boards that can be rented for $19 per hour through the PADL app.
“I think it’s super cool — this is a real neat, modern, way for people to be able to get out on the water and recreate in St. Pete Beach,” said resident Karen Marriott. “You don’t have to tie it to the roof of your car. You don’t have to have a place to store it in your garage.”