Kalavida Surf Shop

Staff was very helpful in getting my mom and I set up on some paddle boards for Wahine Wednesday! Very fun activity, so nice to socialize with some locals over some delicious catering made by Gumtree! The team was so helpful that we decided to rent bikes the following day and ride the Rail Trail; overall just a great experience wouldn’t go anywhere else for my Okanagan adventures!

I’ve noticed a lot of reviews for Kalavida recently that talk about the lack and care of the customer service team. Maybe it’s time they were taken seriously…
We rented a single paddleboard from here for 4 hours. After the mess around with parking and getting ready, 30 mins had transpired and we hadn’t even grabbed the paddleboard from the storage area yet. When I went and asked if the rental started now, the employee rudely told me it starts when we paid. After a slight argument he agreed to add 15 mins onto our rental.
He then came and smugly reminded us 5x when our paddleboard rental was over. When we asked to speak with the manager after, they both teamed up on us and made up lies about checking video tapes. I could tell because the story kept changing.
He told us to get out and that he didn’t care “because he knew we wouldn’t shop there again and it doesn’t matter”.
I wouldn’t have bothered with the review if I hadn’t noticed the 5+ negative reviews in the past year with the exact same comments of a rude and smug person behind the counter. It was the worst gear rental experience I’ve ever had.
The owner is welcome to argue with me but I think the other negative reviews tell the story. We’re not alone.
Like I said, maybe it’s time you review your customer service process.

I don’t usually write reviews…but I felt obligated to write one about our experience. I’ve been renting from Kevin for the last two years and everything was always great-The staff were helpful and friendly, adjusted the bike seat, made sure you were comfortable on the bike, explained everything clearly, helped adjust your helmet if needed.

Unfortunately customer service has plummeted which is super sad to see. I’ve seen other reviews about similar experiences as ours.

Someone in front of us rented a bike for two hours and wasn’t asked to park elsewhere. We rented a bike for 4 hours, I was told that I’d have to move my car because the parking is for the cafe-this was on a Monday (when we arrived back there was over 10 parking spots available) …. I explained my mom had some mobility issues and being closer would be more convenient. I was told it didn’t matter, the guy at the counter was very curt and not empathetic at all.

I was getting my bike out of my car and the young girl who gave my mom the rental bike just told her to return the bike on time. My mom asked for help to adjust the seat and the helmet and the girl said she didn’t do that sort of stuff….

I’m quite sad about the treatment my mom and I received as I really loved Kalavida.
I want this review to help the owners be more aware and for staff to have better customer service skills so people can have a safe and enjoyable experience.

Booking online is fast and easy. Quick signing of the waiver when you arrive. Luke had us sized for paddles and life jackets in the blink of an eye. A few steps with your board to the lake and you're in the most beautiful water in the country. Don't even think of renting anywhere else!

Great experience and so fun! We took a dip in the lake too. 4 hrs only took us to oyama, lunch, dip, and back.

Not great experience, booked online night before, weather had changed by next day, server thunder shower warning. They called me to reschedule due to weather change, couldn't reschedule as we were heading back home. Was told to bad, charged 150 and never got to use them

Great $30 bike rental for 2 hours.
Bike ride along the Okanagan Rail Trail was amazing!

We rented a couple of SUPs from Kalavida and the process - from online reservation to in person check-in - was seamless. It was our first time paddle boarding so the young woman who checked us in gave us some pointers to get started. The service and value for money was excellent, so we bought a punch card. We’ll definitely be back.

This is the probably the worst place to rent something. The equipment may be fine. The customer service is really rude especially the man at the counter (probably the manager). He has no courtesy. Extremely rude and they did not help us with the setup of the child trailer etc. All he was bothered about was that we return the bikes within 2 hrs. He even started the time much prior to we started our ride. At the end of our rental we were returning the helmets etc and he treated us really disrespectfully. The rates are also quite expensive and their cruiser bikes are really bulky and not that comfy.

Last night I and some friends went to Wahine Wednesday paddle boarding for ladies. Awesome evening! Great instructions, lots of laughter and a very nice spread of goodies + drinks after paddling served at the shop. The owners did an excellent job! The Wahine Wednesday runs every second Wednesday right into September. I certainly will be enjoying more Wahine Wednesdays

I rented 5 bikes and the child carrier. I had some questions but at no time did anyone answer the phone so I could ask them. Our time was from 10-12. We did not start until 10: 10 as they set up the child carrier. They did not help make sure seats were properly adjusted so we had to stop several times to do this on our ride.

The manager will reply to this review saying that I was rude to his employee which is untrue. I tried to rent the paddle, they provided me with the material, I was left by myself to go the water, I didn’t actually used the paddle and decided to return, just to find out they do not refund your money even if you didn’t use the material. This was NOT clear when I rented the paddle.
Really, an unhelpful and manipulative manager, I would never treat any of clients like that, I went to have a fun moment, Kalavida took it from me with a ridiculous non-refundable police for rentals that are NOT used!

Always a great experience renting and shopping at Kalavida! Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Our go to for rentals with out of town guests!

Such a great experience biking along the rail trail! Easy to get Oyama and back within the 2 hours on an e-bike. I'll be renting again there for sure:)

Did a quick stop to inquire about SUP. Staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. They have a good inventory of quality boards