QUEENS — You can now hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach, and rent a kayak when you get there.
Beachgoers now have new ways to find some summer fun with two new kiosks renting bikes, kayaks and other equipment at Jacob Riis Park beach.
The locations — at the bathhouse and on the promenade — offer bicycles, eight-passenger Surrey pedal cars, choppers and stand-up paddleboards, the company said.
“We are excited…to bring our unique brand of recreation and exploration to Jamaica Bay,” said Al Stonehouse, president of Wheel Fun Rentals — a California-based company that has been awarded a license agreement by the Parks Department and the National Park Service — in a statement.
“We offer a fun way for locals and visitors alike to get outside and spend time together having fun.”
The company will be also renting toys, umbrellas, beach chairs and boogie boards.
Right now there are canoe rental facilities in Canarsie, but the new concessions will increase access to recreational equipment.
In mid-June, the rental kiosks will expand to three more locations along Jamaica Bay: at Canarsie Pier, Riis Landing and Marine Park. These spots will be renting kayaks and canoes.
“Millions of people visit the parks and beaches at Jamaica Bay and the Rockaways each summer, and this concession provides a fun and new recreational amenity,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Veronica White.
“They offer opportunities for New Yorkers and visitors to bike and paddle, while enjoying the natural beauty of the Jamaica Bay region.”
In the summer, from mid-June to Labor Day, the locations will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to sunset. They will also operate in the fall, until October, but only on weekends and holidays.
The prices vary depending on equipment. It costs $35 an hour to rent an eight-passenger Surrey; a cruiser bike is $12 an hour and $32 for a full day; and it costs $20 an hour to rent a paddle board and $5 an hour for a boogie board.
Beachgoers can also rent sand toys for $2 and hour and beach chairs for $3 an hour.
Wheel Fun Rentals was issued a one-year license agreement with an option for three one-year renewals, according to the Parks Department.
