Al's Sport Store in
Downsville (NY)

We were a group of 8 people for kayaking. They made us like wait for ~2 hours to get us to our kayaks after the payment. The lady in the store was a bit impatient when asked some generic questions regarding the kayak rentals. But once we got into our kayaks it was a good experience hence the 3 stars!!!

Had a very bad experience, they made us wait for 40min at their store and 2 hrs at the kayak start point. Worst part is that, after dropping our cars they made us to sit in the boot of the car, which has full of dog hair. (Disgusted with that experience) When we tried to reach the store over the phone, the lady over there was so rude and not even considerate about the prolonged wait we are facing, she simply hung up the phone. Also, be prepared that they wont care about your safety as they don’t provide a proper route guidance as well. Only good thing about that place was the elder guy over there (may be the owner) was so friendly and helpful, but he is not reachable after our booking, as the rude lady over there phone says he went out.

Absolutely great! Verry, nice place. Helped me find the right rod and reel setup for a great price. Will come see you soon, thanks.

I love kayaking! And Im really glad that I found nice place to rent! People are very generous and nice. Shop is very interesting and amazing! Im looking forward to visit again this summer!

Called to ask about rentals, and when it was mentioned that the rentals were for a non-profit for Veterans the guy said, "Stop right there, not interested" then hung up. Not willing to rent to a group supporting veterans is insane.

I stopped by Al’s store today hoping to get my kayak steamcleaned before paddling in the reservoir. He let me know that he didn’t have time, but graciously gave me the phone number for Gene and his wife who provide a shuttle service for one-day river trips (highly recommend them!) so I could paddle on the Delaware instead. However, while I was walking around Al’s shop talking on the phone with Gene, I saw that he had a book casually sitting on one of his for-sale tables in front of the store titled ‘Jews are the Problem,’ which has a pretty self-explanatory premise. It would be a massive understatement to say I was disappointed to see this out in the open at Al’s store, particularly in an area with the history that the Catskills has. I would urge potential patrons to bring their business elsewhere and not support this antisemite. *EDIT: Al responded that he is "not responsible for the info someone left there." I respectfully disagree. Whether the book is his (I certainly hope not!) or was truly left there by someone else, he is responsible for what is on display at his store. This book was in a prominent location at his store on a Tuesday morning. Seems odd to me that someone would be driving around dropping off antisemitic literature on a weekday morning as he suggests occurred. If that did indeed happen, he should have the sense to remove it. I would also expect Al to express a bit of remorse or shame that I experienced this at his business versus simply shirking responsibility.

Had an amazing experience on 4th of July. Al and his wife were super kind and helpful. We rented a Kayak and did the longer route they suggested (until the third bridge). It took us 1:45h and was very scenic. Would definitely recommend renting kayaks here!

The place to pick up your fishing license and supplies in downsville . Open early with a pretty wide selection of stuff. There are also rooms for rent on the east branch of the Delaware river and kayak and conoe rentals.

Awesome place to rent kayaks or canoes. Make sure you call ahead to reserve. Cool but small rapids as well as a great upper body workout.

We had an amazing time. Took some fantastic pictures. You must go!

Nice little store with beautiful country furniture as well as lots of fishing and hunting supplies. You can get hunting and fishing licenses here and rent a canoe. The canoe ride down to Shinhopple is wonderful. You see lots of beautiful trees, houses, farmland, birds and ducks. If you are lucky you may see eagles. There are a few small rapids but not too difficult.

We visited from the City & it was our favorite shop to stop in to! Renting Kayak/canoes is so easy - be prepared and have your permit ready before hand - Al, is so friendly & informative and will help get you set up within minutes. We also had help from Chad who was just as friendly and helpful! The absolute best part aside from the gift assortments and custom wordworks!!, is Al’s pup, Athena. Prettiest and most friendliest girl ever? Great local shop, thanks for everything! Best shop for all things fishing and hunting!!

We really enjoyed our 6 mile kayaking trip down the East Branch of the Delaware yesterday. Melanie and Al from Al’s Sports Store were very welcoming and helpful. We especially enjoyed the loads of kisses/love that we got from Al’s dog, Athena. ?❤️ Thanks for helping to make it an awesome day! Mark & Leslie

It's always fun to go an owl store especially with me because he just says what's on his mind to me and I do the same thing to him but yes I do love going in that store it's nice pet friendly 2

Al's was great! They were super helpful when we called and were planning our trip. The communication was clear, it was easy to reserve kayak's and they did a great job figuring out how to safely our cars to the end of the trip and get us back to the launch site and we felt like they were taking COVID precautions seriously (masks, riding with the windows downs and only with 1 person from Al's driving, cleaning the boats/vests, etc).

Most AWFUL customer service that I have ever encountered, by far. First time call to make a reservation and was told "I have a REAL HUMAN" standing in front of me looking to buy furniture, can you call back in an hour?"....No problem, I get it, you have to deal with the people you have in front of you. Called back 2 hours later and was again met with a comment about having "actual people lined up", that he was "very busy", so I guess trying to make actual real reservations for 10 adults wasn't important business?

Was on vacation and needed kayak steamed so can put in reservour. Despite open hours Al said no as he had no time! . Two days later tried again and was told "if he had time". He was not friendly! I ran into another couple passing through the area who shared of the same experience with him! Shame given hes the only show in town!

A great sport shop that is loaded with gear for all outdoor activities. The largest bait shop in the area with everything you need to fish the NYC Reservoirs and the local rivers. Great place to rent canoes and kayaks for paddling the Pepacton and nearby East Branch Delaware River. Also have a great selection of gift items, Adirondack chairs and outdoor /cabin type furniture. A must stop when traveling in Delaware cty.

Great place to go to support you fishing and kayaking adventures on the Delaware.

Every time we come to the Catskills, we stop by Al's. Need bait or lures? Got it. Walking stick? Got that too. He's even got local artisan crafts and jellies. And they're always super nice. Rent a canoe, you'll have a great adventure. Highly recommend ?

Cool store! Everything you need for local fishing. Nice selection of canoes and kayaks.They also have some great handmade natural log and wood furniture.

Great staff and good price. They also carry everything you need for fishing.

"Al's a good guy" said the dude we ran into down at the reservoir. He had just caught a truly excellent trout, which I coveted. Wasn't anything wrong with the canoe I rented, either. Old Town canoes, man. Solid.

Al is a really nice guy. We rented a canoe for the day at a very reasonable price. They helped me set up my fishing pole and had the canoe set up at the shore of Pepacton Reservoir - very smooth rental process. The Pepacton was beautiful! Overall, a very good experience. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY PERMITS.

I've done a bunch of canoeing around New England. This is one of the best canoeing experiences I've had. The water and surrounding hills are pristine. I've seen rainbow trout, martens, ducklings of all types and bald eagles here. The river itself can be a bit challenging for beginners - if you're not confident steering a canoe thru some rocks I would suggest practicing before coming here with your kids. There's a chance you could flip if you don't know what you're doing, and it's in the "real outdoors", not a manicured, regulated theme park situation. The river is 95% very slow and mostly very shallow, so it's not really unsafe or dangerous for anyone, you might just get wet. Al and his crew are very friendly and I look forward to going back memorial day weekend. Be sure to make a reservation on holiday weekends, and give the fly fishermen some courtesy. Tip for avoiding the shallows: follow the center of the 'V' when water flows between rocks, and the outside "lane" in the turns is usually the deepest part, sometimes within a few feet of the bank is deepest in turns.

Great for friends & family!! Very fun, & beautiful scenery, probably one of the top 3 things to do in upstate NY during the spring/summer, but be advised that the river can be quite shallow & you may get stuck occasionally. Also, participants should be relatively fit. I believe it's almost 6 miles of river & it is a quite demanding exersice. If you are kayaking i would NOT recommend bringing cameras/ cell phones. They will almost certainly get wet. The 2 person canoes are less likely to flip, and for water to enter, so i might bring a camera. Also, if you have keys make sure you tie them on your person. If they're in a pocket they can still fall in the river if you flip over. Lastly, i would recommend the kayaks over the canoes, but that's a personal preference. I also find them easier. Will definitely go again!!

Went out on the Pepacton Reservoir this past weekend and rented canoes from Al's. Very friendly! Great bait, tackle, and advice. They dropped our canoes, life vests, and paddles just above the damn at the boat launch and away we went. Caught some great smallmouths along the rock ledges all over the reservoir. If you're headed up fishing in and around Downsville you definitely need to stop in!!! Thanks!!