When Robin Bristol and her family traveled from Argyle to kayak on the Mohawk River this Memorial Day, they showed up mostly empty-handed.

”We wanted to get out in the fresh air and do something fun with the family and the nice weather,” Bristol said.

The family of four set sail from one of the newest self-serve stations operated by Upstate Kayak Rentals.

“It was pretty easy,” Bristol said. “I just looked online and then I made a phone call and you can come pick it up. They just give you a code to unlock the kayak, and you just kind of do your own thing.”

The kayak-sharing company allows customers to book a time slot on their mobile device before picking up their boats, paddles and life vests. To limit the spread of the coronavirus, customers are asked to bring their own cleaning wipes.

“I think the fact that you can do it at a distance and do it on your own terms is a big selling point right now,” Bristol said.

“People are limited as to what they can do, and we have a lot of first-timers, which is great. They are bringing their families and friends, small groups,” said Robin Larkin, who founded the company seven years ago.

Larkin’s company now has more than a half-dozen self-service hubs spread between the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, and other local waterways.

“You can paddle from Bethlehem, Coeymans, Albany on the Hudson River, and land in our Waterford location,” Larkin said.

“It is kind of nice, because you can try them all out if you want to, do a different one each weekend,” Bristol said.

For Bristol and her family, it offered a chance to explore new sights and break up the monotony of life in quarantine.

“It is just nice and calm, and you get to see nature up close and be with your family,” Bristol said. “It feels amazing to be outside on the water and not at home, stuck on a computer all day.”