About Offshore Marine / Paddling Warehouse
We're moving to a bigger home! This December, Offshore Marine & Paddling Warehouse moves into a new freestanding building at 28041 N Bradley Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045, with a 6,000-square-foot showroom (two and a half times the size of our Lake Bluff showroom) and 6,000 square feet of warehouse space. We'll be open at the new location in early to mid-December 2026. Until then, visit us at 28841 Nagel Court, Suite 5, Lake Bluff, IL 60044. Call 847.283.0400 for the latest updates.
Offshore Marine & Paddling Warehouse is Chicagoland's specialist store for canoes and kayaks. In our new 6,000-square-foot showroom in Lake Forest, Illinois, we stock more than 130 kayak models and more than 40 canoe models. You can see, touch and sit in the boats before you buy, and you'll get advice from people who know paddling.
What we carry
- 130+ kayak models: recreational, day touring, sea and touring, fishing (paddle, pedal and motor-drive), whitewater, and crossover kayaks
- 40+ canoe models: solo and tandem canoes for lakes and rivers, tripping canoes, and fishing canoes
- 50 canoe and kayak paddle options: from lightweight carbon touring paddles to bent-shaft and traditional wood canoe paddles
- Car-topping and transport: Yakima and Thule roof rack systems, kayak and canoe carriers, and trailers
- Technical paddling wear: drysuits, wetsuits, paddling jackets and layers for cold-water and four-season paddling
- Paddling-specific safety gear and accessories: life jackets (PFDs), spray skirts, bilge pumps, paddle floats, and more
- Inflatable boats: we're the Chicago-area dealer for Highfield rigid-hull inflatable boats (RIBs), with complete boat-and-motor packages
Brands include Old Town, Wilderness Systems, Perception, Dagger, Eddyline, Delta, Native Watercraft, Bonafide, Ocean Kayak, Melker of Sweden, Wenonah, Northstar, Nova Craft, Esquif, Swell, Highfield, Yakima, Thule and YakAttack.
Why paddlers shop with us
Most big-box and outdoor chain stores near Chicago keep only a handful of boats on the floor, if they have any at all. We built our store around the opposite idea: buying a kayak or canoe goes better when you can compare dozens of hulls side by side, and talk to someone who can match a boat to your body, your skill level, your budget, and the water you plan to paddle, whether that's the Fox River, the Chicago River, Lake Michigan, or the Boundary Waters.
We serve paddlers across Chicago, the North Shore, Lake County, the northwest suburbs and southeastern Wisconsin, and we offer local delivery and in-store pickup.
Our history
Fritz Hanselman founded Offshore Marine in Chicago in 1979 as a sailing and windsurfing shop. A suburban store opened in 1987. In the early 1990s, the shop shifted its focus from sailing to canoes and kayaks, and by the late 1990s the two locations had combined into one in Lake County. In 2011 we moved into a warehouse-style space in Lake Bluff, which was designed to show off a wide range of boats. That's where the name Paddling Warehouse comes from.
In 2016, former Offshore employee Matt O'Brien, a Chicago theatre producer and director, became the owner and carried on the shop's focus on expert service. In December 2026 we move into a freestanding building at 28041 N Bradley Road in Lake Forest, with a 6,000-square-foot showroom and 6,000 square feet of warehouse space. It's our biggest home yet, with room for our full selection of kayaks, canoes and gear.
Visit us
Offshore Marine & Paddling Warehouse
Starting in early to mid-December 2026: 28041 N Bradley Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045
Until then: 28841 Nagel Court, Suite 5, Lake Bluff, IL 60044
847.283.0400 · info@offshore-chicago.com
Our hours change with the season and around boat shows and deliveries. Current hours are on our home page, or you can call before making the trip.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I see kayaks and canoes in person near Chicago?
Our showroom has more than 130 kayak models and more than 40 canoe models in stock. It's one of the largest in-person selections in the Chicago area.
Do you sell canoes, or just kayaks?
Both. We carry more than 40 canoe models, both solo and tandem, from brands like Wenonah, Northstar, Nova Craft and Esquif, along with 50 canoe and kayak paddle options.
Can you help me get a boat home?
Yes. We sell and fit Yakima and Thule roof rack systems, and we also carry trailers and offer local delivery.
Do you carry cold-water paddling gear?
Yes. We stock technical paddling clothing and paddling-specific safety gear for Lake Michigan and year-round paddling.
Where is the store located?
Until our move in December 2026, we're at 28841 Nagel Court, Suite 5, Lake Bluff, IL 60044. After that, we'll be at 28041 N Bradley Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045, opening in early to mid-December.
Offshore in the community
Offshore / Paddling Warehouse supports Illinois performing arts and educational organizations through cash support and product donations. They include Lake Forest College, Northern Illinois University, DePaul University, Columbia College Chicago, Openlands, Cavaliers Arts, Performance & Education, Lookingglass Theatre, Phantom Regiment, and the North Chicago Public Education Foundation. If your Chicago-area non-profit works on higher education or the arts, ask us about product donations for fundraising.