BOISE, Idaho — Idaho River Sports helps people get out on the water, this local business rents out gear while also providing a one-stop-shop for kayakers, rafters and paddleboarders.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Idaho River Sports closed down during march and for all of April, which hurt their bottom line, but they have reopened just as the peak season begins.
"We don't want to close down, we are happy everyone is supporting a local business that is a really nice thing to do in times like this," said Connor Flynn, who works at Idaho River Sports. "But we have to do our part to make sure we stay open for the long run."
Idaho River Sports is taking extra precautions when it comes to the coronavirus.
The employees wear masks, they have masks available for customers, and only allow three people inside the retail part of the business at a time.
They are also disinfecting the gear they rent out cleaning the boats and boards with bleach when someone brings back a life jacket it goes into quarantine before it gets cleaned and rented out to another customer.
"It's taking us a little longer to get people on the water because we are taking so many steps, but we also want to make sure we are doing our part to keep everyone safe.," said Flynn.
Idaho River Sports also has a first-hand glimpse of Quinn's Pond, and Flynn tells us after the stay-at-home order ended, the beach has gotten more crowded as restrictions were lifted and the weather got warmer.
"As soon as everything started opening back up, it got busy out here," said Flynn. "I definitely got a little bit nervous."
That's why the staff at Idaho River Sports encourages people to rent equipment and get out on the water, even though they explain social distancing in their own language, they hope people will continue to take the six-foot distance seriously.
"Stay a kayak length away or be a paddle length away," said Flynn. "We are trying to encourage our renters to social distance at the beach, but we can't be out there talking to every single group of people."
