Scoot & Paddle in Milford Offers Something New

Seconds after sitting down for an interview last week with Scoot & Paddle owner Christina Pritchard, a local came in to ask about those tandem bikes the new Devon business rents out.

“We’re having a party,” he said, “thought it might be fun to have for the day.”

It’s that type of curiosity Pritchard hopes will attract “first-timers” to her kayak and bike rental store, which also lends out paddleboards, boogie boards and motorized scooters.

Pritchard, a Devon native who lives around the corner, said kayaking is increasingly becoming a popular summer activity. Her philosophy on the sport and her shop is simple: “It’s something I like to do and I know other people enjoy.”

“We have a big audience that goes to the beaches here,” said Pritchard, adding that her rental business is the only one of its kind she knows of in the area.

Scoot & Paddle opened on May 1. So far it’s been mostly locals who live in Milford year-round that have come in, but Pritchard says she’s bullish that her store will be a hit with summer renters.

The Naugatuck Avenue shop offers rental periods ranging from an hour to a week.

Pritchard said she’d like to eventually carry canoes but right now space is limited. She also wants to increase her inventory of six paddleboards, a water sport she hadn’t tried until she opened the shop.