Sunrift Adventures
Reviews
One of the few good independent non-chain stores left. Good selection, excellent and knowledgeable help. I'm planning on buying a kayak (when it gets warm enough!), and these will be my go-to guys.
I've bought a lot of stuff over the years, mainly in the bike shop. The head mechanic Tad is amazing.
The great thing about this store...You can touch things. Short anecdote: I was looking for a knife. Every store I went to has knives (5ish stores). But they are all in plastic packages. I cannot feel the knife, I cannot test the sharpness, I cannot observe it properly. And selection is often poor due to low quality. In fact, most stores have them in clam-shells and locked to the wall so you can't even view the product details on the back of the package. And good luck getting someone to get it off the wall. You walk into Sunrift... not only can you play with the knife, someone is more than happy to tell you about it, and not completely ignore the fact that you exist because they hate their dead end job. They are more than happy to help out, and are pretty damn good at it. Yes... there is a RETAIL environment where the help does not consist of neanderthals! More places should be like this. I have spent more money here than I care to count, and If I will gladly pay more (even though it's often not more but less) just so I don't have to get pissed off at how stupid most retail environments are. I have never been angry while in this store... but I am constantly irritated and disappointed every time I walk into a big box store. You can look at reviews on items all day, but when it comes down to it, if you can't feel it, touch it, and experience it... you don't ever know that you're getting what you really want until it's too late. And you won't be able to do that if you showroom. PS: They carry nice shoes.
Visited the store in April while vacationing in the area. Great customer service, friendly staff and impressive selection of cycling gear. Hats off to Kelly and all the Sunrift crew! Ann Michel Lexington, KY
I have never had anything but positive experiences at Sunrift. Over the years, I have purchased 4 kayaks and 2 paddle boards from there. Most recently, my paddle board fell off my trailer on I-26 and got a large gash on it's side. I dropped it off and John (boat man extraordinaire) called me with a very reasonable quote to fix it a day later. Within a week, he called me to say the board was ready. I could not believe it when I saw it. The board truly looked brand new. The only way I could tell where the gash was is that the area looked slightly more shiny than the rest of this board that has never been used. From my first call there to when I picked it up, the staff could not have been any more friendly. They even stayed open past closing time when I was running late to drop it off due to weather related traffic. I have had numerous interactions with Matt over the years and he truly makes you feel like you are among family there. This is my first interaction with John but what a craftsman he is. I thought my board was a goner with the damage exposing the core foam but he repaired to its original state. I would say Travelers Rest is lucky to have these two men and this store but it is truly the upstate of SC and western NC that benefits from their knowledge and expertise. I have read some of the other reviews about pricing but like anything in life, you get what you pay for. If you are looking for the lowest price around, you might not find it there. What you will find is a knowledgeable and friendly staff that will help guide you in your buying process. Thanks again Matt and John for all of your help! I look forward to using your store in the future.