Everything as expected except for parking $10 and launch fees $15 i think don’t really remember. This should be better communicated when purchasing. You don’t really have a choice once you’re there.
I recently went kayaking and it was a really enjoyable experience. The kayak was stable and easy to control, which made it great for beginners. Being out on the water was very relaxing, and it was a nice way to spend time outdoors and enjoy the scenery. Paddling took a little bit of effort at first, but once I got the hang of it, it felt smooth and fun. Overall, kayaking was a great activity that I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys being outside and trying something active.
Perfect experience, we got plenty of time to paddle and to swim with manatees, great !
amazing experience from the launch to the water! Zack was amazing
We had such an excellent experience with our kayak rental. The staff were welcoming and kind, and they made the whole on-boarding process smooth and easy. We were provided with a map to take with us. We loved that this was a dog-friendly rental and our two pups could come on the kayak with us. The kayaks had excellent seats with adjustable back support, which was an absolute game changer from all the kayaks that we rented in the past at other places. We can only highly recommend this place, and will come back here if we're in Crystal River in the future. Thank you!
Was fun , my husband and I rented a tandem kayak, we are both senior citizens in our seventies, it was our first time kayaking, our kayak operator put us at ease with instructions how to get in and out and how to use the paddles, we love kayaking so much now, can’t wait to go back to Crystal River and kayak again.
Great experience. Kayak rental made it easy to be able to kayak to the springs. Saw so many manatees! When one of our kayaks tipped over, RJ, a tour guide who happened to be near with his group, kindly helped us out. Thanks so much RJ!
We had a wonderful time. We saw manatees , turtles , fish and baby alligators. The weather was great and the water felt amazing.
Crazy crowded with loud obnoxious people and boats. Didn’t see any fish or manatees.., and then a storm blew up 1 1/2 hours into it. Waste of money and an afternoon
Having seen the website and photos of the kayaking alongside manatees and other animals, my family were very excited to experience this so we drove from Kissimmee for this adventure. However on arrival we were checked in and told we had to take a 15 minute walk to where we would get our Kayak and get in the water. On arrival, we were told that they did not have the 2 double kayaks available at that point and we would have to wait. The person trying to organise everything was quite clearly struggling and told us they were understaffed. It took approximately 45 mins for the Kayaks to arrive and when they did there was one seat missing, which they tried to replace. Once on the water we were disappointed that we could not see the bottom as the water was very cloudy / brown unlike the pictures on the website. The lake was very nice however we were very disappointed that we did not see any manatee or any other wildlife other than a few birds. We asked many other people on the lake and they had not seen any either. Bearing in mind that this is advertised as a place where manatee come for winter, you would expect to at least see one. Not somewhere I would be rushing back too
Terrible! The worst experience of boating... There is nothing except dark deep water... Not even close to THE three sisters spring. Don't waste money kayak in crystal river. The management people in crystal river is rude!!!!
We had a threesome and they accommodated us with an extra one single. Liz was great. She needed a speaker on her front and back. We saw so many manatees! Great pics to buy, too.
The beautiful weather, nice rivers & searching for manatees even though it's really hard to see one.
Fantastic time seeing these beautiful animals in a stunning setting.. the water was very cloudy due to so many animals but saw so many.. the staff were excellent and took care at all times and made the trip with a wealth of knowledge. Real value for money and would love to d9 it again.
The expectation is to go kayaking in Crystal river but instead we were directed to King bay which is a less than average experience. Lots of motored boats and dirty, dark water
Crystal River is a nice river with many forks to explore. We did not see any manatees. Where we launched was very busy.
The staff was great and informative! We loved the ease of the launch and the helpfulness of the staff.
Amazing area. We loved seeing the manatees. The Rental was quick, but the Kayak wasn’t in great condition. Seat strap was broken and there was no rudder. We couldn’t track in the water to save our lives.
Kayaking Crystal River was amazing! We saw manatees, brown pelicans, and so much more. Our guides, Jessica and Cody, were well informed and truly committed to making sure that we enjoyed our time on the River by guiding us to their favorite spots! We had a perfect day!
Pretty expensive. Lots of upselling on waterproof phone cases, water etc. $5 “launch fee” because we booked through Tripadvisor. Very crowded in the canals. Dodging many boats. Not a natural area at all. Marketing is all about Manatees and then you find out that they have mostly left the area. Plus Three Sisters spring is closed. Skip it and go see the manatees at Mamossa Springs on foot.
My daughter took the Clear Kayak tour in Three Sisters and loved it. Her guide wss Izzy. At first she had problems getting used to the paddle but after a few tries and bumping into minor stuff, she got the hang of it and really enjoyed the experience. Peaceful, quiet and feeling one with nature. She didn't see any manatees but it was nice regardless. The weather was sunny and warm too. It was about an hour and a half drive from Tampa to Crystal Springs. This was on her bucket list of things to do.
This was an excellent spot to rent kayaks with ample parking at the launch & return site (Kings Bay Park). It's in close proximity to Hunter springs and about an easy 30 minute paddle to 3 Sisters Springs. Three sisters is beautiful and even though it was the last day in June, there were a couple of manatee there. Be advised that in the cold weather months when manatee are abundant the springs area itself is closed as it's a protected area.
Was able to rent two set of kayaks on Memorial Day, right from their website, after our plans were canceled less than an hour before the scheduled time. Employees were super friendly and helpful. The Two Sisters Crystal Springs is a beautiful place. Well worth it!
Very nice, say many manatees, nice place. A bit expensive if you en up renting the suit and everything for all the family. But nice experience, I don,t regret!
Very nice experience. In my opinion, too expensive (you end up paying much more that what is said in the web if you are not coming alone) but we had a great time.
Seeing the manatees Swim under our kayak was spectacular. Enjoying this rare experience with friends made it extra enjoyable.
We are two seniors in relatively good physical condition. Paddles Outdoor Rentals made it easy for us to rent a tandem kayak to see the manatees! The staff was friendly and helpful! The launch was so simple, we didn’t even get wet!
My family and I rented 2 tandem kayaks for 4 hours. The office was well-organized and the staff was helpful and friendly. Another plus was that there was a food stand on the property with lunch items. The water was beautiful, and we had fun paddling down the river. We saw one manatee with a baby. We wish there had been more manatees to see but we still had a very enjoyable time.
My daughter and I rented a tandem kayak for 2 hours and it was great fun! The area is beautiful and there were a lot of friendly people out on the water. We were hoping to see some manatees, but the Gulf was warm that day so we think they were out enjoying it! The office staff and beach boys were very professional, helpful and friendly. Cody helped us feel comfortable with the kayak and explained everything we needed to know. Everyone just seemed happy to be there. It was so refreshing! We recommend Paddles Outdoor Rentals. From start to finish, the experience and staff were exceptional! Thank you.
My son and I did a 4-hour tandem kayak rental last Sunday. Swimming with the manatees has been on my bucket list for a long time. So I was looking forward to this. Even though the weather was drizzly and we only saw one manatee (the water in the Gulf is still warm and the manatees haven't sought refuge in the springs yet), we had a great time. Taylor was our guide and she did a great job pointing things out to us.
My wife and I Is rented a utandum kayak for 2 hours and were so happy we did! The paddle itself was very fun and relaxing. There were people everywhere, but it was easy to maneuver around boats of every type. The water was choppy but it was very shallow so an easy paddle. The check in process was incredibly simple and everyone we encountered was very friendly and welcoming. We would definitely come back to this group again!
Wonderful Thanksgiving week trip and great experience. Took the wife and kids 6, 12 and 12. 2 tandems and 1 single. Staff was wonderful. Very easy experience in and out. Family loved it. Looking forward to our next trip. Don't forget the Gordo if you have one. Plenty of Manatees to see as well as other wildlife.
This was by far the highlight of our trip!! We saw manatees and even dolphins!! Sooooo awesome!!! I would definitely recommend Paddles to be included in your trip to Crystal River!
The rental location is just a few blocks from the water. You will be given clear instructions to get to the water. Once there they will set up your rental for you so all you need to do is get on and get going. Evan was most helpful giving us tips for our rental and set clear expectations. We will return with our little nuggets.
We had a wonderful time. We chose the Eco Tour because it was guided and included snorkel gear and an opportunity to swim in the spring. We weren’t disappointed. Starting with the adorable Paddles business (a beachy spot with waterproof phone case rentals, cute souvenirs, changing rooms, etc), we were transported via van about 1/2 miles to the entry spot. Josh was our guide and he was the best- he was helpful and as a native, knew so much about the area. Would request him next time. Just a wonderful day overall!!!
The service was phenomenal from start to finish. The beach crew did an excellent job. Looking forward to our next visit.
It was so fun ! The trip to the three sister spring is 30 min there and back so prepare for that but it was really fun and a great way to spend time with my partner. :)
Another company canceled on us last minute and Jessica was so wonderful and accommodating booking a kayak for us. Every staff member we encountered was helpful and friendly. Highly recommend!!
Seeing the manatees was amazing and the employees here were awesome definitely will be going back and would highly recommend these guys.
It was our first time kayaking independently. It was family trip with my wife and 7yo kid. Had a jolly good time. Saw a few manatees but we were more excited about the kayaking. Me and my son did the tandem.. he managed it quite well by his own. I’d mention that leave some energy for the return trip which is against the current and wind. Was exhausting, but surely be back
Staff is very nice and polite, kayaks are nice and the area is beautiful. We had a lot of fun kayaking.
Great experience from the girls at the front desk to the guys helping us load up. Maybe should have done single kayaks but doing tandem with teens worked out fine.
We had an amazing day! The staff were knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating, patient, and very fun to be around. The equipment was adequate and we felt safe and prepared when heading out for our unguided adventure. Our only wish was for higher back rests for the kayaks. We saw a ton of manatees and enjoyed every minute of our four hours out on the water!
We had a great time. Kayak was clean and comfortable and held up our fat butts out of the water. Would go back again.
Great service . fast and quick service . great trip. From the girl in the office to the men on the dock everyone was friendly.
Great experience. Easy to rent and get out in the water to see the area. Highly recommend. 3 & 5 yr old daughters loved it
Took a trip there on Dec 23, 2020. Beach crew was super nice and cool to us. Actually the beach crew working Dec 22, 2020 was kind enough to give us an overview of the tandem kayaking options. As a result - we booked on Dec 23. It was a great experience. Of course, the the beach crew on the day of the activity were very polite and pleasant.
Great company. After calling 5 companies in the area on the busiest day of the year, this company was able to accommodate my family of 6. We rented 3 tandem kayaks and they took care of all our needs. It was easy. They gave us very easy and clear directions on where to paddle to see and swim with the manatees. We saw a ton. The whole family had a great time. The company even helped us out with driving us back to the local airport so we wouldn't need to get uber. Will Definitely use them again. They went out of their way making sure we were taken care of .
This was our second time out with family in town visiting, as we are local. We had a large group of 11. Josh and Taylor were great and efficient to get us through and to the water quickly on a busy holiday week. Reserving the kayaks/paddle boards ahead of time helped but wasn’t necessary. Great time and lots of manatees to see no matter where we went!
Incredible experience and an awesome company that has all the gear you need to make it a perfect trip. We rented a kayak and swim gear to swim with the manatees. We snorkeled for over 2 hours and absolutely loved it. Definitely a must do activity!!
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