First off, their building is beautiful--a rarity for a dive shop--and its cabana atmosphere makes you feel you're in the tropics and setting off on an adventure. Secondly, even though I did not in the end buy anything here, they treated me like royalty. I came in and stated I wanted to see masks for freediving and the staff member (she may have been the owner, not sure) very expertly showed me several low-volume masks suitable for freediving. At a lot of SCUBA shops, they are murky at best on their freediving knowledge and some are even dismissive of freedivers, as in "gah, we'll sell him an expensive mask at best" but not here: instead she was very concerned the mask fit my face and was right for me. Unfortunately, I was not fully pleased with the fit of any of the masks (not their fault, I'm picky and low-volume masks are hard to fit anyways) so I didn't buy one. Yet based on their superb customer service I will come here when-ever possible for anything diving related I require and send all my diving friends and fiends here (our numbers, verily, are legion) as well. read more

We chose this dive shop over the others thanks to Groupon. I am so so happy we ended up with these guys for our manatee snorkel. The dive shop is on the main drag of town and they have a large, very professional building. When we arrived, were fitted with wetsuits, fins, and snorkels and shown a short video on how to behave around manatees. We then made our way to the dock. We went on July 9th, which isn't the best time of year to try to see manatees. Our tourguide/captain/videographer, Eric, was amazing and didn't turn this into a problem. He patiently searched the water for signs of them. We first came to a mom and baby - Eric jumped in first and tried to see if the manatees wanted to hang out or if they wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately, the baby didn't want to play with us that day. Eric hopped back in the boat and eventually found another manatee that was very calm and willing to put up with tourists. Having lived in the desert for 6 years now, I quickly realized that I am not as strong of a swimmer as I used to be. Throw in the fact that I have never used fins before and the water was too murky to see the bottom - I became a mess in the water. I did my best to get out to Eric and the manatee but after some poor swimming I asked if I could use a life vest. I know I'm ridiculous but I wanted to touch a manatee so bad, even if that meant looking like a fool. Handling myself much better with the life vest, I quickly got out to the manatee. He was about 10 feet long and was just munching away on sea grass while we touched his back. We swam with him for about a half hour and it was amazing. Eric did a great job filming as well, so we bought the DVD. It's a little pricey at $40, but it's a great keepsake. These things didn't bother us, but may for some people so i feel it's worth mentioning: Our wetsuits that they gave us were damp and cold - not a pleasant way to start off the morning. You have to drive from the dive shop to the dock yourself and there was a $5 parking charge. They do not provide towels and we didn't think to bring one. Make sure you bring towels and something to store your wet gear in for the drive back to the dive shop. Also, don't be afraid to ask for a life vest if it will make you feel more comfortable. Everyone at the shop was very friendly and professional. I bet their dives are great as well. Eric was patient with us and did a great job making sure everyone had a chance to swim with the manatee - I really cannot say enough nice things about him! I definitely recommend American Pro Dive Center if you are heading to Crystal River to see the manatees. read more

American Pro Diving Center - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

American Pro Diving Center provided us an experience, on June 13, 2023, that was amazing. Captains John and Ryan were professional, informative and safety conscious for the Manatees as well as their human guests. This was a bucket list check off for me, after living in Florida the last 6 years. I felt confident and relaxed in the 72* water. The wet suit, although challenging to get on, was very much-appreciated swim/floating in the fresh-water spring. The mask and snorkel were also very comfortable. I would give this adventure a 10 out of 10 for the way this fun, friendly adventure was experienced. A big shout-out to my children for asking if I wanted to swim with the Manatees, I'm so glad I said yes. John and Ryan were great hosts, and found the right spot to see 5 Manatees grazing as well as a momma with her baby nursing as they swan and ate the sea grass in the beautiful Crystal River.... AMAZING Day. THANK YOU read more

My family was in town for the week and we were looking for activities to entertain two preteens. I found this place through a Groupon to snorkel with manatees in the Crystal River. It was the best decision I've made since moving to Florida! The experience was remarkable and humbling to swim with these gentle creatures. When we first arrived the service was speedy. We can presented our Groupon and then tried on wetsuits (wetsuit rental was included in the Groupon). Once our wetsuits were on we watched a short informative manatee video. Then we drove to a dock and boarded the. 35 ft. pontoon boat with the others. Once in the water the tour guide swam in the water with us and guided us to the creatures. We swam with at least three of them during our time in the water. Awesome experience everyone even the preteens enjoyed the experience. I hope to get the opportunity to snorkel with them again. read more

I did a manatee experience with American Pro Divers on January 18th and it was fantastic. It was a pretty cold morning (38 degrees!) but the water was nice and warm once you got in. We weren't able to go to 3 sisters springs, which was a bit of a disappointment because the water there looked amazing. The water where we went was not clear, but that being said, you could still completely see the manatees. And there were tons! They were swimming up to us left and right, we had tons of up-close experiences and interactions. Our guide helped us all to make sure we got to experience them and that we did so safely. It was amazing swimming in the wild with these gentle giants, the experience all seemed surreal because of how awesome it was. I definitely recommend this to anyone visiting the area, and don't forget to check groupon for discounts! (We saved 70$ on two people with a groupon!) read more

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I cannot rave enough about American Pro Diving! These guys are in the know and are the best!! I knew I wanted to go snorkeling with Manatees, so before I even left for vacation, I searched the interwebs for the best place and came across this one. Perfectly nestled in Crystal River, it is one of the best areas for spotting Manatees. Compared to the rest of the groups that offer snorkeling, they are highly rated and have other trips to offer as well (something I wish I had time to do then). Thankfully, while visiting their website, I found a link to a Groupon for two to go Snorkeling, all equipment included. And, so I jumped on it. It was a great early investment I knew I would cherish. So, when it came time to leave for my trip, I called a few days prior to set the time I would arrive for which dive. I wanted to be sure they had space available for their early morning snorkeling trip. After checking in that morning and getting all the gear, it was a quick 2 minute drive to the marina (you pay $5 parking fee), and head on over to the boat. After about a 5 minute boat ride, the captain explains all that will happen and where you are going. After a brief history lesson, it was time to hit the water. And, when we dived in and saw the manatees nestled in napping that morning, it was worth every moment. We spent a couple of hours taking underwater photos with our GoPro (while the captain did a video of everyone's experience). It was the first time I had ever gone snorkeling and it was an experience I will always remember. Returning to the boat, we dried off, changed out of our gear and headed back to the dive center to return our gear and check out the video. While the video is separate, it was worth the money to have that experience on camera. If you have the opportunity to go, it is truly worth it. No experience is necessary and they are very good at answering any questions you have. Come prepared with an underwater camera (even if disposable) as you will want to take photos!!! read more

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The master dive instructor (Cody Smith) is very safe, almost to a fault. I'd trust him without reservation to teach my minor son how to dive and I did. He us friendly and makes the class fun however he is seriously safe and he teaches safe SCUBA. The shop is fully stocked with both SCUBA and gifts. read more

My husband and I went on the Manatee Snorkel Tour with Captain Tom & Tom via the Groupon deal. We loved every moment of the tour -- which comes with free wet suit and free snorkeling equipment rental. Tom was not only a very knowledgeable guide and spent time engaging with the group with interesting facts about the manatees, but he spent time navigating through various channels in the Crystal River to make sure the group could get to a dedicated spot (as opposed to other tours that we could see going on that seemed to all be crowding around a single spot). We were really lucky and ended up swimming with a male, female, and baby manatees on our trip. All the staff at the center itself seemed really friendly and the tour was very well organized and timely. It is family-owned and shows! read more

Had a great time diving with the manatees! It really was an amazing experience! John was such a great guide, he made sure we all got a good look at the majestic creatures read more

First time trying snorkeling with the manatees. Maria our Captain was extremely knowledgeable. We found a few manatees in clear water but they move surprisingly fast. A group of six was found in not nearly as clear water. I was only able to see the back half of the manatee due to the number of other tours there and the speed of the manatees. They are HUGE. My daughter was able to see more of the front of one. Next time I would try to swim out more ahead of where they may be headed rather than trying to catch up to them. I would definitely try to go again and would have no problems going back to American Pro Diving. Not as many in the waters when the Gulf starts to get warmer so go more in winter time if you can. Look for deals on Groupon or other sites. Expect to tip the Captain and parking at the waterfront is $5/car. Take towels or sweats with you on the boat for when you get out and take your wet suit off. Put sunscreen on your face. You can place a few items in the overhead bins to stay dry. They have all sizes of wet suits and if you wear glasses make sure you know your prescription and to ask for prescription masks. read more

BEST DAY EVER!! The best, most unique experience we've shared as newlyweds. We couldn't have asked for a better boat crew with John and Jerry. They provided an experience of a lifetime with getting up close and personal with a gentle giant. We will be back again with our growing family :) read more

Such a great 2 days! We went in the beginning in June and did 2 snorkels. Our guide Cory was amazing for both days! Day 1 we did the rainbow river, WOW what clear beautiful water! We saw natural springs, many fish, many turtles, and beautiful under water formations. You are dropped off up river and the current brings you back to the dock area while the boat and guide float along side you. Cory would see things from the boat and point them out so we could float of over to see them. I want to go back just writing this review! Day 2 we did the manatee snorkel. I was not expecting too much being June and all but another WOW moment! We started with 2 manatees in very murky shallow water which was frustrating because even when they are right under you its very very hard to see them. Once we left those two, we saw about 5 others so we anchored again. This time we were able to see them a bit more and 2 of the 5 were playful! Like large puppies! They were rolling around with us, letting us touch them and hang out with them for about 30 min. I would defiantly recommend this to anyone visiting the area or even coming in from Tampa or Ocalla. read more

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Spent 4 days with AmPro to see the manatees & dive some of the springs in the area. I drove down from the DC area with two friends, one of whom was a last-minute addition to the trip & wasn't a diver. AmPro was incredibly friendly & accommodating adjusting our plans to include a non-diver during our dives. Once there, we were impressed how nice the store was. Very clean, bright, welcoming and well stocked. Over the course of our dives (we did a 7-dive package), we got to see AmPro operation: they've clearly been doing this for awhile and have learned how to run a business: everything from equipment outfitting, travel to the sites (maps for everyone, just in case - nice touch!), getting everyone on the boat, dive & safety briefings, knowledge of the sites, fast air refills, repairs... they had it all down pat! Special kudos to Cory, Phil and Mike for making our trip a memorable one! :) read more

American Pro Diving Center - Me & my dive buddy! - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

We did the Manatee tour (check groupon for discounts) Our tour guides were Cory and Jerry everything was GREAT. It started on time after watching a short video we drove to the doc and got on the boats. It wasn't even 15 min. before we got to see the Manatees. Cory was great at spotting them and we got to see a mom and baby feeding. It was a great time. Water was supper cold, make sure you bring Towels and snacks if you would like. read more

American Pro Diving Center - On the boat before we went in the water - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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We completed our Open Water PADI certification with American Pro Diving Center on July 2nd. We chose the Crystal River area so we could do our open water dives in the springs and chose APDC based on reviews. We could not be happier with our choice. The entire staff is extremely helpful and very friendly; we felt comfortable from the minute we walked in the door. Our instructor, Cody, was very knowledgeable, thorough and patient. He was committed to ensuring our safety and success. Tom was our captain on the second day of open water check dives. He set expectations and was very clear about safety procedures on the boat. He interacted with the group and provided interesting facts about the area. We will be returning for our Advanced PADI certification. Thank you! Brian & Nikole read more

Wonderful experience! Highly recommend! We went in early January when it was in the 40-45 degree range so bring extra blankets and coats when you get out of the water. The captains were nice enough to provide hot chocolate to everyone which helped a lot. We saw maybe 30-35 manatees...mom's and babies. Some even rubbed up against you as thru floated to the top for air. read more

American Pro Diving Center - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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Very disappointing experience. Booked a group trip with them for Feb 24, and filled their boat with 14 customers. We had planned this trip for over a month and were assured by American Pro Divers that plenty of manatees would still be in the area thru March. They knew we were a large group driving 3+ hrs for this trip. The weather has been warm and the manatees moved out into the gulf a couple weeks ago, but American Pro Divers did not give us a heads up that the manatees had moved out. Only after we started our trip did the boat captain warned us politely that the manatees had gone out in the gulf and we might have a hard time finding them, and we would be lucky to find one manatee in dark brown water. We toured for 2.5 hrs looking for manatees down every canal and area the boat could get into and not a single manatee was to be found. Knowing that this was a large group coming from a distance, they should have let us know we may not see anything or offered us something else. We called to speak to management to let them know about our disappointment and were told that the manager would call us back, however, they never called. I would not recommend American Pro Divers. read more

i didn't end up using this company because it was further than i thought but i want to tell you how professional and friendly they are. i spoke with john and planned to book a manatee tour but when i realized how far it was from orlando after a full evening of disney world, he was very receptive. he even shared some cool places nearby. i plan to vacation there in the near future so i can support their business. seems like a very relaxing vacation spot. read more

I booked a manatee trip for myself, my husband, and my mother, and we all loved it. We were on a budget on our last few days, but really wanted to make this trip. They had a Groupon which expired a few days before, but they had amazing customer service and were able to work out a deal for us. The tour guide, Josh, was great and made it an amazing experience. We went in the winter months, and we saw over three dozen manatees, including cow/calf pairs. It's amazing to be in the water with these gentle giants, and American Pro Diving Shop helped us get the best experience possible. I would totally recommend them! read more

American Pro Diving Center - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Our Manatee swim experience with American Pro Diving Center was AWESOME! We arrived to check in and we're sized for wet suits and flippers. We then watched a Short safety and informational video and met our captain (Captain Mike). We followed him over to the marina which was very close by. Once we were on the boat, we headed down to the springs where the manatees hang out. We saw about 15 manatees! The instructions we were given were clear about passive interaction with the manatees and we were able to get some great photos and videos of these gentle giants. We were out for a decent amount of time and then headed back to the boat. Captain Mike was great at giving us more info on the manatees and Captain Bubba who was the on deck captain during our dive was also very friendly and informative! They offered us hot chocolate after the dive to keep us warm on the ride back to the marina! read more

American Pro Diving Center - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

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What an amazing experience! American Pro Diving Center really cared about getting us a great snorkel experience with the manatees. They took their time finding the perfect spot with these amazing animals. I like that they educate you about manatees. It is not just an outfit that sends you into the water. The entire staff was engaging and extremely friendly. Thank you for a life changing experience. We will be back with family members. read more

Absolutely fantastic diving weekend with John at American Pro. This place, and John, are the real deal. Super knowledgeable, fun, educational, professional. I will be back with friends and family!! read more

We had a late start due and didn't think we could make our manatee snorkel tour. If we couldn't, they were flexible about letting us attend a tour the next day. Luckily we made it! Although late, they were able to catch us up to the group since we had our own gear. The captain/guide Marlin was fun, friendly and knowledgeable about the manatees. He was also really patient with the newbie snorkelers. He lead our overhead dive @ Paradise Springs and was good at pointing out interesting creatures and fossils. The armor catfish was my favorite! We plan to come back in the winter and hope to have Marlin again. read more

Really fun experience seeing the manatee. Guide was friendly and information. Groupon price can't be beat. Went with a group of theee people, only two others on board the ship during off season. All gear was provided, and wetsuits included (a must, this water is cold). read more

Nice store. Full service dive shop, Went in looking for diving fins, very helpful. They took my email address for sending me additional info on diving trips, haven't heard anything from them since my visit. I've been on 6 dives since my visit, just not with them. read more

I had a broken Mares mask that I did not buy from them. I took it in, he said let me take a look and went in the back for a few. He found the broken part I needed. The professional part is that he came and asked if he could try and install with the risk of breaking it. I gave him the go ahead and he fixed the mask and didn't charge me! I will give these guys my business going forward. read more

This is my second time doing the manatee tour and Discover scuba with American Pro Diving. I had a wonderful time. Both John and Cody found the manatees quickly and we spent a lot of time in the water watching them. It was truly a magical experience. Their joke are eye-rolling and funny. Cody was our instructor for Discover Scuba and that was so much fun!! It was great to see the plants and wildlife so close underwater where they live. Can't believe all the details on the fishes that I can see. Cody was there every step of the way and I feel completely safe with him guiding me. I would definitely recommend them to anyone coming to Crystal River and looking to have a good time. read more

I went on a field trip with this group and they were amazing with the children! Everyone is very professional and you have have an amazing experience read more

We decided to try the manatee swim and a couple of dives our 2nd day of our vacation. Even though we had been out till 1am the night before at Halloween horror nights this was well worth the lack of sleep. The dive staff was extremely friendly and very helpful. Any time you are in Florida this is a must. I can't begin to describe how incredible it is when a baby manatee swims up to you to let you pet him. I also recommend the crystal river dive. My cousin and I had our 1 tank of air last for over an hour. Amazing visibility!! read more

American Pro Diving Center - Diving Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

I wanted to share the quality of service that we received from a local dive shop while in Crystal River, Florida. There are many dive shops to choose from in that area. We should have read reviews first, but we noticed American Pro Diving Center while driving around so we chose them to do business with. We needed a few things to make our dive vacation go smoothly, and we decided to buy some things instead of renting. Of course being on vacation, we also bought plenty of souvenirs. At American Pro Diving Center, It took a longer than usual for them to help us but we understood as the shop was busy with customers. They were booking dive classes and helping others, so our group of 9 people waited patiently to ask questions about certain wet suits, booties, masks and a dive vest for myself. When it was our turn, we did not receive good customer service. The sales reps were quick and seemed pre-occupied with other things. Maybe I am just used to Texas hospitality. Between everyone in our group, we spent over $650 at American Pro Diving Center. I personally bought a shorty wet suit and a hooded vest which totaled $175. I did not wear the hooded vest, it was still brand new with tags and in the same bag it came in. We went back the next day and asked for a refund since it was not used, and it did not fit properly. The lady that "helped" us was not friendly at all. She said the vest could not be returned for a refund, but that they could give a store credit. We explained that we were on vacation and did not live nearby, therefore we would not be able to use the store credit anytime soon. Greg spoke to the manager on the phone, but the manager said the same thing and was not willing to do anything else. He was very unhelpful and preferred to keep our money, rather than provide great customer service and earn a good review from us. Overall, I would not recommend this dive shop. It was convenient for us at the time but the prices were high and the customer service was below average. Instead, I would recommend Birds Underwater, which is about a mile away (www.birdsunderwater.com). read more

My bf and I did the two day PADI Open water dive certification and couldn't have been happier! Both of us flew in from other states to take this b/c of the reviews we had seen and b/c we needed something in the time frame for our schedules. We did the e-learning ahead of time. The price/availability and instruction was fabulous! The equipment was all made available, and we never felt uncomfortable or rushed. I had seen some reviews saying that "faster" sessions for certification could gloss over the important aspects of diving but we felt that we were well prepared and reviewed in both the pool and open water dive sessions. I tend to get claustrophobic and I have contacts so I was a bit worried about the entire process, but Phil E was great and made sure he was aware of our concern points and accommodated accordingly. Couldn't be happier with the training and ease of the process with American Pro! Thanks! read more

I want to start off by saying our tour guide, Phil, was amazing! He was the ONLY good part about this place. After wanting to swim with manatees for over a year, I stubbled across a Groupon for American Pro Diving in Crystal River. Now, Crystal River is FOUR hours away from where we were vacationing in Florida, but I figured I'd give the place a call and see if it was worth it. On the phone, I told the woman who answered that I would be coming from four hours away. She highly recommended the Homosassa tour instead of the Crystal River tour, claiming I would see "so many more manatees." Of course the Groupon didn't apply for the Homosassa tour which costs $68 per person. But how could I say no when the woman on the phone was RAVING about Homosassa, saying it's much better than Crystal River. So I bought tickets for myself and my family, and at 3:30am one fine Wednesday morning we embarked on our four hour journey. You might be thinking, "What kind of crazy person drives four hours away just to see some manatees?!" All I can say is that the woman on the phone made it sound like I was guaranteed to see a shit ton of manatees. And here's the thing, I would have been happy if I had even seen one! But guess how many manatees I saw! Zero. Not a single one, folks. I guess it had something to do with the weather being too warm. When I calmly explained all of this to the "manager" all she did was smile with this little twinkle in her eye and say in a sardonically sweet voice, "We can't do anything for you. You know, they are wild animals. We can't guarantee." Well, I wish someone had told me that before I paid $68 per person and drove four hours under the false pretense that I would see so many manatees! Now, time for the four hour drive back to the hotel. read more

At American Pro Diving Center I purchased a manatee swim, a dive, and a gift certificate. The swim was lovely (it wasn't until later I learned how often their boats injure manatees); the dive was fun but entirely unsafe: a cave dive with no safety checks. When I called to redeem the gift certificate...4 or 5 phonecalls and weeks later, the owner finally responded to say no, adding that I was stupid and, being from San Francisco, obviously "a cock-sucker". I suspect that the good reviews of this business are because it's genuinely wonderful to swim with manatees..and I strongly advice you to find someone else to organize the trip. read more

We just came back from spending a full day with American Pro Divers and we still cant stop talking about what an amazing experience it was. The shop is great, with a variety of merchandise. We ended up buying a tshirt and a Tervis tumbler as souveniers. We drove over from Orlando and it was a quick, painless drive( bring money for tolls). We booked a crystal river snorkel trip with a Groupon and the additional Rainbow River snorkel trip. The first trip left at 8:30 and there were 8 of us on the boat. Mike looked around patientnly until he found us a mama and baby manatee. Simply amazing. We ended up haning with them for awhile and then he found us 2 more that we followed around. For a long while, they were swimming between our legs and around us. They were rolling around on the backs, wanting us to scratch them. It was so incredible. We stayed out until noon and then We went on the snorkel trip to Rainbow River. We had our own private tour since no one else wanted to go. It was a little rainy, but it cleared up. The float down the river was serene, looking at fish, and these amazing fresh water springs. I just kept looking around thinking " I cant believe we're doing this". I couldnt believe no one else was out there. Do yourself a favor and dont miss that part of the trip too, its worth it. That part was 35.00, but you also have to pay 5.00 a person to go into the park. The parking for the snorkel trip is also 5.00. Also, if you're driving back to Orlando, dont go back to the dive shop after the rainbow river, it will add 18 miles to the trip read more

*I am giving this an extra star for the friendless of the Staff. This 8:30 trip was misleading. I learned the hard way. All the shops, not just this one should tell you upfront that the best time to see manatees is in the winter months, Feb being the sweet spot. The best place to view them is at the Homosassa Springs. If you have to do the Crystal River tour, the 7AM tour is the one to go on, as the water will be clearer. I was expecting a swim similar to the pictures/video on their site. My expereince was not even close. 8:30 Crystal River trip. We pulled out of the dock, went about 300 yards around the corner into a small cove, where 2 other tours were around a pair of manatees. Repeat, only 2 manatees. We waited until the other boats were gone, and then got into the water. 4 out of 7 of us had no snorkeling experience. I noticed that other boats seemed to give there clients noodles to float on and now I know why. Since the water was pretty shallow, and newbies had trouble staying afloat they were standing up and/or kicking up the sediment. This made visibility between 6 inches to 3ft, which is extremely poor. I believe the noodles would have kept people floating and prevented most of that. While at times I was right next to a manatee, I could barely see them due to the cloudy water. I will return next February for a REAL swim with the manatees at Homosassa Springs. Pros: The shop is well equipped and accommodating. The staff were extremely professional and VERY friendly. Cons: Newbies and young ones should get noodles to float on Warmer months = not many manatees Recap: Go in the winter months and do their Homosassa Springs tour. Do the earliest trip. read more

Came here for the Manatee experience. Initially we thought it was going to be a bust because there weren't many Manatees around. But we all remained upbeat and were pretty lucky to get up close to a few. Also the three springs we visited also was awesome. The water was ridiculously clear and you could see all sorts of tropical freshwater fish, crabs, etc. The service itself was pretty top notch. Equipment rentals were a breeze and overall it was a very enjoyable experience. Definitely a little out of the way but if you're in the area, I highly recommend trying this out. Loved the swim and getting to touch some Manatees was just icing on the cake! read more

We had an amazing snorkel experience with our captain Mike. We got to encounter several manatees. Mike went above and beyond to make our trip great. We have a 4 yr daughter who he towed around his back so she could see and touch the manatees. This made her so happy! We highly recommend American Pro and Mike! read more

Captain Cory took my family on a tour of the Crystal River and Three Sisters Springs in search of manatees. We found him fun, informative and very tolerant of my loquacious daughter's constant heckling. We recommend this tour to everybody. The groupon deal they currently offer includes the cost of all the gear. read more

This is a great choice for a manatee snorkel trip and trust me there are many to choose from! Keep in mind that a 3 hour trip includes check in, a ride across the street to the marina, some waiting while other groups get out of the water, a ride back to the dive shop and then check out. There weren't many manatees since it's the tail end of the season, which was totally fine as we knew this would happen before going out, but I wish we could have done some extra snorkeling while waiting to see a manatee that another group was around already. Mariah and Tom were great though, definitely know their stuff and how to manage large groups of people in the water. read more

My husband and I did the Homosassa River snorkel trip back in February. We had a guide named Mike (forgot his last name, and there's more than one Mike; oops.); Mike was great. He was funny. Most of our awesome experience was luck, but I'm going to give Mike credit. We lucked into a private trip because the other family that signed up to go on the same tour as us, never showed up. So we were on the boat alone, which was pretty nice. Mike had hot chocolate for us, so we could help ourselves since we didn't have to share. Then we got to the manatee spot, and there was one other tour boat there already with only one snorkeler in the water, and they were at the end of their tour. So we ended up alone with the manatees. The really good luck was that there was one super friendly manatee swimming around. We made a friend fast! She was fascinated by our wet suits, the video camera, my hair, Mike's hair... She got a little grabby. At one point she tried to push me into the manatee sanctuary, which is a big no no. So I had to gently direct us elsewhere. It was unbelievable to have an endangered animal that most people never see and don't know much about, trying to chew on my hair. Crazy! Now that was the lucky stuff. Here's why I chose American Pro, and why I'd go back. Their boats aren't completely open, they have plastic walls, so it blocks out some of the cold air when you are getting where you need to be. They video tape the experience for you, and you have the option to buy it after they show it to you at the end of the trip. My husband and I don't typically purchase those types of things, but we were alone on the trip, so the video was all us, and we'd had the most ridiculously cool experience. Then there was the aforementioned hot chocolate. Small, but very nice touch. Had a great experience! read more