Fantastic dive shop! The owner and staff actually spent time talking to me and my husband, making…read moreus feel comfortable about learning to dive (I had a lot of anxiety about diving). Steve is a wonderful instructor and was so patient with me during my MANY panic episodes. I cannot say enough good things about this shop. It's such a fun community and they hooked us up with other divers in the area.

I have visited other dive shops in the area and none compare to the awesome customer service at…read moreDive Florida. I was greeted and acknowledge the moment I walked in the door the first time. Now, I feel like family. I got my SCUBA certification last August and so glad I did. The last dive I went on was magical! Troy does a wonderful job with product knowledge and instruction. He is great to talk to especially if you a new diver. I would highly recommended Dive Florida!! Don't bother with the other dudes!

We had the greatest time with Captain Ethan today. He was knowledgeable and fun and he put on top…read moreof fish! If you are thinking about fishing in Anna Maria Island- do it! We had a great time!

From the owner: We offer private PADI scuba diving courses along with specializing in guided scuba diving &…read moresnorkeling ecotours in kayaks. We are natives to Bradenton raised on the waters of Anna Maria / Long Boat / Siesta Key area. We know the waters like the back of our hands! Let us guide you on unique ecotours learning about the beautiful native birds and amazing aquatic life. We offer local private scuba lessons, guided kayaking & snorkeling tours, along with guided dives all over Florida to natural freshwater rivers or springs.

TL;DR Managment/ownership treats customers and employees terribly, would not spend money here…read more Repeat bad experiences, I'd rather buy online than go back in this store. As an avid adventurer of the western US, I tend to visit outdoor stores wherever I travel to see what their idea of adventure is there and take the chance to upgrade gear that's frustrating to use or worn out over time. I've visited Bill Jackson's on two separate occasions now, heading in each time with about $500 worth of gear in mind to shop for. The first time I came, I got great help from multiple associates and planned to purchase gear off of their advise, but witnessed a confrontation between management and an associate that I recall as mild but disruptive enough it made me leave the store without buying anything. I didn't come back for about 8 months. Now I'm back in town for a few weeks of work before heading on a 2,700 mile bikepacking journey and really needed to grab a few items I hoped they'd have in stock. Being interesting in all outdoor activities, I started talking with an associate about the ski shop they were building the last time I was here. He keyed in that I had ski knowledge from my time tuning skis and custom fitting ski boots out west and started talking to me about part time work as they expected to need some extra hands with ski knowledge and took me to show me their ski selection. To get there, we had to walk through an area that he explained was sectioned off for an upcoming sale, so not yet available, but the necessary route to the still-open ski shop. He made a pretty good case for their ski shop and my wheels were turning about coming to help them out in the fall. On our way back through the sale area, I asked a question about the items we were walking past and the associate was very clear that those items were not available for sale until the official sale start date, but took the opportunity to educate me about them(I knew very little about diving equipment but am curious to learn). I was quickly convinced that a decent snorkeling kit was necessary equipment to enjoy the area and decided I'd get a setup. Before he got a chance to redirect me to where the currently available snorkeling gear was(I could tell it was coming, this area was also tiny compared to the sale area), an angry manager/owner appeared ready to tear apart the kind and helpful associate that had just taught me what I needed to know to spend an extra couple hundred dollars on top of the items I was already planning. I hurriedly left the area while she continued to holler at me and once I passed the threshold of that room I heard her resume berating the associate in anger. I walked myself over to the full price scuba stuff and found another helpful associate, but I could not bring myself to buy anything from this store after that experience. It was not unreasonable for her to ask us to move along since we had stopped in a place we were meant to pass through, but she was incredibly rude to the associate for going above and beyond to take care of an enthusiastic customer. I won't spend money here, that manager is the most unkind person I've encountered since I've been in Tampa. In a town of incredibly kind people, there is no place for that. Very sad, I really wanted to like this store. The associates seem to be knowledgeable and passionate about the outdoors, but they don't deserve to be treated that way.

Melissa was super helpful in helping us pick out a roof rack, as well as other accessories, for our…read morepaddle boarding and kayaking adventures. Store also has a huge selection of everything a person could need for their next adventure!

Wow, this is not the beach, the Riverwalk is something to be seen. There's tons of seating along…read morethe riverwalk. Everything from metal benches facing the water to these really cool cement lounge chairs that are actually comfortable to sit in as well. Along the river walk there are really cool our installations as well as a playground for families. My two favorite things to see while walking on the river walk where the dolphins swimming in the water. Yes actual dolphins in the water that you could see so cool. The other thing which might not be exciting to some people, but I thought it was cool was being able to see a train that goes across the river and the bridge that lifts some of the tracks up so that boats can go by. From the hotel we stayed at we could have walked about 15 minutes to the downtown area where there's some restaurants and shops to go to.

A 2 mile long Riverwalk along the Manatee River. We walked past a skate park, over train tracks,…read moresplash water park, playgrounds, an amphitheater & some art installations. This is an expansion of Rossi Park between the Green and DeSoto bridges. There were clean shady seating & lots of signage about the Riverwalk. There were cameras & we felt very safe.

Excellent guide. Very responsive, knowledgeable, and experienced. Looking forward to booking…read moreanother trip soon.

Griffin is an experienced captain who knows the local waters well. He took my dad and I out this…read moremorning and put us on some snook and triple tail. My dad lost the triple tail but it was still a 5 star experience. I highly recommended Griffin if you want to catch some fish.

Had a great time. Great attitude and excellent knowledge of local waters. We were upgraded to 25"…read morepower boat 400hp-fast and stable. No 5 star as Captain Jim did not have hook sharpener or small hooks but Very personable,

Great day of inshore fishing, caught many species of fish and plenty for dinner. Captain Jim was…read moregreat at his job. He knew where to find the fish and kept the rods coming for my daughter and me. 6 hours of pure enjoyment!