My parents were reminiscing about when they were middle school aged and came here for field trips…read more I was surprised to find out that Silver Springs State Park and the glass bottom boat tours have been around for that long! It was about a 1.5 hour ride from Orlando. Woke up real early on a Saturday (on honestly one of the coldest days of the year) to arrive at the park around 8am. I highly suggest purchasing glass bottom boat tour tickets online about a week in advance atleast since time slots fill up! We purchased the 1.5 hour tour on the boats. Our tour guide was incredible and shared so much knowledge and facts about the wildlife and park. I got to see tons of manatees! Plus getting to see gators, turtles, birds, and even monkeys! The glass bottom gives such a cool perspective on viewing the wildlife and plants underwater. Aside from the tour, we walked several trails to enjoy the great outdoors. Also, we had coffee in the morning when we first got here and lunch after the tour. The food was pretty good and filling. At the gift shop I made sure to leave with a magnet and Christmas ornament to remember such a great day here.

What a breathtaking location! From the parking lot, it doesn't look like much. They are redoing the…read moreentrance sign, and from the outside, it seems like the place might be pretty rundown. However, once you walk through, you are quickly transported. The entrance to the park is only two dollars per person, and honestly, in my opinion, they could charge just a little bit more. The glass-bottom boat tours run faster than you might expect, so if you have the time (which we didn't during our visit), opt for the longer boat ride; it doesn't cost much more. They also have little shops to explore and plenty of outdoor seating so you can take in the beautiful surroundings. If you're a water lover, make sure to plan ahead and reserve a crystal-clear kayak or paddleboard to enjoy the water--it'll be worth every penny. The only hiccup in our plan was that we booked everything on the day of our visit, so we ended up with a shorter tour on the glass-bottom boats and got locked into the last kayaking time slot. The woman at the reservation desk for the kayaks was not very pleasant. She told us that despite showing a 5 o'clock slot, they were no longer taking reservations. I showed her the option on my phone, but she still refused to let us sign waivers. Luckily, we found the manager in charge of the rental hut, who advised that we could still make our reservation online. I showed him on my phone, and although we'd have to pay full price and probably have less than an hour, that was perfectly fine with us since we were in the last slot. The lake was practically empty, so we had the entire waterway to ourselves--so beautiful and peaceful. Honestly, it felt like we were in another country, surrounded by nature. If you don't have the chance to kayak, there's also a walking path where you can see monkeys left behind from one of the movies that was filmed on location. We walked part of the path, and it was just as beautiful. Any chance my kids and I get to be outside in nature, we gravitate towards it, putting away our phones to enjoy everything around us. What a great way to spend your day and your vacation!

I've paddled the Emerald Cut a few times now. Initially I didn't like the idea of paying to launch…read moremy own paddleboard. However, it's only $10 now that I have my own life jacket (saving me additional cost of $5 to use one of theirs, as required). Well worth the low cost for some soul-enriching, communing with nature. I have never made a reservation. I normally arrive around 10:30, most recently on a Friday. Parked for free on Baptist Camp Rd. Just a bit of a walk from there with my inflated paddleboard, but I don't mind the extra exercise. You can unload your stuff closer, if preferable. There are port-a-potties available. You can count on there being a line in the check-in office. Various recreation supplies are available there for purchase. The process moves reasonably enough. A reservation will guarantee your entrance, however, and possibly aide quicker personal info collection. I always plan to do the Emerald Cut in roughly 3 hours round-trip, allowing myself several stops to enjoy the surroundings. You do run into (quite literally at times) novice paddlers along the way, which can be a bit tricky, yet not a real nuisance for me. In general, there's friendliness along the waterway. Slighty rowdy, party vibes in some spots, but also opportunities for solace and zen in various nooks. Encountering wildlife, fragrant elderberry, and other captivating flora along this stretch is always gratifying. It's a popular recreation destination for good reason.

This is one of the most beautiful places in Florida! Highly recommend visiting at least once. Being…read morelocal, I've visited a number of times. A few things knock the stars down: - The amount of rules/ regulations is a downside. There are more than any other river we've visited in Florida. It's nerve wracking to make sure you're following every new rule. - Launching and landing at the dock is stressful. It feels rushed and disorganized. - The bathroom situation is DIRE. They have a few porta potties but they're pretty gross. - I've found some of the staff intimidating/ borderline rude. There are a lot of newbies to kayaking/ paddleboarding so patience is a virtue at busy times! It's a hard paddle up stream and coming back it can be easy to lose control around the corners. There are a few spots to be cautious of other paddlers. With that said, it's really stunning. They keep the area very clean and there are a lot of spots to pull off to the side to enjoy the view. I've never done a guided tour, but I've heard they're really well done!

Extremely relaxing, students are respectful . I enjoy it always. The aura is so calming feeling.read more

Such a wicked spot. Enjoy the spring and rent paddle boards…read moreor just relax in a cabana or on the adirondack chairs along the water side. They have a full bar and a food truck, we got fish nuggets which was yummy with a cold beer.. After a nice bike ride along the trail we rode in for a quick stop but we will be back!

We had a great time waterskiing and wakeboarding on Lake Roy with the skilled Captain Dave's…read moreinstruction.

Such a fun 3hr pontoon boat tour! Dave is super friendly and knowledgeable about the area. He took…read moreus to a few of the local spots and recommended some super tasty treats and drinks! We will definitely do this tour again when we're in town.

We can't say enough great things about our experience with Captain Allen! We enjoyed a three-hour…read moreexcursion where we went snorkeling at Egmont Key, explored the lighthouse and forts on the island and then finished with some tubing. Wow, it was such a fantastic experience for myself, my husband and our 8-year-old son. Captain Allen is super friendly and accommodating to make sure you have the best possible experience. The boat was in great condition and the perfect way to take in the Florida breeze and sights. All the communication with him was quick and easy as well when planning our excursion. I would highly recommend Captain Allen and we are already thinking of when we can do this again. Thanks Captain Allen for memories that we will keep forever!

Capt Allen never disappoints! We've been out with him a couple of times. We had a great sunset…read morecruise and the dolphins did some serious dolphin-ing, playing right behind our boat in the wake. What a fun evening! Bring jackets as it gets a little chilly out on the water this time of year. (Waiting for my friends to send me the awesome dolphin photos they took)

From Tampa, it took an hour and 30 minutes to get to the river. We first wanted to take a swim in…read morethe swimming area so we went there first before it got really crazy. The area is a bit small and there isn't really a lot of sun spots for you to chill at. It is cool to experience once but I think if you tube, you still will be able to get a swim in because parts of the river are pretty deep. After the swim area, we headed to the tubing section. It is a 15 minute drive from the main park entrance. The fee was 54 for two people that had an annual pass. Highly recommend bringing a small cooler with snacks and drinks and an extra tube for it. It took us about 2 hours to float back to our car and the river is very calm and relaxing. I've floated a river in San Antonio but wasn't as nice as Rainbow springs. Very clean and the water is sooo clear. Overall, really enjoyed our day visit to this state park!

I almost lost my life at Rainbow River, and I feel like I need to share this for anyone considering…read moretubing there. I came expecting a peaceful, relaxing experience because that's what you see in the pictures and reviews. Instead, I ended up in one of the scariest moments of my life. I fell out of my tube and got stuck in deep mud. My water shoe was literally sucked into the mud, and I couldn't push myself up from the bottom. I couldn't get back on my tube because my legs were stuck, and I had already gone underwater and was coughing. What made it even worse was that my daughter, who cannot swim, had drifted away and I couldn't see her. I truly thought I might drown and that something could happen to my daughter. I was panicking, crying, and shaking. By the grace of God, I saw the only boat nearby and flagged them down. They went back and picked up me and my daughter too. I will never forget the people who helped us. I truly believe they prevented a tragedy that day. Another important thing to mention is that this happened toward the evening on a weekday, and there were almost no people left on the river. We were some of the last people out there. I got incredibly lucky that there happened to be a boat nearby because otherwise, I don't know what would have happened to me or my daughter. What upsets me the most is that there was no real safety briefing or warning about the risks. We were given tubes and sent off. No one explained the currents, deep areas, muddy bottoms, or what to do in an emergency. No one recommended life jackets to us, even though not everyone in our group could swim. Please understand that there are no lifeguards. Depending on the time of day, you may find yourself with very few people around to help in an emergency. If I hadn't been able to flag down that boat, this story could have ended very differently. I later learned that other people have had similar frightening experiences here, and I understand why. Please, if you decide to go: * Wear a life jacket, especially if you are not a strong swimmer. * Do not assume the water is shallow because it's a spring. * Do not bring children or adults who cannot swim without extra precautions. * Understand that there are no lifeguards and you are responsible for your own safety. This experience was so traumatic for me that I still have flashbacks and cannot imagine ever returning. A beautiful place can still be dangerous, and I wish I had known that before I went. Please stay safe.

True professionals. The captain and coach got me up on a wakeskate first pull. My son got…read morepointers on how to get controlled air wakeboarding. Then we both wakesurfed and the captain put us in the pocket so we could throw the rope and surf. Thumbs up to the Global surf crew. The equipment was top notch. 4 wakeboards,a wakeskate and 4 wakesurf boards on the boat to make sure we had what we needed to be successful. The Moomba was a powerhouse too!

From the owner: Global Boarding has been creating the Water Sports scene for over 17 years on Long Island, NY…read more Established in 2001 & originally based in Sag Harbor we now have 4 locations. We are a "5 Star" Water Sports company with over 75 years of combined coaching & professional careers. Teaching all levels, from beginner to pro. Our Crew are USCG Licensed Captains with professional backgrounds in Wakeboarding, Waterskiing, Wakesurfing, Wakeskating, Surfing & are still having a blast! Global Boarding Water Sports We offer Water Sports Sessions, Lunch and Dinner Charters and our super fun Kids Camp. So come join us and immerse yourself in a "Day of Adventure. Anna Maria Island is the latest venture for Global Boarding Water Sports. Team Global are excited to bring our flavor of the Hamptons to Florida and enjoy the dynamic atmosphere of AMI. We are very passionate and love our work! "It's a Lifestyle"

This past week was my second time using this company and I'll always be a return customer. Captain…read moreWill was super knowledgeable of the area and an open book about his experience as well as made us feel comfortable in his hands out on the water. Thanks so much

They were great both times that we used them. We were hoping to learn how to wake board, but that…read moredidn't happen unfortunately. We never were able to stand up (since learned with someone who was a good teacher). He will do whatever watersports you want, we did tubing and wake boarding. But if you want to learn how to do these, I'd go somewhere else.