Very friendly and knowledgeable staff, easy entry point for a day on the river. Great time kayaking with the manatees! read more

Crystal River Kayak Company - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

MANATEES ARE MAGICAL! We saw well over 30+ manatees on our late January kayaking outing. We rented a 2-seater top kayak (comes w paddles and life vests). And from the staff to the dock hands, to the quality of the vessel and cleanliness of the shop: 10/10. A guide handed us a laminated map (nice touch) and told us where to head for manatee sightings. And even pointed us to a cove that homes a lot of turtles and alligators. We saw it all! They have volunteers overseeing the 3 sisters springs, to help monitor the safety of the manatees (and scold ignorant people lol). Great time! If you're unsure, let me assure you.. just book. read more

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The BEST kayak rental company in Crystal River! They provided top-notch customer service from the beginning and to the end of our visit. Their location is perfect as they are the only outfitter located on the canal, so you don't have to go through the wind and choppy waters on Kings Bay to get to the Three Sisters Springs. The paddle to Three Sisters Springs (which is manatee heaven) from their launch site is an easy and lovey 8 to 10 minute leisurely paddle. It was our first time here and we're very excited to go meet the manatees. We arrived and checked in for our reservation. Everyone in your party is required to watch a "Manatee Manners" video for paddlers, from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and acknowledge you've watched it. The video is mandatory viewing and you can watch it on their website before arriving, or at your reservation checking in before e-signing that you've watched it. After, we went to be fitted for our rental swim gear. We opted for two mask snorkels and a wet suit. DEFINITELY opt for a wet suit if you're getting in the water. Despite the warmer water temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit, there was still a bite of coldness, even with the wetsuit. You may get a bit hot sitting in your wet suit while paddling in the kayak, but it's manageable when going in the manatee months of winter. After getting changed and geared up, we were guided to the launch area. The gentleman waiting to help us launch was visibly genuinely happy to see us and help us have a great experience. He gave us detailed instructions and useful information with a laminated map we took with us, helped us into our tandem kayak, and on our way we went! Upon arriving back, the gentleman was again there to greet us and genuinely interested in how our trip went. He guided us into the launch, helped us out, instructed us what to do with our used rental gear, and warmly wished us an enjoyable rest of our time in Crystal River. This experience with their company was one of our top memories of our trip. We HIGHLY recommend Crystal River Kayak Company for both the ease of getting to Three Sisters Springs from their launch site and also for their extremely kind and wonderful customer service. Thank you to the entire amazing staff at Crystal River Kayak Company! read more

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Great spot for kayaking. This place is literally around the corner from three sisters we kayaked to the springs and swam with the manatees. The kayaks are clean and well maintained. Great spot to swim with manatees . read more

Best kayak rental company and a very easy paddle to THREE SISTERS! Plus, they had a free enclosed parking lot! Our cooler fit on their tandem kayak and the guys strapped it in for us! Perfect launch pad and easy to get into kayak from it. We will be back! read more

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What an AWESOME day! Crystal River Kayak Company & Dive Center made for such a great experience! The staff were friendly and informative, equipment was clean & well maintained, and check-in/out was simple and quick! We rented paddle-boards for 3 hours to go visit Three Sister Springs at the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge, and it did NOT disappoint! You cannot swim at Three Sister Springs unless you arrive by watercraft as the refuge is protected, so going on an adventure via paddle-board was a nice relaxing way to explore the area. We saw multiple manatees and even got to swim with them when they came in the refuge (SUCH A COOL EXPERIENCE)! The coolest thing about the manatees was how much trust they put in the people visiting their home. There was a mom and calf swimming right up to people, and I thought how cool it was that she put that much trust into her surroundings as to show off her baby. I highly recommend checking out this company next time you're visiting the area! read more

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So beautiful! Great place right on the river. Easy to navigate with the map they give you. Great service!

March 3rd reservation- no manatees in Spring but did see them in outlying waters. Picked this kayak rental because it was closest to the springs. Kayaking with the manatees and swimming in the spring is just spectacular. We rented individual kayaks for 5 hours. We reserved for 10am and found that to be an excellent time as there were few tourists and no one in the spring when we swam in to look around. Bring snorkel/flippers if you have them or rent them from this company. Bring a dry bag if you have one or just use a plastic bag. Things get wet and there were no straps on the kayaks to keep things aboard so be careful not to flip it! My son lost his favorite snorkel flipping his kayak. (He was goofing around). The kayaks we rented were open, flat to the water and very stable. The water in the bay is deep and dark green and difficult to see in to find lost articles. Water temp in early March was very comfortable for me and I did not feel I needed a wetsuit at all. Employees at check-in were friendly. Check your kayak seat straps before setting off. My seat and my son's were in working condition but my husband's was broken and he never had good back support. He didn't notice until we were at the spring and didn't want to paddle back for a kayak exchange. I am sure they would have taken care of it for us. Also, make sure you get a life vest. My son did not get one. We didn't "need" it for safety (per se) as the water is calm and we all swim well BUT I found the life preserver to be an excellent float for swimming into the spring. I just used it like a pool noodle for extra support. I did not have fins. The manatees had left the spring the week before our visit but we saw quite a few in the slough/canals. We paddled out to Kings Bay and around the large island (can't remember the name) where there are protected manatee areas. Staying along the boundary there we saw many manatees swimming and some even swam under us. It was very exciting and a most enjoyable day. read more

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We had an amazing time kayaking! Our guide Katie was fun, knowledgeable and considerate of the slower kayakers in the group. We went on April 15th so manatee season was technically over but we were able to see some of the regulars since temps are still cool in the Gulf. We also saw a lot of other animals that Katie pointed out and took a lot of pictures. The only downside was that Three Sister Springs is closed for the off season until November so we couldn't kayak in that area. If you're in a clear kayak you can't transfer from kayak to the water. Travelers Tip: Choose the 8:30 or sunset tour. The Florida sun is no joke and is treacherous in the afternoon when you add in all the physical activity. read more

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Loved our experience with the company, they gave us a map and told us where to find a few of the local manatees for my birthday. It's best to have separate kayaks so you can cover more of the water with your group. We met a few people that didn't see manatees the whole day, but we end up seeing about 20 within 3 hours. read more

Crystal River Kayak Company - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Had a great experience. We rented two clear kayaks for a self guided tour and had a great time. The staff were friendly and so helpful. We saw a manatee before even getting in the kayaks. read more

Great service and great location to see the manatees at Three Sisters spring. The staff were excellent and the equipment was great! Their original building was destroyed by a tornado in October 2023 so they have moved to a building that is about 100 yards from the road. It's easy to miss it when driving by. There was plenty of parking around 9am but looked nearly full around noon. We saw lots of manatees! Great place! We will visit again. read more

We had such a great time! Everyone was super friendly and professional. We have a reality style, travel, TV program "Destined2RoamTV". One of the employees who helped us launch the kayak even offered to film the launch for us. How cool was that. We only saw a few Manatees due to the fact it was near end of season. Will be back when it is colder. We definitely recommend this company and will return! Thank you!! Steve & Carol read more

So easy and quick to get set up. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Had a blast... even our two year old had fun paddling!

We had so much fun! Everyone was so nice and helpful! This was our first time and we got to see many manatees! read more

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Great place to launch and return from; they rent diving equipment kayaks canoes and snorkeling gear. No shade for customers and you must wait behind the rope signs. You are surrounded by boats so it's not a recluse nature paddle. read more

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Magical! Such a magical experience!! Don't forget your sunscreen! Highly recommend you bring polarized sunglasses! read more

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Had a fantastic time with Crystal River Kayak Company. I'm not the most experienced kayaker, but they made the process easy and were super helpful. This company was very efficient and we had minimal wait time! This is a must do activity if you want to catch a manatee sighting in crystal clear water at Three Sisters spring. (Caught a brief manatee sighting less than a foot away on my way back). Beware-- there's a lot of kayakers and boats near three sisters spring so if crowds are not your thing then consider this. read more

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Okay I was there on a Saturday early I did not have a reservation but the owner called a competitor for us to get a kayak which was awesome next time I will use his company the kayaks and launch area are all clean and nice. read more

We had so much fun kayaking through the canals and in 3 sister springs thanks to the great folks at Crystal River Kayak Company. Everyone was friendly, informative and fun!! I highly recommend!! read more

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I found Crystal River Kayak Company through Yelp while planning my day trip to Crystal River. The business is a bit hidden off of US-98 Suncoast Blvd. Look for the wood signs off of the access road, in between the two banks. I missed it my first pass. The two workers at CRKC were really nice and quick to get us settled with our rentals. They asked if we had a reservation, but they were still accommodating since we didn't have one. Three of us wanted to kayak, but we were on the fence about swimming with the manatees because the day was cold and overcast. They offer wetsuits for rent, but the water isn't actually that cold (72 degrees year round). You're only cold when you get out of the water and are back in the open air. The kayak rental includes your equipment and a life jacket, which is not required for you to wear while out on the water. The rental rates depend on blocks of time for how long you're going to be out. You pay upfront, so I paid about $45 for 3-4 hours out on the springs. You launch out of the back of the building and it's a short kayak to Three Sisters Spring. You're sharing the area with other kayakers, boat rental companies for snorkelers, and area locals. You will see park volunteers in bright neon vests, who make sure that visitors are not harassing manatees and can teach you great insights about the mammals. If you have any questions while out on the water, look for the volunteers! We paddled out past the Spring to the peninsula, where you can check out some very grand houses. It got overcast around 2 pm, which made it hard to see down into the water, so we went back to return our kayaks. There are large changing rooms at the building, but unfortunately, only three portapottys for going to the bathroom. Crystal River Kayak Company offers reasonable kayak rentals near the best manatee hangouts. I would definitely come back and rent kayaks from here again. read more

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Definitely 0/5 STAR if I could rate this. Worst experience ever. We had reserved clear kayaks and were told that we could not swim or get out of the kayaks for 4 people total of $300, therefore they had told given us regular kayaks. We also had to pay $10 each to launch off our own kayaks or paddle board. Oh yeah and with a 2 hour drive they had what they called 5 star bathrooms lol, they had 4 ports potty's . Even more disappointing, the entire river was extremely dirty and there were seaweed and dead fishes everywhere. Oh and especially if you're not from around here in Florida or the are in general just know that Crystal river is CLOSED until November 2023. Not worth the trip and this place had the worst customer service. read more

We always rent from here when we come to Crystal River. I have my own SUP but rent for my boys and a kayak. They are reasonable and their equipment is in great shape. They also are closest to best area. read more

Crystal River Kayak Company - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

I have a bunch of family in this area of Florida and since my parents first went kayaking with manatees 5 years ago I've wanted to go so badly. Since then I've seen a bunch of family members post awesome photos on social media, including my mother in law from less than 2 months before I went where she saw dozens and dozens of them in this exact same spot. Needless to say I was super excited about getting to go. Place seemed clean and everyone was friendly. They gave us a brief explanation in the shop and then the guys at the dock helped us get situated in the boats. We booked 3 hours and I'm sure lots of people need that but we didn't. We paddled out and quickly heard from others that it had been too warm the few days prior (early March) and the manatees were out in the ocean/bay. We hoped they were wrong but alas they were not. We tried to paddle out to the bay and see if we could see anything but it was way to windy for us so we took a break on a little beach area at the mouth of the canal and bay then paddled back - about an hour and a half total. Not the companies fault but a bit of a bummer. Will have to try again in the future and see if we get lucky next time. read more

The location is the best for going to Sisters Springs to see the manatees. It's the closest launch. We made reservations online to have a self-launch in for our tandem kayak. This made it is so simple. Instead of hoping there's a spot in the lot for us, we just went in at that time and, bingo, we were in. The other nice improvement was verifying that we watched the mandatory manatee safety video online instead of sitting in their office watching it. We checked in, sited the waivers and then we could unload, and get right in. Now, mucho kudos to the men who put us in the water. They came out to our truck, picked up the kayak and walked it all the way to the dock for us. I have wheels for the kayak but it was a joy to have them help. Plus, they did the same when we came back to the dock after being out on the water. This was our third time at this location. We'll be back in the Fall for another trip. read more

Crystal River Kayak Company - at the launch site - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

We had a great experience and saw many manatees and fish down the canals and exploring. Great trip! read more

Crystal River Kayak Company - Canal - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

Great people, very accommodating! They were able to switch our kayaks from two singles to a double the day of. And they let us leave early because we were early but still kept the same return time. 10/10 recommend and go early before everyone else shows up! We were the only ones on the water. read more

Crystal River Kayak Company - Kayaking through the canal - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Crystal River, Florida

The staff were very nice!! They had us in the water with our kayak in a matter of minutes! Definitely recommend this place!

Rented from here after our Devils den experience. Last rental is at 1230, we got the tandem kayak for 3 hours for $40. The waterways are kinda cool and there are manatees, except we didn't see them. You can access Three Sisters Spring from here also, it's cool, clear water to explore. The staff that works here were friendly and we had to watch a manatee 'safety' video prior to departure. For us, we are beginners, so the tandem kayak was not a good choice. It was hard to keep balanced without feeling like we were gonna flip it. Lol I would recommend a single kayak and bandaids for your thumbs, since they will blister. Lots of paddling and people at times. Wish our seats had more cushion, my ass went numb and got leg sciatica from sitting too long. Otherwise, great time! Ha! Have read more

First of all let me send a big thank you to Vince, Don, Josh, Eric, Morgan, Morgan, Tiffany, and Robin (I'm sorry if I forgot anyone). Everyone that works here is so kind, helpful, and generous. Visiting solo for two weeks, I was met with a smile and warm hospitality every morning and it really made my trip. This is the closest spot to Three Sisters Springs which means I got to have a nice calm paddle each morning to snorkel with the manatees. I could go on and on about my experiences there, but I'll just say I've made some of my most special memories here and can't wait to come back. I hope to come back next year and make this an annual trip, and I look forward to seeing you all again. Until next time, best wishes and happy trails. -Tim read more

Yep..still five stars. More if they had the option! We loved our kayaking trip here so much back in October that we reran it during our June trip. This time we came a little bit more prepared and had the expertise to know where to go. The folks who run this establishment couldn't be more friendly and accomodating. If you have to choose one kayaking destination in central FL Gulf side, go here. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. We will be back every time we visit the sunshine state! Many, many cheers..this place is greatness in my mind! read more

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everything was well organized. we were told to be there 30 minutes before our reservation and were in the water 15 minutes before reservation time. River was beautiful and we saw so many manatees! one even swam with us for a long while! we would definitely do this again! thanks for making it safe and fun! read more

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Friendly and we love renting from them. We've come here twice. They give you a map and a run down if everything you need to know. Their equipment seems to be in great working order. Can't wait to be back!!! read more

We drove a two hour hike from Anna Maria Island to check out the springs. It wasn't technically manatee season, but we gave it a try anyway with a lot of hope. The business isn't the easiest to find. We were driving in circles for a bit. The lady who answered the phone kindly directed us in. There are no bathrooms. Only port-a-potties out front. I would definitely go elsewhere before if you need to. The service was nice. We went with a two hour package with one two person canoe, and another one person canoe. There was also a discount from checking in on Yelp. Thank you Yelp! The guy who helped us was great in letting us know rain was coming so the two hour package would be good to start, and if we ended up staying out longer we would just be charged the difference. The springs were a short ride away from where you enter the water. There were no manatees sadly, but we saw some fish and crabs. The water of the springs is stunning! Very clear and blue. It is also very cold! We were here in summer so I can only imagine what it feels like when it's manatee season (Nov-Mar). The springs area isn't actually as big as you might imagine, but it was still pretty. Two hours was plenty for us. I am the only one who got in the water. I brought a noodle which was very handy for the springs. I just bobbed around and floated while enjoying myself. Paddling around we all agreed was very relaxing. There was a short video we had to watch regarding the protection of manatees and how to act. It is appalling people would do anything to these animals the videos showed. I would recommend going during season. read more

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Crystal River has many kayak, canoe, and paddleboard rentals in the area. We made a reservation in advance and we were glad that we did because on a busy holiday weekend, they can book up quickly. Friends of ours who rented from other locations in the area were not nearly as satisfied as we were with this company. We rented a tandem kayak and everything went very smooth. We had watched in advance the required video on their website, but the video is also available on site so that new customers can get the rules and information before setting out on the river. Parking is limited and the only restroom facilities are porta-potties. However, you are in a natural setting so make a stop at the nice gas station a block away and get some extra supplies. We appreciated the guys at the dock who put our kayak in for us, made sure we had life jackets and explaining they have to be on board but we don't have to wear them. They also gave us a nice laminated map and explained how to get to the nearby Three Sisters Springs and the other routes we could go and what we could expect to see and look for. Very nice customer service and we would rent from here again, hopefully soon. Amazing experience. read more

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I am so Thankful to have chosen this company to book a tour down the Crystal River and into the Three Sisters. We ended up being the only group so we had a one-on-one with our guide, Drew. Talk about THE perfect person to have, to show us the beauty he gets to witness everyday! We happened upon a Mama Manatee and her month old baby plus 2 more adults. Saw many water birds, "Millennial birds", turtles and fish. We were also serenaded by a Trumpeter for my daughter's 8th birthday. Drew really knew the history and opulence of the Springs. He is also a Fierce Protector of the surrounding area. I only wish we had more time. He was right, I didn't want to leave. read more

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Horrible Experience. Unprofessional Staff. Extremely Rude. BEWARE : We were so surprised at how obnoxious and rude the staff was, very unpleasant check in... Then we went to put on our wetsuits.... Dirty changing area in an old storage unit with a port-a-potty. Icky.... The "kayak manager" was the WORST. He YELLED at the group, aggressive, threatening, and RUDE. Extremely uncomfortable situation.... We ended up asking for a refund.... Staff was RUDE, RUDE, RUDE.... A word of advise. Find another vendor to take your business to, Spend your money elsewhere. A major disappointment... We were super excited to see manatees, had reservations, drove a long way, but we didn't let them rain on our parade. We found another place to rent from in Crystal River on the harbor. read more

Y'all - this place is worth every penny! We were in the area-ish (about 2 hours south) visiting from out of state. I've been to the area previously and wanted my fiancé to see how beautiful Three Sisters is and hopefully get a chance to see some manatees. We obviously didn't have our own kayaks with us so I looked up rentals that you could launch from and here comes the Crystal River Kayak Company! We rented a double kayak for the day for about $70 we brought a cooler and a few little items in a wet bag, since we'd done everything online and watched our video for manatee safety prior to arrival they sent us straight to the dock. The guys there were awesome and got us inside of our kayak and going within like 5 mins. We took our time and paddled all over and had some amazingly awesome good times seeing so many fish, birds and manatees. We both have already said a million times we are going back to do it again when we are next in the area! read more

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Right from the start I had a bad feeling. The two employees that get you set up to launch were arguing over pulling the equipment together. We then set out on our adventure and for the first hour or so it was great. We paddled along and took a swim in Three Sisters (beautiful). Then as we left Three Sisters I noticed the storm clouds. So we paddled under the nearest bridge to wait it out. As we sat under the bridge (about an hour) my wife and a man in another kayak pointed out that there were bubbles coming from the back of the two person kayak I was in with my grandson (8-years old). At first I thought it was just water coming over the back (waves had increased) and it would drain through the holes designed for drainage. I then got out of the kayak to see if the water inside and on the floor would drain, and it did. I then got in and pushed off to head back to Three Sisters. After approximately 50 yards I noticed water underneath me coming from the back and working further up the kayak. I looked back and the back of the kayak was sinking. So I started towards the nearest residential dock and the kayak continued to sink, then rolled to the right tossing my grandson and me into the water. I then had to tread water holding on to my grandson and kayak (now upside down) because they forgot to place a life preserver in the kayak for me (my grandson had one and he had it on). After reaching the dock I was able to get my grandson up and then flip the kayak upright. At this time I noticed that the kayak had a crack where the seat bottom aligned, and it appeared someone had attempted to repair it. Apparently (my opinion on what could have happened), while we were sitting under the bridge waiting out the storm water that came over the back went into the hull through this crack. Therefore, once we pushed off from the bridge we had significantly more weight with the water inside the hull (unnoticeable). Once I let the boat sit upright it seemed to be floating normal. I did attempt to call the Kayak Company (number they provided) several times but got no answer. We then boarded again and there was no water or sinking problem (I assume the water inside the hull drained while it was flipped upside down). We proceeded back to the Kayak Company location and reported the incident, no life preserver, and that we could not get through on the number provided. I then went to the office and repeated the issues to the front desk woman (who probably was the only one who acted concerned). I ask for the manager, one came out from the back office area, but he didn't seem that concerned with what had happened (including my grandson being put through this incident). He went out, checked the kayak, spoke to the dock employees, then came back and ask that I walk him through what had happened.... AGAIN! He then (with an attitude) told the front desk employee to refund our cost for the double kayak (we also had a single for my wife) and abruptly walked away back into his office. Note: My grandson was terrified to get back into the kayak, and I choose to calm him by letting him know there's nothing wrong with kayaking, but that this incident was because the company we used had poor equipment which leaked (damaged by tornado last year and poor repairs?) . I assured him that just a month earlier we kayaked in the same area with no issues, but used a different kayak company. In summary.... One life preserver short. Defective equipment (allowed water into the hull). Could not communicate with them to report the incident. Bad Attitudes from the start (except for the front desk woman) through my communications with the manager. Lost my sun glasses We will be back to Crystal River, but we will NEVER use the Crystal River Kayak Company again. read more

I just planned a bachelor party to go kayaking with this company. They did a great job of making sure that everyone had the boats that they wanted and we're ready to go. The people that checked us in and were very helpful and friendly we will definitely be kayaking with them again. If you were looking for a place to check out Crystal River you should check this place out first. There were nine of us in the party and we all had a great time, some of us got a little wetter than others but after all we were on the river. JO read more