Discovery Kayak is my go-to shuttle service whenever I paddle the Silver Springs Long Run. Over the years, I've tried several different shuttle companies, but once I found Discovery Kayak, there was no reason to look elsewhere. Their service is consistently reliable, professional, and friendly. The shuttle is always clean, comfortable, and makes the quick ride back to Silver Springs State Park enjoyable after an amazing day on the water. As a fellow small business owner, I especially appreciate supporting another family-owned business that genuinely cares about providing a great experience for their customers. I highly recommend Discovery Kayak to anyone planning the Silver Springs Long Run. They are an important part of what makes the adventure so seamless and enjoyable. read more

Great staff. Friendly and knowledgeable. They gave information about where to look for Manatees, gators, monkeys and of course, the Spring. The shuttle pickup was comfortable and on time. They helped load our kayaks back onto our vehicles. Super trip. read more

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Three of us had a great kayaking experience with Discovery Kayak & SUP at Silver Springs State Park this past weekend. Ryan Toler, owner and tour guide, supplied all the necessary equipment. He also verified who was experienced and who needed instructions before setting out. Ryan grew up in the area, so he knows the springs and river like the back of his hand. He shared the history of the area from pre-Spanish times to the present. He even calls the various reptiles, turtles and birds by name. We saw a manatee which he was able to capture via an underwater video and share with everyone. Plus he staged the three of us to get a photo for a memory keepsake. The weather was beautiful, and the paddling was easy. It could not have been a better experience. I highly recommend Discovery Kayak & SUP for a special Nature retreat. read more

Ryan, the owner is always friendly and accommodating despite large crowds present during our last kayak trip at Silver Springs. We always know that his equipment will be in good working order. I recommend Discovery Kayaks for any rental kayak trip. read more

Really cool kayak ride. Get in the kayak in silver springs state park. They give you four hours to paddle down stream. I did it in 3 hours and I took my time. Took a lot of pictures of gators and monkeys! Then they shuttle you back to the starting point. Totally worth it. read more

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On time launch and pickup always. Have used numerous times. Dependable. My go to outfitter for Silver Springs.

Ryan is awesome. The best kayaking we have ever been involved with. We would always use Discovery Kayak. We have customers for 10 years.

Me and my husband had a great experience with this company. The kayak and paddle were in good condition and everything was great. They were very nice and helped us get in and out of the kayaks correctly and were there to pick us up at the end of the trip down the lake right on time We were then driven back to the parking lot safely. They were a very good vibe and we felt very comfortable. We had a lot of fun and will be going back many times and using these guys everytime. Thank you ! read more

Omg Ryan was absolutely amazing. We were only there for a short trip. There was a storm coming in and he gave us the choice if we wanted to go the full river or just make a short circle. He was fine with either choice that we made, although he did tell us not to meander too long otherwise we'd get caught in the storm. Husband did a great job paddling the 5 miles downstream while I was a passenger princess(in charge of camera). It was so cool going down the river and hearing the thunder around us. I think we surprised Ryan by how fast we went down river. The van back up to the parking lot was great cause they dropped us right at the car. Would definitely come back again and use them. read more

We had a great experience with Discovery. The equipment we rented was in great shape, with better-than-average seats for the sit-on kayaks we used. The river is beautiful, and it was nice to be able to take the longer route and use their shuttle to come back to our car. Everything went very smoothly and they accommodated a late change very graciously. read more

We had a group of 10 going out on the Silver River for a day of Kayaking. We called and reserved both single and tandem kayaks. Ryan was super helpful over the phone during the reservation process, which was easy btw. The day of the reservation I received a text message confirming the reservation and that they were all ready for us. Which always a comfort to know you are being thought of. When we got to the river we met Ryan and Tony and we went over some administrative items. We also received a map of the river and some points of interest. Ryan ensured we knew where to meet and even gave us a point of reference in case we went too far. They helped us get launched with ease and we were on our way. At the end of the trip they were at the pickup spot ready to help us out of the water. They loaded the kayaks and even had towels for anyone that needed one. We jumped in the van and they drove us back to our vehicles. This experience is one for the books! Compared to our experience with the "other guys" in the area we felt like we were taken care of from start to finish. I HIGHLY recommend Discovery Kayak Tours to any and everyone that wants a carefree kayaking experience. read more

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Went out on a Kayak trip this morning and booked through Discovery Kayak! What a great experience we had. The kayaks are great, long, and accommodating. I am a bigger guy and they had me use a two person kayak so I would be more comfy and it would be a better experience. We had a 4 hour, 5 mike Kayak that started at 10 and ended at 1. Only part I thought was a little off was that you pay $40 to Kayak then you have to pay a park fee. Why does it he $40 not include this with the fee? Thankfully I am a Florida parks pass holder so it did not matter. We saw gators, monkeys, fish, birds, and turtles on the trip and we were met by Discovery Tours At the end and taken back to the parking lot! Overall it was a great experience and I look forward to going back again real soon!!! read more

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Ashamed to say that it took 16 years living in Ocala to kayak Silver Springs. Booked with Ryan and had an incredible experience ... informative history..... but oh my the animal experience was phenomenal. Birds, turtles, fish, gators and monkeys..... more monkeys I've ever seen in the wild. Equipment was top notch and comfortable. Looking forward to more adventures, whether different tours or renting his equipment. Thanks Ryan for an awesome Monday ! read more

In the past, I have always used Uber to get from Ray Wayside back to Silver Springs State Park, during a solo kayak trip. That was running me between 15 and $20, and you never know what kind of driver you're going to get. They might be quiet. They might be surly. You just never know. And, you have to worry about your boat, and gear, that you leave behind. The l guys at Discovery, are amazing! For only $10, they will run you, your boat, and all your gear, back to Silver Springs. Takes all the stress, hassle and worry out of the shuttle equation. I can't believe it took me this long to figure this out. Five stars, simply wonderful. read more

fair price, good equipment, great service. Ryan is running a great business and it's appreciated.

We came to Ocala/Silver Springs specifically so we could kayak down the Silver River and we are so happy we booked our reservation through Discovery!! Ryan was super nice and personable. Our kayaks were great, and we were comfortable our whole trip. The shuttle that's included in the price was great too. If we come back down we'll definitely rent through Discovery again. read more

Such friendly guys! Great at communicating. Flexible with rain checks during bad weather days. You will not be disappointed!

If I could, I'd give them 6 stars. Great service, from registering, to getting into the kayak and checking out. Aside from that, the kayaking itself is worth every penny. They don't over book, so it's not extremely crowded. The views are incredible and plenty of areas to stop and sunbath or just relax. All individuals who partake in kayaking are also respectable, no loud music or trash in the water. Cannot wait to be back! read more

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We used Silver River Kayak Rentals for the first time today and they were great! Ryan had our kayak all ready for us when we got there and was very friendly and professional. The trip down the river was amazing. A big group of 9 (possibly more) manatees swam past us halfway through our trip, it was so cool!! We also saw 4 or 5 alligators and hundreds of turtles. When we got to the end (it took us about 2.5 hours), Ryan and his son were there in 2 minutes and shuttled us back to the main entrance no problem. They both wore masks and the car was sanitized, so we felt safe during the very short ride back to the car. We used the park's kayak rental service last time but we had to wait forever for the shuttle and the service wasn't anything special. We definitely recommend renting from Ryan and SRKR and we will be using them again from now on. read more

Had a wonderful experience with Discovery. Back support on my kayak was excellent. Beautiful day on the river. This outfit is very professional, timely and accommodating, we were with a large group. Definitely will use them again. Lory read more

These guys are great. Very helpful, very courteous and the rental process is very smooth.

Great place to rent kayaks from. I decided on a whim the night before to book a rental for me and my husband. The whole process was easy to do online. Ryan and his crew were great once we arrived and shuttled us back to our car at the end of our kayak trip down Silver River. I highly recommend them! read more

Excellent trip on the Chaz River. Ryan is always so informative about his paddling trips. You get to know the history of the entire area. This trip we did get to see a mother manatee with her baby and a number of others. The tributaries coming into the river were so beautiful and peaceful. If you want a nice relaxing kayaking trip this is the one you should take with Ryan. You won't be disappointed. Can't wait for next months trip. read more

Discovery Kayak and Sup - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Silver Springs, FL, Florida

Ryan and his crew were helpful and informative! Our party of 6 rented two tandems and brought two of our own single kayaks. Ryan shuttled us and our kayaks back from Ray's, the shuttle was included in the tandem kayak purchase and he only charges $10 for each personal kayak. It's worth it and saved the hassle of having to place a car at Ray's before we launched. The river is amazing! I wish motorboats were not allowed but only because they are harmful to the manatees and smelly. The monkey's were there as usual, we saw two manatees, plenty of birds and tons of turtles. Nature at its purest. Thanks to Ryan and his crew! read more

Wouldnt suggest this for a few reasons, customer service was awful and the site seeing didn't make it worth it. Rented kayaks for a proposal and it was anything but an excited celebratory experience. Instead of congratulating us we were charged 50$ for making it back 30 minutes late due to lack of direction and help from the staff. Alexis was the one we had the most communication with and she was very cold and rude from when we called in to rent a canoe to when we got there. She also didn't wear a mask once when we interacted. Just an all around bad experience when it should have been an exciting fun experience read more

Kayaking Silver River is a dream come true but using the state park outfitter requires an upstream paddle at the end of your trip and low quality kayaks. Discovery kayak now offers rentals and pick up at Ray's landing allowing you an enjoyable and leisurely paddle 5.5 miles downstream. This gives you a perfect 3 hour trip with the current! Additionally, Discovery kayak is the only outfitter that gives you the opportunity to paddle downstream 10 miles (4-5 hour paddle) on the Ocklawaha river from Ray's landing to Gore's landing. This too is a great trip. Ryan is personable, on time, great kayaks and a wealth of information if you choose to tour with him which I have not done. However, during a one week stay in Ocala I have used his rental and shuttle service 4 times. I can recommend Discovery kayak without hesitation. read more

Top notch outfit. Nice equipment and the guys were great. We rented two single sit insides, very comfortable for the entire 3 1/2 hours! Silver Springs is stunning! read more

Had an excellent kayak tour today at Silver Springs with Tony. We took our two young children out on the tour as well. Perfectly safe and peaceful. Tony had a great knowledge of the area and history of Florida that was very interesting to listen to as well. We would highly recommend this and would definitely do it again if we were ever in the area. read more

Discovery Kayak and Sup - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Silver Springs, FL, Florida

So much fun!! Great guide. Very knowledgeable staff! Thanks so much! Will definitely recommend!

Find any other springs to go to in Florida. The staff is very rude - Alexis and Donovan were the ones we communicated. It was an awful experience all around from the service, the communication, and markings. The only wildlife to see is turtles and birds. There were no monkeys which isn't their fault but not worth a trip to see. read more

This company sucks! I prepaid for a kayak rental and when I arrive at Silver Springs I find out the people who run the place are out of the country. I also learned a group of about 20 people showed up the day before and this clearly pourly managed company didn't show up for them either! I don't know how this company is in business. read more

This is a great place to rent kayaks from. Ryan is the owner and he launched us and pick us up after a 3 hr drift down the Silver River . Beautiful scenery and a great day! We will be back read more

Great tour guide! Tony was knowledgeable and patient with everyone. Even first timers in their 80s! Great day on the water!

Took advantage of a beginner's kayak lesson with Ryan Tolen which was very beneficial - helped me learn how to position self in the kayak, proper positioning with the oar, and basic moves to go forward, backward, turn and break. Today I returned for the Silver River kayak tour - had a wonderful morning with the group. Ryan introduced us on land to the morning's trip, and accompanied us on the 2 hour tour. As a naturalist, he reviewed the history of the area at each stopping point, pointed out the lay of the land and in relation to the wildlife, and patiently instructed those of us who needed pointers with our kayak movements. I plan to take this tour again, as it was so enjoyable and it helped me build confidence with kayaking. I highly recommend Ryan and his staff for an exciting kayak experience. read more

My family and I booked a trip today with Ryan and Tony out of Silver Springs. The tour was fantastic!The guides pointed out a variety of wildlife and were extremely knowledgable about their habitats. One thing that really impressed me was their commitment to safety. There was a sight chance of thunderstorms in the area and Ryan kept us updated on the weather. He also gave us the opportunity to rebook another day of we were uncomfortable and had edit plans laid out to us if the weather got bad. I wouldn't hesitate to take another tour and will definitely book again when I visit this area again! read more

The MOST helpful and nice person we met the whole trip! We needed a shuttle for Silver Springs and Ryan was informative and quick to answer questions. If I ever decide to kayak in Ocala, he is the ONLY person I will call! read more

Had a great experience renting kayaks from this company. Booked kayaks online. Communication was great via emails. They are very customer service oriented. Price was reasonable. Kayaks and shuttle van were clean, well maintained, and in good condition. I would recommend them to everyone. I would use them again. They have other opportunities in addition to the Silver River and we're considering using them again. read more

Ryan and his team did a fantastic job of navigating us on a beautiful and scenic tour of the Silver River. The equipment was fantastic and most of our group had never kayaked before but Ryan put us at ease and it took 3 strokes in the water before we felt comfortable. Great to see the wildlife (saw turtles, alligators and loads of birds) and learn more about the history of the area. Thanks Ryan!!! You made our family vacation awesome! read more