Captain Rios charter was the highlight of our Florida Keys vacation. We have done several charters…read moreand this was by far the best. We did a little snorkeling, fishing and sand bar visit. We saw a few dolphin and sea turtles along our trip. We can't wait to come back and charter with him again to explore more special spots around the islands. Rio cleaned our fish and we took them to the marina where they made us some delicious fish tacos. 10/10 recommend.

Captain Rio is the best!! We went out with him for an entire day, and we did not want to get off…read morethe boat!! We snorkeled, we kayaked, we saw rays, all kinds of fish (he told us what they were and about them) and even a shark!! He took us to a sandbar in the middle of the Gulf that was so beautiful and only 6 inches of water. Captain Rio will provide you with an experience of a lifetime! I cannot wait to book him again next year!!

My husband and I booked a snorkeling excursion with Namaste and felt like it was only an…read moreadequate/average experience. Clearly, Namaste is pretty well reviewed on Yelp, but our experience made us wonder whether something had gone awry with our tour. The information we read on the website made it seem like it would be more of a special, hands-on three hours on AND IN the water. While Jeff was eager and informative about his on-deck timeline presentation about the millions of years of geological history regarding coral reefs, the information about the present day was a little lacking. Additionally, it was a bit surprising to be on an "eco" excursion and to hear Jeff talk about how global climate change doesn't concern him as much as pollution does, especially since climate change is the result of pollution by greenhouse gases. During Jeff's presentation on the boat, there were some details and photos of different corals, but there was no instruction in the water. The pics and description on the site made it seem like the four of us who were "guests" would be led snorkeling around the reef and be presented with observations and sightings of the marine life first-hand--for example, there's a photo onsite of a diver showing/handing a guest a sea cucumber. What actually happened was that Jeff dove into the water before any of the guests and then seemed to be off swimming on his own personal snorkeling adventure during the roughly 40-45 minutes we were snorkeling, although he and his (very friendly) wife, Trish, did swim by to take underwater pics from time to time. And that brings me to another point: We paid extra for a photo package, which ended up being publicly available pics that they posted to Facebook after the trip anyway; no "photo package" was ever provided specifically to us. Additionally, there was no checking in at any time about the comfort level of any guest--nothing asked about swimming abilities, no suggestion of floatation assistance in the fairly choppy water, and no requirement even of life vests at any time during the three hours we were on/in the water. This actually discouraged my husband (a nervous swimmer) from even getting in the water, although neither Jeff nor Trish ever inquired about why one of the only four guests on board didn't want to get in the water or whether there was anything they could do as guides. (The tour description called for strong swimmers but also accommodated "shy swimmers.) Jeff and Trish seemed, in this regard, as being rather amateurish, and the food and drinks provided were lackluster as well (a block of supermarket cheese cut up on the spot, along with shrinkwrapped watermelon and pineapple slices and crackers dumped out on plates set on deck. We aren't super fancy or picky, but we've been on less expensive and equally informative snorkeling excursions elsewhere (St Thomas, Turks and Caicos, etc), and Namaste was a bit adequate by comparison, especially regarding the higher price and the hands-on explorations that was promised via the Namaste website.

I'm no Key West expert - prior to my recent trip, the last time I was there was at age five. I was…read moreleft turning to the world wide web to find decent dining, nightlife, and activities. While lounging around was on the top of my family's list, a snorkeling trip was at the top of mine. I set out to find the right tour operator for us. Yelp led me toward a very well reviewed, giant tour company. As I flipped through their photos, something didn't feel right. Crowds, a party boat, frat boys. Where were the fish? Where was the coral? It seemed that these things were an afterthought for many operators. So I hit Google. And one operator's facebook page caught my eye: Namaste Sailing. Their facebook page was loaded with albums of recent snorkeling trips. In fact, each charter had its own album full of beautiful underwater photos. Seemed like a good sign. I made my way to their official website and found more goodies. Snorkeling, sailing, and a little bit of environmental education. Sounded like the right thing for me. Booking was painless. I called the main number and quickly realized I was talking to Jeff, the co-owner and co-captain of the Namaste, the 30+ foot sailboat he and his wife Trish call home. We settled on a "mixed private" snorkeling trip at $125/person that would last about four hours. Mixed private means other folks are free to sail with us, but no more than eight people total. It was significantly more affordable than a private charter but was still a small operation - a good trade off. Soon it was finally sailing day. We met Trish on a marina just north of Key West. She led us to the Namaste. As we approached the boat, we all assumed it was the small, dodgy-looking boat to our right. Wrong we were. The Namaste, to our left, is a majestic 37' blue water sailing dreamboat. We hopped on and were greeted by Capt. Ron. Capt. Ron is the Namaste's live-aboard cat and he was quite snuggly. Also on board was a very sweet little dog named pollito who was amazingly well-behaved. Then finally we met Jeff who would be our boat driver (after all, Ron is the Captain). Jeff and Trish couldn't have been more welcoming. We soon realized we were sitting aboard their home - they live year-round on the Namaste. After we left the harbor, Trish and Jeff tag-teamed a quick, informative, and passionate presentation about reef ecosystems, what we might see in the water, and how we can minimize our impact on the reef. Both Trish and Jeff are retired teachers and it shows through. This might have been our favorite part of the trip! When we finally arrived at the reef, we tied off to a buoy, donned our snorkeling gear, and jumped in with Trish. She led the way through crystal clear water to the Western Sambo reef. The coral was from 5 to 15 feet below the water. The reef was a beautiful mural of sea fans, fish, corals, and sand. Truly indescribable. While we snorkeled around, Trish followed nearby and snapped photos of the reef, of us, and of us looking at the reef. Once we tired ourselves out, we swam back to the boat and returned to shore. Our guides had cold watermelon and cheese & crackers waiting for us as well as cold drinks. Once we were back on shore, we started checking the Namaste facebook page religiously. We were so eager to see our tour amongst their many photo albums. About three days afterwards, our photos appeared. They were excellent and will make sure we remember the trip for years to come. Trish is quite the photographer! We were encouraged to download the pictures -- at no additional cost. If you want to snorkel while in Key West, you should do yourself (and the reef) a favor and opt for a small and responsible operator like Namaste Sailing. Once you've committed to that goal, going with this outfit is a no-brainer. Jeff and Trish bring such deep passion to their work. If I make it back to Key West, another trip on the Namaste is undoubtedly in my plans.

This was such a fun charter. The guides were so nice and informative. Very supportive when sea…read moresickness kicks in. Was able to see all kinds of sea creatures including some reef sharks! Super fun.

One of our best hired snorkeling experiences in the country. We've snorkeled and dove all over…read moreOceania, Hawaii, and the US and this was such a good experience. Check-in and boarding was smooth. We've got our own gear but they had everything we would have needed. Boat was not overcrowded and the crew was stellar. Matthew, Mark, Troy, and John -- top notch, professional and great hosts. Nice trip to the barrier reef and we were blessed to have crystal waters, great weather, and beautiful reefs full of fish, fish, fish. Can't recommend this team and experience enough!

This was one of the best things we have ever done on a vacation! Captain Nick treated us like…read morefamily and made us feel at home on his boat from start to finish. If you're looking for a private, laid back day on the water with amazing views and awesome snorkeling this is the charter for you.

My two friends and I had the distinct privilege of taking a half day snorkeling cruise with captain…read moreNick Pulice on his beautiful 50 ft Beneteau sailboat Epiphany. We snacked on cheese, crackers and beer on our way out to the reef and ate subs after we snorkeled. Nick and crewmember Tony were outstanding hosts and very engaging and entertaining. Their seamless coordinated sailing expertise was displayed throughout the day and we never felt any concerns for our safety despite being quite a ways off shore. We saw numerous dolphins who swam alongside the sailboat as well as sea turtles. Once at the reef, we put on the snorkeling equipment provided. Since we already were experienced snorkelers, we had Nick skip the instruction portion of the trip and jumped right in and swam about 3 mins to the reef. It was a bright sunny day and as we swam over the reef we were greeted by numerous colorful fish. Nick provided us with a GoPro camera, so we could video as we swam and surface dove down the coral. The depth was only about 5 ft in some places, so it was easy to swim down for a close look at the fish. One day after our trip, I received an email from Nick with a YouTube link for the 3 min video he put together from the GoPro. We also loved the wonderful relaxing change of pace that the sailboat offered over the alternative speeding powerboat mode of transportation. Overall, this was a wonderful unforgettable experience. Thank you Nick and Tony!

Want an experience of a lifetime? Check out the boats offered here. Well equipped with trained…read morecaptains. This is one fishing charter that you will not regret.

Shirley's sister, brother in law and their two kids came into town from Colorado to enjoy some…read moreFlorida weather and have a nice family visit. We spent some time in West Palm, and decided to head down to the keys. Went on line and booked a trip for the Gulf Stream to go fishing. Booked it on line and the kids were pumped. Arrived at the dock early and found out that they can celled the trip. There were only 10 people and they said they needed 15. I offered to pay the difference because these kids wanted to get out on the water, but they they said the owner did not feel like taking the boat out. Strange to me, but it is her boat! Any way we headed over to Hurricane hole marina and ran into Skip on Neptuna fishing Charters. He is a great guy, with a awesome 34 Fountain boat. All the gear was in perfect condition and after we stopped at his hidden pin fish honey hole, the bait wells were full to overflowing. Off we went. On a 34 fountain with twin 275 verado fourstrokes, he was gettin it on.... Since we had a half day charter, we started hitting the patch reefs and the action was good. Lots of short groupers, a big Goliath on a small spinning rod, along with mangoroves, yellowtails, a strawberry and 3 sweet muttons. Everyone had a great time, and two kids from colorado, had a trip of a lifetime!!

Captain Matt and Tanner were great. Super informative about the wildlife, environment and kept the…read moremood light with jokes. Kids on board were able to feed a shark if they wanted to. They got us back to shore before heavy rains started. Would highly recommend!

As a filmmaker and photographer, I've documented a lot of different environments, but my experience…read morewith Key West Extreme Adventures was something special. This is a family-run business and you can feel that local, small-town pride from the moment you step on the boat. What impressed me most wasn't just the wildlife--though seeing bottle-nosed dolphins and sharks in their natural habitat was incredible--it was the professional camaraderie. Even though there are other tour companies out there, the captains are in constant communication, sharing sightings and even helping each other out with gear or debris in the water. It's rare to see that kind of collective stewardship in a competitive industry. The tour is also deeply educational. The guide did a fantastic job dispelling myths about sharks and explaining the biology of the animals (like the dermal denticles on their skin) with a level of respect that shows they aren't just using nature for a paycheck--they are actively protecting it. If you want an authentic, respectful, and insightful look at the Florida Keys' ecosystem, this tour is a must. I captured a large portion of our tour--including the sharks and dolphins--starting at the 2:26 mark in my vlog here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og6BrVsB2QM

Kayla, Dennis and the captain did an excellent job at making sure we were safe and had tons of fun…read more Super kind and friendly and the prices were very fair Thx!

Great charter ship for actual SCUBA. Did not use them for the SNUBA, but based on the way they ran…read moretheir boat, I'm sure it is a great experience. We ended up using them based in a few recommendations to dive the Vandenberg on a Sunday morning in Key West. They weee very accommodating and the setup process was simple. Waivers were done digitally, so everything was set once we got to the boat. Parking and directions were simple, which says a lot in Key West. Once we boarded, they helped us every step of the way. The dive briefing was thorough, the captain did a great job, and our guide/DM Scott was very effective. We did a two tank dive, so the second dive was a shallow reef. Visibility wasn't great, but we made the most of it and had a fantastic second dive as well. I haven't dive with all of the operators down in KW, but I would have no problem recommending divers to SNUBA. Thanks for the great dive and team!

Best staff ever…read more Caught lots of fish Pro guides on board Caught and cooked all of our fish Amazing experience

We were originally going to book a different fishing charter, but it was full. When we called…read moreTortuga IV, they took our reservation right away....which was nice. The lady manning the desk and taking payments was not very friendly but that only takes 5 minutes. We left the dock right on time and headed out to the reef to bottom fish. The best part about the day was how well Rich took care of everyone around us. You can tell he genuinely cares for people, loves seeing guests catching fish and is good at his job. Jessie was also friendly and helpful, and so was the captain...who surprisingly was also helping on deck. A couple of people on board caught a handful of decent sized fish but many others...including the three people in or party didn't catch anything of significant size. Most of the fish were just bait stealers. We did move a couple of times and a couple of nice size sharks were reeled in, but that was about it. Not the fault of the crew, just a bad day. They do sell snacks, water, beer and soda and that prices are reasonable. There is not much shade anywhere on the boat and several people had to go inside to cool down. Overall it wasn't a bad day but not the best boat I've ever been on.