BLUF: I simply cannot recommend the team at Pensacola Sailing Academy highly enough. Thanks to all!…read more I'm not typically one to write reviews, but I had to share how good my experience was with Pensacola Sailing Academy (formerly, "Lanier"). Even though I did my ASA 101 in another state, the PSA folks were willing and able to provide a "refresher" sail while I was on vacation to the Gulf Coast with my family. Braxton was thoughtful and responsive throughout scheduling on the phone (following up without a hitch several times on my many questions); Kathy was at the marina early, had the boat ready before I arrived (which is no surprise given her 20+ years in the business), and got me on the water fast; and my instructor, Bryce, was an absolute pro! Bryce was super-knowledgeable and systematic in approach; both patient and encouraging as we got my sailing muscles working again; and a lot of fun to sail with for a few hours! (Remember, Bryce, that you BETTER have the last words in any future arguments with your lady!! ...and those words should be, "Yes, dear.") ;-) My only constructive criticism for PSA is to give your students/renters a bottle of water (or even two) rather than charge for it. Not a complaint! But I imagine that providing that comfort/safety essential for "free" will come back to you (in goodwill, at least) by orders of magnitude. Look me up if you ever sail through San Francisco Bay. It would be my privilege to crew for any of you!

We have been on a variety of dolphin tours in various places along the Gulf of Mexico and the…read moreAtlantic Ocean, but NONE of them compares to this one!! We did the 1.5 to 2 hour Sunset Dolphin Cruise and had an absolute blast!! It was unbelievable how many dolphins we saw out in the bay! Five of them even swam with the boat when we were heading back!! We saw three jump out of the water and flip in the air! It was honestly like we were watching a movie instead of seeing it in real-life!! The sunset over the water was gorgeous as well!! I simply can't say enough about this cruise!! I very, very highly recommend!!! **Tips** ~ Reserve your spot online on their website to be sure the cruise/tour you are wanting to take doesn't fill up. ~ Bring some cash or your credit/debit card as there is an onboard snack bar. ~ There is a bathroom onboard, but it's similar to a porta-toilet, so you might want to make sure you use the restroom before boarding. ~ There is a Coast Guard-certified lady who shows everyone how to put on, fasten, tighten, and take off the life vests, as well as telling everyone where they are located onboard, if needed. Not every dolphin tour has life vests (we have taken a couple in the past that didn't), so this is important and just another positive about this company!

Very disappointed, boarded the boat that I was reserved with, then was told that it was a private…read moreBooking. The Thompson's . They went out but we did not on the back up boat. We went upstairs to have dinner at Shaggy's and that was even more disappointing. Skies cleared and it was obvious that the private boat was more important . Stopped here on purpose for the great revues. Makes me so sad. Please do better! We live close enough and are asked for recommendations . I understand that safety is imperative. But when other ships sailed and we didn't.......

We had such a good time with Capt. Bruce playing with dolphins, exploring a deserted island,…read moreclimbing white sand dunes, swimming in a turquoise lagoon, and discovering tiny shrimp and pipe fishes in the sea grass. All of this in a 4-hour morning cruise limited to 6 passengers. The dolphins were out and about, frolicking, playing, and jumping. There were mamma dolphins and their babies swimming along with our boat, even swimming upside down. I highly recommend Capt. Bruce. We couldn't have had a better time.

The most personalized dolphin tour I've taken. We had a very up close encounter with several…read moredolphin that came right up to the boat. Highly recommend Captain Bruce as a tour guide for this area.

OMGOSH Dolphins abound! They swam right up to the boat & we saw them swimming happily underwater!…read more Took 7 kids & all were engaged! They all learned something which is worth a million to the home educator! Super friendly and funny (clean dad jokes) Captain Boat Daddy and Michael kept us fully engaged and entertained. They took the time to make sure that we had plenty of dolphin sighting time. Two hour tour for a fair price. They also sell reasonably priced drinks and bagged snacks. Bathroom on deck. Clean & well run. Very much worth it!! PS PLZ TIP THE STAFF

Charlie and Mike were awesome hosts. If you want to see dolphins and the Blue Angels properly,…read morethis is the boat and crew!! Great, fun experience I HIGHLY recommend.

Captain Tim is THE MAN!…read more My family and I sailed with Tim on July 3rd, 2025. Long story short, this was the best fishing trip any of us have ever been on! Tim met us at a location that was convenient for us and was perfectly on time. We went out about 4-5.miles and bait fished before heading to some wrecks to fish for snapper. We caught a BUNCH of fish! Tim was on top of the customer service and kept our hooks baited and and was on top of every fish coming over the rail. This was no small task as all four of my family members were fishing and there were fish being caught almost constantly. Tim had great stories about the area and about the adventure we were on. Tim is an outstanding Captain and generally a great guy. We traded stories about everything under the sun. We will absolutely be back every time we come to Pensacola!

What an experience! Accompanied by a few stray blue angels, you gotta love it & I love how safe Tim…read moremakes everyone feel! He read through the whole safety precautions & made sure everyone knew where everything was. On our way back, we even got to see a few dolphins!

The Boat, the abundance of fish, and the captain all were the perfect mixture for a perfect…read moreafternoon spent fishing with friends and enjoying the ocean! Bryan took great care in helping us learn the ropes and had plenty of fish action to keep us all busy. Bryan's patience with us, very energetic and full of life group of 4...Well I guess you could say Bryan has "The Patience of Job" in my eyes. We caught just the amount we wanted, and had time to enjoy some leisure time at "The Island". I'm so appreciative of the lenience towards our groups mood and letting us enjoy the day catching yummy fish, relaxing, and making memories with friends. We will be back for sure and look forward to many more. Thank you for allowing us to all have a great time together and thanks for joining in on the fun with us.

My son and grandson went out with the captain and had a awesome time. That's all they talked about…read moreon the way home. They went to multiple locations and got plenty of fishing in.

We went on a sunset cruise on the Sapphire We had a…read morewonderful time! Rachel and Amber did a wonderful job, and I would highly recommend going!

I'll admit that a sailboat cruise on vacation wasn't my idea, but wow! It turned out to be one of…read morethe best parts of our trip to Pensacola Beach. We debated whether to go for the 2-hour option or the 3-hour option. Lucky for us, we went for the 3-hour option. We asked for a nice ride with a stop to enjoy a swim. The experts took over from there for an awesome ride. They were able to get us pretty close to a beach and we enjoyed a nice swim. Then, we cruised back to dock. Sailing was awesome. First, Riley and Rachel definitely know their stuff! They made it look so easy to sail a boat that was over 30 feet long. With six in our party, and the two of them, there was plenty of room. They really did everything they could possibly do for us to have the best experience. For us, we just relaxed and enjoyed the ride. I guess I'd never really thought about it before, but the ride was so peaceful without the roar of an engine. The cold water, beer, and wine really added a nice touch. I can't wait until we're back with our whole family for another go round!

This was an awesome trip! Captain Mike Weaver is very personable, easy to talk to and was very…read moreattentive to all the passengers on our trip - 2 adults, 1 teenagers, 2 five year olds. His boat is clean and well maintained. His gear is also very well maintained. He knows the waters he fishes and knows his fish. Using live bait and light tackle, we all had a blast pulling in the fish from the gulf. When we got back to shore, he filleted our catch. We left in the morning and fished for four hours. It was a perfect addition to our Gulf Shores vacation. All you need to bring is drinks, snacks and sun protection. He handles the rest. I highly recommend Captain Mike! .

Couldn't have had a better captain or trip. Mike Weaver took my 13-year-old-…read more Son and I out and we caught a ton of fish in 4 hours and had a great time spending the morning with him. Great guy, knowledgeable angler and easy to be around. We're coming back soon!