Great experience! Great value. Helpful staff. Explained the best kayaking route and points of interest. We saw so many amazing birds. Go early (8 am) to see the most birds. read more

Renting the kayak was simple. We got a text the morning of our rental date with instructions on where to meet. When we arrived, our kayak was already on the shore and we got a short orientation of the area before we launched. Really great for bird watching or just getting away from the busy parts of the island. Highly recommend this place. Will for sure do it again when we come back. read more

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We had a fabulous experience!! Make sure you book a day in advance so you get the full 4 hours of paddle time!! The routes were easy to understand and the worker was super nice! Super fun would highly recommend read more

Surferbus.com - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

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My little one and I rented a tandem paddle board for a fun day on the water. It was a perfect day for it. We were happy we took their advice of bringing snacks and drinks as stated on their website. Paddling against the current to get to the tower was not an easy feat. They were great with all my questions through FB messenger; and were quick to reply when something came up this morning before we arrived. read more

Surferbus.com - Being in the moment 28.4.19 - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

We had a great time. Booking was easy, and we even found a 10% off coupon. Got a different view of the preserve. The equipment was well used, but did the job fine. We were given verbal instructions as well as a map, then on our own....saw lots of birds, up fairly close. If you are hoping to kayak up close with dolphins or manatee you should find another location as I don't think they hang out here. At least we did not see or hear of any in the area. Still worth it! PS: book at least a day before so you get the full 4hrs. And time it so you hit high tide. Navigation is more limited at low tide read more

Great rental place and area! I have been to a few different kayak rental shops and this was one of the top three. The service was great- very nice and helpful. They walk you through a map, the animals you will see and how to use your equipment. Make sure you book the day before!!! This will save you money and you will be able to go out on the water for up to four hours. Lots of beautiful scenery and fish to look at- definitely a must do in Bradenton read more

Surferbus.com - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Traveled over 800 miles to visit family and take our daughter paddle boarding. Her boyfriend couldn't hang for more than 5 min. So one of us decided to try to the board so our daughter wouldn't be alone. Owner blew up on us making some negative remarks and said we couldn't have a replacement rider. "Especially since we purchased a Groupon". The result was us leaving after 16 minutes do to the rediculous comments and poor customer service even though we paid for an hour! My recommendation would be to find somewhere else to rent from and not buy a Groupon. read more

We had a great experience renting our half day single kayak from surferbus.com. We explored through a long mangrove tunnel and took some amazing pictures. We brought our lunch and stopped to eat it at a landing area with a covered bench. Would definitely rent from them again if we are back in the area! read more

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We all had so much fun with our kayak rentals! First time my fiancé and I went out when my mom came to visit and she said that was the most fun she ever had in her life! Second time my fiancé and I went out when a bunch of his family came down to visit. It was a blast both times and such a unique experience especially for out of state visitors. Shawn was incredibly helpful and very nice. He gave us a map, pointed out directions and cool things to see, and even took pictures of us in our kayaks. Love the surfer bus and will be back again with our next group of out of town visitors! read more

Surferbus.com - First time kayaking Robinson Preserve with Surfer Bus - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

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We booked 4 kayaks online, the day before we wanted to go out. There was also a discount code provided online which lowered the price to $31.50 for up to a 4 hour rental. It's super easy to find the Surfer Bus by the bridge on Manatee Ave W. at Palma Sola Bay. Kayaks were nice and the guy talked through the route to paddle & gave us a map of the Preserve. We took our time and leisurely paddled through the Robinson Preserve, which took approximately 3 hours. We didn't get out of the kayaks and go on any trails which you could do to use up the full time frame. *Please note: If you book less than 9 hours in advance of the time you would like to kayak, the rental time is decreased from 4 hours to 2 hours but is still the same price as 4 hours. read more

Excellent trip today!! I'll preface by saying I have only kayaked once before and it was fairly awful. I approached today somewhat apprehensive- I'm a 50-something woman who doesn't exercise and was prepared to be shown-up by my 20-something daughter. The map and instructions, though, made even this novice comfortable. It's a fairly easy trail, and I really did feel like I got the hang of it! If you could me to Palma Sola, be sure to check out the original- The Surferbus is a local business, well-established, and part of the community. You must make reservations online or on the phone- no commerce is allowed on the bridge. Highly recommend Surferbus! read more

This was one of the best experiences of my life. I rented a paddleboard for a few hours. Gentleman running the Surferbus was extremely kind and helpful, even gave me a bottle of water since I didn't think to bring one! Can't wait to do this again next time I'm in Florida. Definitely worth the price, don't pass this up. read more

#1 Remember to reserve in advance on their website: surferbus. com. Arrived on site on Manetee Ave after reserving the prior day. Our kayaks were placed and ready to go on the little beach next to the bus. After a short explanation of the waterway with map provided, we were assisted into the water and set out for the beautiful adventure through the mangroves. Thank you! read more

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Want to paddle the Robinson Preserve? While there are not rentals inside the preserve there is still a way to do it. On the Bradenton causeway (manatee Ave) there is this huge bus full of kayaks and paddle boards. They'll happily rent you something at a reasonable price. There is just one catch. You have to pay for it online. So either log into their web site before heading out there and reserve what you need and when you need it. Or do like we did and whip out your smart phone and handle all while you are standing there. The guy doesn't want to handle cash at this location so he has this system set up to take payments. I'm not sure why he doesn't just get a cube or one of the other methods of accepting cards but it worked ok for us, just need to know that before you head out there. The equipment we got was in good repair and we had a blast paddling up to the tower in the preserve. Be sure to hit the tunnel out to the bay as well. read more

Our kayaking trip was my favorite part about our recent trip to Florida. Four of us rented two tandem sit-on-top Ocean Kayak Malibu XLs and after a brief chat with the owner Shawn, we were sent on our way with a laminated map showing our route through Robinson Preserve. While Shawn said we could probably go out and back in two hours, we had four hours available and we used them! We didn't want to get out of the kayaks. The best parts were the very beginning where we went through a narrow tunnel of mangroves, and then later on about halfway through our route, where we were instructed that we could take a side detour through another longer mangrove tunnel which we did (almost did it again on the way back too, just for fun). It was a complete blast! We came out at the end of the route into Tampa Bay and took photos of the shoreline and a bridge out in the distance, and then decided to beach ourselves on a sandbar in the shallow, calm and pretty warm water where we kicked our feet up and ate snacks. There is plenty of room in the kayaks for a backpack like we had or even a cooler (which we wished we brought - for beer!) and you hardly get wet at all (just my feet, a bit, from my paddles splashing) so there isn't much worry with your belongings either. Then we turned around and followed the same route back to the launch spot on Manatee Ave. I wore a hat and sunscreen and we all still managed to get sunburned on legs, ankles and hands, so layer up on the SPF. There is a neat wooden tower you can pull up ashore at and walk the steps up to the top for photo ops. We saw many varieties of birds, crabs and schools of tiny fish. Apparently the manatees will come into the preserve soon, we just missed them due to the timing. We were provided with life vests strapped to the kayaks but didn't need them - the kayaks are flat, wide and very stable. The seats are adjustable and quite comfy, just like a rounded Crazy Creek type of chair - a huge improvement over the hard molded seats of my old Hobie Cat kayak. The kayaking itself is not strenuous at all even when we had some strong breezes, and of course, when we turned around, the breeze pushed us along and made for a very relaxing trip back. I'll be back to try the SUPs on my next visit! Shawn also gave us a great rec for a seafood dive on the docks that went to afterward. There was a Groupon available for Surferbus (must pre-book online or using your phone at the launch site, no cash accepted) that we found out about too late, so it's worth googling before booking (with Groupon, it was just $55 for two tandems for four people, and we paid around $120). Shawn took a bunch of photos for us with his sweet bus too, and even had us move around to the other side of his bus to get better light. No frills and fun fun fun! read more

This was awesome!!!!! Best kayaking on AMI. Very peaceful and beautiful...it was really great. It was a workout but it doesn't totally destroy you. Take plenty of water, a light snack, and a water-proof camera and you're good to go! You basically follow a nice little path deep into Robinson Preserve and then you paddle back out. It's very tranquil....there are 3-4 landing points where you can get out and walk around. I'd do this again in a heartbeat. read more

Surferbus.com - Shot from the top of the tower inside Robinson Preserve - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

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I arrived with my family of 5. The gentlemen approached us with no smiles and simply unhappy. I showed him our groupon vouchers and immediately he exhaled and went on about rules for groupon rentals. I tried calling them the day before to make a reservation and there was no response. And I tried to explain that to him and see if we can work something, giving the fact that he had a bus filled with paddle boards inside and out and we were the only customers there. He refused to rent us the paddle boards. We left extremely unhappy and immediately called groupon to cancel our purchase. We refuse to go back there with that kind of unfair service. You can tell he simply did not want to work at all. Happy to say we found another paddle board business 5 minutes later called sup siesta key! Great quick response and made time for us. read more

Surferbus.com - A bus filled with paddle boards and they couldn't rent us 5 , which we already paid for on groupon. Great service guys! - Rafting/Kayaking Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Fabulous!! The owner gave u a quick paddleboarding lesson and let us go on our way. He was kind and gave us some extra time an we had a lot of fun. We paddled back through some mangrove trees where we had to be on our knees and then came to a clearing where we could stand up. It was pretty neat and I have wanted to paddleboard for a few years now so I'm glad I finally had the chance! Would love to do it again. It was also a superb workout - for my whole body!!! Recommend this business highly! read more

My son and I spent a great afternoon kayaking yesterday! Reservation was easy to make. Location was super easy to find. Kayaks were ready for launching just as expected! I would definitely recommend and may just go back and try a paddleboard! Thank you for a great day! read more

Had a great time trying stand up paddle board. Shawn and Julia were very helpful and informative. Great value. Can't wait to do it again!

Our Family can't say enough about this amazing family owned and run business!! We have bought several kayaks from them and send all of our guests and new friends in the area to them. They are never disappointed!! Not only are they a staple in our community but they give back by volunteering and keeping the bay clean so we can all enjoy it !!! We support local !!!!! read more

These guys are class act! Taught us well and we had such a great time! My 9 yr old girl even paddled half all the way to the observation tower and said this was the best outing ever! Considering we have annual passes to Disney and Busch Gardens, that is awesome! We will do this again with Surferbus! Thank you so much! It was an amazing girl's day out! read more

Surfer bus is amazing. Great park, friendly service makes this one of the best, family friendly, ideas in Southwest Florida. Three amazing visits and looking forward to my next! read more

What a great experience. This is a must when visiting Bradenton. So much to see in the preserves the water is full of beautiful different species of fish you can see manatee dolphin this is a must do book yours today we did we loved it!! read more

The best paddle board/kayaking rental around. Very helpful and friendly and full of integrity.

I've already been walking through Robinson preserve many times and found it peaceful and relaxing. Now, headed out on kayak and delighted with how easy it is to set up such a trip using surferbus services. Julia is delightful and the online and physical accessibility are both excellent. Assuming no holes in the boat I'll be a super happy camper--no, boater! read more

Great area for kayaking! I liked the Bay Area better than the mangroves. Mangroves were beautiful but we saw more wildlife in the bay! Even saw dolphins and sharks. read more

Wow how rude was the owner of this company. I reserved three kayaks for my sons 13th birthday. When we arrived at the Robinson Preserve, we were told by the park ranger that the preserve was closed for the day and all venders were notified weeks in advance. We called Surferbus to tell them this information, and he proceeded to yell at my wife telling her "The rangers don't know what they are talking about, and we were at the wrong entrance!" Us being from NC didn't know that there was multiple entrances to the Preserve. ( Which by the way there is not!) but this jerk off told us to drive down to route 64 and look for the big bus that is in the Guinness book of world records. He then continued to yell at us "Didn't you even look at my webpage!" Well we left the main/only entrance to the preserve and drove down to where he was, on the side of a very busy road, which wasn't a second entrance to the preserve, but a back way into the preserve. Anyhow we get there and he continues to berate our group, on how were ruining his repartition. And "looks like you all went to the main entrance to the preserve and Pitched a Fit to the rangers" To make a long story short. I wouldn't rent for this guy EVER AGAIN!!! And I don't recommend you do either. read more

Really great paddle board and kayak rental place, has been in the area pretty much all of his life and knows the waters well.

Great experience. Very prompt and helpful service. Can't wait to go out again. Some of our group were new and the staff were very sweet and patient with teaching old dogs new tricks. read more

Best place on the island to rent a kayak and or paddle board!!! The owner Shawn was great, very helpful and very friendly, and best prices on island too!!! read more

Really easy to make reservations online. All you have to do is show up on time, and everything is waiting for you and ready to go! We had lots of fun kayaking, and I'd recommend this to anyone that would like a relaxing day out on the water. read more

Had such an enjoyable quiet time kayaking the Robinson Preserve where they rent the kayaks. It will take about 3-4 hours to kayak the whole route to a Tampa bay and back. Take snacks, lots of water, sunblock and make sure you wear a good sun hat as the sun can beat down strong. Ample covering too, to protect your arms and legs from the strong sun as it is a sit on canoe. Meandering quiet waters through mangroves and lots of quiet spots to alight from your boat to watch the wildlife, and of course, the rewarding view of the vast Tampa Bay at the end where the sandbar extends far out and you can wade through clear, shallow waters. Make sure you know directions to the place. They are not very good at returning calls if you get lost. read more

This is the best thing to do down here! Gorgeous out here in the water and the surfer dude himself is totally awesome. I'll do this every time I come down from now on! read more

Simply the best kayak/paddleboard experience in the Bay area. My wife and I use them every time we have guests visiting from out of town. Just make your reservations on their intuitive website and get ready for a great time, whether you are a seasoned kayaker or, just starting out. Robinson Preserve is an impressive natural wildlife habitat with spectacular views at every turn. I can't wait to go again! read more

I have rented kayaks numerous time from Shawn! It is the only place I will rent when I visit Bradenton. Shawn is very knowledgeable and helpful. The Robinson Preserve is the prefect place to bring your family kayaking. You always see so much wild life and the trails through the mangroves are beautiful! read more

Second time renting paddle boards and just as great as the first. Wouldn't change anything! Can't wait to go back. Thank you for a wonderful experience!! read more

Nice place to kayak or paddleboard near AMI. Nice protected area. Note that reservations are needed in advance as they cannot accept payment on site read more

our experience wasnt so good (super rude surfer dude) so went to Kayak Jacks instead. And Jacks was less expensive as well and Cody was great at the launch site. read more

Fantastic time out on the water today. Out-of-towner visiting the area? This should definitely be on your list while you're here.