My advice is, if you don't want to talk about what you offer, then don't work at an attraction that offers a touristy experience. Every question we asked was met with irritation and condescending answers. We are from Virginia and have no idea what the nuances are of this river are and what the kayaking experience entails. Just some kind instruction would have been nice. Beyond the service that was horrible....the river is beautiful once you go about a mile and get past all the rickety, barely standing houses and docks. Be prepared to paddle up stream against a fairly strong current. It's a paddle up, turn-around, paddle back trip. The paddle back is great; a nice reprieve after paddling up stream for a couple of miles and hours. We saw fish but no other wildlife. I wish we had done our homework and used a different outfit to rent our kayaks. We saw these cute little motorized rafts for rent that would have been perfect. read more

The Kayak Shack - Weeki Wachee River - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

Great time! Booking was super easy. Last launch is at 12pm and they are firm on this. Parking is LIMITED! read more

The Kayak Shack - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

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Great price Great staff made reservations which is highly recommend! Staff couldn't be more helpful and weeki WATCHI RIVER IS FABULOUS! SAW DOLPHINS AND MANATEE read more

The Kayak Shack - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

Great place to rent a kayak and paddle against some rare crystal-clear waters. The bathroom is awkward and single-room. The folks that run this are friendly, but they gleefully charge 10% more if you use a credit card. How are they allowed to do this? Who knows. read more

The Kayak Shack - storefront - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

During the Christmas Eve holidays many of the kayak rental sold out the boat rental. We were lucky to have one tandem kayak and a canoe. This place located at the two third point of Weeki Wachee spring river. It is not difficult to find this place and they have the the parking on site and overflow parking area. Very convenient. The rental is reasonable price. Matching the average rate around that area. Unfortunately they don't have see through canoe or kayak. The launching and take out of the boat is convenient because they are next to the river. I would suggest paddle up stream to the source of spring. It will take some time. Chose your time of enjoyment you like. We spot several manatees. They are beautiful and nice. A lot of wild life. This time we did not see any turtles. read more

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This is definitely the place to go for kayak rentals. Arrived at Kayak shack and was welcomed by a really nice lady. She had parking organized and told us whee to park - which made it simple and very stress free. Parked and note: arrived a little bit early but they still had Kayaks ready to go. Couldn't have been a smoother process in my opinion. So after what seemed like one hour turned out to be 4 or so. Saw the time when I stopped to check my phone and realized had to get back asap. Ended up arriving late. I did feel bad about arriving late on a Sunday but the guy that took our Kayaks in was more than friendly and I truly appreciate his attitude making the "late arrival guilt" disappear. Also saw a Manatee and her baby. Tons of manatees here almost a guarantee to see them. The baby looked into my eyes swimming around my Kayak, it was the most ambrosial thing I had ever seen Kayak Shack is the dream team with the best location on the river. The Kayaks are new and comfortable and all around we had an amazing time. Weeki is definitely a must do if you live near or you're visiting the area. read more

The Kayak Shack - Beautiful View up river. (EST 2 mi S) - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

Nothing more beautiful relaxing. I would go back everyday if I resided in FL. The manatee are so peaceful. ​

We wanted to kayak down the river today and came here without a reservation. I didn't realize we needed one but the place was so busy and sold out. We were lucky someone cancelled and we got 2 tandem kayaks and I brought one of my paddle boards. The location was perfect and the river was beautiful. Was $40 per kayak and they book up pretty quick so plan accordingly. Free parking and plenty of it when visiting and using their services. read more

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Awesome fun group that work here. Helpful and we're so patient. Great prices!! Highly recommend.

This is the ONLY place we'll rent kayaks on the Weeki Wachee river. MAKE RESERVATIONS AHEAD OF TIME!!!!You don't want to drive all the way out there for nothing. They only do phone reservations, not online at this time. They are a friendly, laid back bunch, just looking to rent some River equipment. Simple as that. Their location is PERFECT, reasonable rates, a close, safe parking area- and they make the process simple: sign the waiver, hop in your kayak and head up river! Your only rule-- be back by 5pm! The Kayak Shack makes everything so easy and the river is great, lots of places to hop out and wade or swim. The Kayak Shack also has a bathroom, if you gotta go- or need to change. read more

What a fun day! We made a reservation and picked up at 10am. Boats were solid and comfortable. Loved that they helped you launch and dock. Ended up staying out 10-5pm and had a blast! Def want to come back! read more

The Kayak Shack - Kayaking for Ashley's birthday! - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

Fun staff and efficient in And out process was easy and fast. The way to go for rental fun in the area

Whenever I'm looking to hop into the water, this is my go to for my kayak/canoe rentals. Call ahead of time to reserve whatever boat you need. Employees are fast and friendly. There is actually parking on site, which is convenient. The prices are awesome and you get plenty of time. Some tips: Bring a little lunch(plenty of places to dock through your time on the water) Bring waterproof camera because you are going to want to take pictures the entire way ! You can bring a float to tie onto your boat as well Bring sunscreen because it takes a few hours to go through the river. Certain times of the year you will see manatees ! read more

The Kayak Shack - Manatee sighting - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

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Everything was extremely smooth and the staff was friendly! We arrived 15 minutes early and our tandem kayak was already ready to go! Once we signed a waiver we were off exploring the Weeki Wachee river! There is a part of the river (if you go far enough) that is pristine-- wilderness on both sides. This was my favorite part, other than seeing the manatees of course! read more

Good service, quick with kayaks, nice people. Easy to get in and out especially with an impending storm and everyone else also trying to get back. read more

The Weeki Wachee River is my absolute favorite place to be. There is nowhere I find more beautiful and relaxing. When I have the luxury of taking a day to visit the river, I always rent my kayak (or canoe/paddle board if you wish) from The Kayak Shack. These people are so nice, informative, helpful, and good people. The first time I went I took my exchange student and she was nervous about kayaking. They talked her through it, told her exactly what to do, and this was both of our favorite place that I took her the year she was here. I was very appreciative of how well they treated her when she had a bit of apprehension. I enjoy renting from The Kayak Shack because they charge one price for a whole day rental, you can take food and drink up river and come back at your own pace, and you get a bit of a workout going up river and then get to coast back down. The Kayak Shack is my go to for my Weeki Wachi River adventures. Word of advice: Call The Kayak Shack today to book your adventure! You will find this may be your Heaven on Earth, also. read more

The Kayak Shack - This water is about 4 to 5 feet deep, but it's so clear it's hard to tell. - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

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The Kayak Shack is a great place to rent a kayak. I have been here multiple times and always a great experience. Be ready for a good workout to get to the clear water upstream! read more

The Kayak Shack - Kayaking at Weeki Wachee. - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

I took my puppy kayaking for the first time and it was great to have a kayak rental place that was so dog friendly!!! My dog and me had a great time. Parking and checking in was easy and everyone was nice and helpful! I will definitely rent from them again! read more

The Kayak Shack - Enjoying the scenery - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

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The kayaks were all rented out at weeki watchee springs and I'm so grateful that they suggested I call The kayak shack! They answered the phone promptly and told me theyd have something available for me and my 2 kids. They were slam jammin' when we got there 15 minutes later, even with someone guarding their parking lot, who told us where to park. But as promised, there was a SUP and double kayak for us. They were dry and clean as you can ask for. They were busy, but they didnt really tell us where to go. Well, I asked and he said i should take my first left, and then stay right. Which gave me the impression that we would be kayaking a loop which would bring us back to the Shack. Thankfully I brought my phone and when I checked the map after getting tired, we were not in fact anywhere near it, so we turned around. The river is calm and clear and full of manatees and fish. It was just lush and beautiful! Cost me $65 for the double kayak and canoe for a few hours. read more

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Great place for families and friends, amazing staff super friendly. Call in advance and make reservations, can't wait to go back. read more

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Rented two kayaks. Paid $100 cash at their request to have two tandem kayaks until 5. Was told we could go eat at the restaurant next door and continue our kayaking after as long as we tied up the kayaks up ourselves. At 4 this very rude old, gray haired, cranky, hard living, rough looking owner/employee (I think I heard someone call him Tim) came to the restaurant next door and took our kayaks and threw our bag onto the deck. We tried to stop him and told him we planned on going out after we ate and he was so rude saying we didn't have time to go out anymore (we had an hour before we needed to be back) and that he didn't want us being late, which I told him we wouldn't be but he didn't care. He took our kayaks anyway and at 4:23 we saw the guy at the bar ordering a drink. Apparently our kayaks were the last ones out and he wanted to close up early and start his Friday night drinking so we got shorted an hour that we paid for.. So freaking annoying. Never coming here again and never paying cash again Usually rent at the top of the river but decided to give this place a try. One and done for us. By the way, we live in Tampa and visit Weeki Wachee often. Noticed the business is for sale since the owners are apparently divorcing. Maybe that's why they don't care about their customers. By the prior reviews it looks like the business went downhill when they lost the ability to drop people off at the top of the river. People now have to paddle upstream in the not so nice part of the river. Anyone would be crazy to buy this place now. read more

Been here numerous amounts of times over the past 4 years, today will be the last. Price has gone up every year and now $50 a kayak. I've been 10mins late before and been not a problem. Today 16mins and lady demanded we pay $20. Saying we were 31mins after everyone in party, changed, deflated rafts and packed car. BYE, will be the last time we ever recommend your business or give your ours. read more

The 5 stars is for the vendor. As for the waterway and experience itself, a bit about that below (I'm personally not a fan). First time kayaking here. We called at 7:30 as the other place had no availability. Even though posted hours are 8, the phone was answered, the time was booked. The kayaks were very comfortable with a "seat" that had a back. Trust me - when you're kayaking for hours and miles against a current, darting around boats and other paddlers, kayakers and canoes your back will need it. You've got till 5. We tried to get to some destination that I'm not even sure was one, so we paddled a straight 4 hours. Came back and the restaurant right next door had cold beer and bar fare / seafood at great prices. Note: this location is a few miles from the other, so if you're looking to get to this magical destination of "the springs" it'll take you a looooong time. We were perpetually told by other kayakers we were an hour away. Eventually we needed to turn around as we didn't want to miss the 5 pm return. As far as the water - it was ok. Not sure this was the experience we'd return to. Homes line one side, trees other other. Boats with motors allowed which boggles my mind. Really not peaceful at all. Lots of people stop on the sandbars (tiny ones) to rest or hang out (drinking as well although alcohol is prohibited, just fyi!). Kinda hard to navigate around especially when you're tired. Lots of little ones and dogs "swimming" as well. Reminded me why I'm an ocean beach girl. Not really into the "scene". The sand in many spots when you pull over is mushy / slimy and full of algae and moss. Thought the current back would been as strong as it felt the way there. Still quite a bit of rowing required. This route isn't really recommended for the weak. And - I was bored. Saw one manatee and a couple birds and fish by way of creature spotting. And a gaggle of large black spiders that somehow fell in the kayak - probably when we hit a group of trees. My daughter screamed bloody murder. Note - we went when it was in the 70's and low humidity. Can't imagine doing this in the heat and humidity. read more

Beautiful river and convenient launch, but BE CAREFUL and DO NOT let the employees make you park in the grass where there's not even parking spaces. We came in our Chevy Tahoe and the employee made us park on the side of the road not even in a parking space in the grass. We really didn't care but when we got back from our day on the river we noticed our car was infested with ants. Shortly after driving down the road we turned around and went back, and sure enough we seen the ants everywhere on the ground where we were made to park. We told the owner and she completely blew us off and tried to say we already had ants in our car that we should check where we were parking at our beach condo... (we've been parking in the same spot at our condo for the whole week and have not seen one ant in the car or around the car). Would have given 5 stars if not for this because now on our vacation we have to go clean out our entire car and bomb our car with ant bomb and we're leaving in one day... read more

The Kayak Shack - Sea Manatee - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

Just finished a great day on the water thanks to Kayak Shack! The staff and owner were so friendly and put us on a waitlist when we showed up on a busy Sunday with no reservation. Luckily kayaks became available quickly and we ended up having a great day on the river! One of my favorite places in Florida to visit! Kayaking, cold springs, hot sunshine, and everyone having a good time enjoying life. 5 stars well earned read more

The Kayak Shack - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

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Great place to kayak the Weeki Wachee! Staff was friendly and helpful. The water becomes more clear the farther up river you go, about 1-1.5 miles. Totally worth it!! read more

The Kayak Shack - Sand bar! - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

Awesome kayak rental. Yes if you've never kayaked before it could be a bit much as you go up river. you just need to follow the markers along the way and paddle, paddle, paddle. Tip for a new kayaker - watch the water ripples and stay closer to the shore when you see a heavy current. Makes it easier than fighting the current. We saw several manatees who swam along with us. Stopped along the way at the sand bars for a rest. the return is fast since you're just going with the flow. I would rent there again. read more

Nice people here and great location to launch. Boat was very clean. Restaurant right by this smelled fantastic. Nice day on the clear waters. read more

We really enjoyed coming here and paddle boarding up the Weeki Wachee River. The paddle boarding is some work, so I would recommend a kayak or canoe. Reservations were easy to make and I felt the prices were good. The only down side was the lady at check-in and taking care of payments - she was rude and barking at customers. Other than that, everyone else was polite, helpful, and fun to talk to. They did a super job monitoring the parking lot. read more

So my roommates and I decided to take a spontaneous day trip to weeki wachee and kayak. We went to the main kayak rental at the state park and they pretty much told us we had to book kayaks 2 weeks in advance. WHO CAN PLAN THAT FAR AHEAD WITH FLORIDA WEATHER!? Not us. So we panicked and called the kayak shack and THEY CAME THROUGH FOR US! The lady that answered told us she could snag us a few kayaks ASAP! So we sped over there, the family that owns the establishment greeted us with smiles and laughs and sent us on our way. It was a super quick process, they had really cute dogs that they let me cuddle with on the dock :) and they were very helpful getting our inexperienced butt safely in and out of the vessels. Highly recommend checking out the kayak shack if you're planning to visit weeki wachee. read more

The Kayak Shack - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

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Took my Dad for his bday a couple weeks ago. While we didn't see any manatees we had a great time! The water was beautiful. The attendees were great getting us in/out of the water. We had lunch next door and the food was really good. read more

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The venue is cozy the equipment was satisfactory and the staff was friendly. Unfortunately they are located at the bottom of the river which means you have to paddle upstream to get to main spring / State Park where the water is the clearest. Although the the cost of a 2 person kayak was only $35 I would have gladly paid more if they offered to transport customers to the top of the river. read more

My family and I absolutely loved our experience at Weeki Wachee and the Kayak Shack made it possible. We knew 4th of July would be busy so we called ahead of time and reserved 2 canoes for $40 each. Canoes seat up to 3 people. No credit card needed for the reservation, just our names. Upon arriving there was quite a bit of hustle and bustle, we were instructed to park in the free lot next to the shack. Once signing up and paying our money we hoped in the van and were guided up the river several miles. You are allowed to bring coolers with food drinks etc but note they WILL open your coolers checking for alcohol. We had to wait quite a while for all kayaks and canoes to be unloaded which was a bit frustrating but once we were on the water all the frustration went away. This is a 5.5 mile trip down the river. The current is strong in many areas so you can float down just using your paddles to guide your canoe. I'm not gonna lie, it took us girls a few miles to get the hang of it. We ran into the river banks and trees on several occasions lol. You can stop wherever you choose to take a dip in the water, eat your lunch, just take in your surroundings. We saw otters, tons of fish, manatees, birds and turtles. Thank goodness no snakes!! We had such a fantastic time, I already can not wait to return, it's great family fun. read more

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This is one of the better boat rentals in Weeki Wachee. Its located right next to the Upper Deck, across from Roger's Park. Each 1-person kayak is $35. After you pay a shuttle will take you to the launching point on the Weeki Wachee River. It's approximately 6 miles downstream. It took us 5 hours to float down the river to Rogers Park, but we weren't in any rush. You can easily get down in 3 hours if the current is flowing faster or you put minimal effort in it. Keep in mind that during the summer and weekend, Weeki Wachee gets crowded. There are people on motorized boats, airboats, kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards going up and down the river. You will run into people if you're a novice and sometimes even if you have experience. The ride is pretty good. I've seen Manatees a couple times but they are usually out in the morning. There is a couple spots near the end where you can climb up a tree and jump off into the water. Sometimes you're see wildlife and sometimes you won't. I've seen a couple birds and turtles. If you come in the afternoon, make sure you pick The Kayak Shack. Reason: they let you stay out longer without paying an additional fee. I didn't realize this until I saw the signs on some other rental places. Many of them charge an extra $35-$50 if you come back after 5:30. The Kayak Shack lets you stay out until 7PM. The owner is a really cool and mellow guy who lives in the area. read more

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We have been kayaking the Weeki Wachee for years. After a disappointing excursion with another company, we went to the Kayak Shack. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend!!!! We saw so many manatee and everyone at the Kayak Shack was fun and amazing. Cannot say enough about this operation!!!! read more

The Kayak Shack - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

Great place to rent a kayak and boat down the Weeki Wachi river. The only thing that ruined it a tiny bit is the amount of dead ends and canals. Overall it is really good. read more

This place takes their last launch at noon, so hurry on over there! They were on the ball and so helpful. We had an excellent afternoon kayaking the river that will soon be full of manatees! It is a little hard paddling upstream with the current, but worth it. Lots of people were out kayaking (even some with dogs, how cool!) We had a great time and will totally be back! read more

I'm writing this review for those who might get scared or put off by the 5-hour timeframe mentioned by many reviewers that it takes to kayak this 5.5-mile kayaking adventure. As a first time single rider kayaker, I was a bit nervous after reading all the reviews on here and Tripadvisor that it takes about 5 hours to kayak the 5.5-mile route from the entrance of Weeki Wachee State Park back to The Kayak Shack. There are some reviews stating that if one does not stop, the route would take approximately 3 hours. Even the female parking attendant yesterday at The Kayak Shack told us "3 hours if you don't stop". So we were mentally and physically prepared for at least 180 minutes workout. We brought snacks and tons of water with us. We made sure were fully prepared. The tour from start to finish ONLY took us 1 hour and 45 minutes. This included the van transport to the head of the springs and the short wait for the staff to launch our kayaks. So please don't be scared!! It can be done much quicker if need be. We didn't stop to beach or swim. We didn't see any manatees. The river was super busy. But nonetheless, we had an AMAZING time enjoying nature whilst getting some light exercise during this adventure. We did stop and watch some 20 something kayakers do some acrobatic ropes swings. Good times!! The Kayak Shack staff were all so easy and friendly. The reservation process was simple. We were even 1 hour late for our reservation as we were coming from afar. It wasn't a problem. But I did give the business a courtesy call to let them know. Amber, the owner, was always the person I spoke to when I called. We will definitely come back for a leisurely kayak, maybe even SUP next time. We will be using The Kayak Shack again. We are also bringing friends along with us next time. Maybe next time, we will go during the weekday. Hopefully, it won't be so busy & and the manatees will come out to I'm writing this review for those who might get scared or put off by the 5-hour timeframe mentioned by many reviewers that it takes to kayak this 5.5-mile kayaking adventure. As a first time single rider kayaker, I was a bit nervous after reading all the reviews on here and Tripadvisor that it takes about 5 hours to kayak the 5.5-mile route from the entrance of Weeki Wachee State Park back to The Kayak Shack. There are some reviews stating that if one does not stop, the route would take approximately 3 hours. Even the female parking attendant yesterday at The Kayak Shack told us "3 hours if you don't stop". So we were mentally and physically prepared for at least 180 minutes workout. We brought snacks and tons of water with us. We made sure were fully prepared. The tour from start to finish ONLY took us 1 hour and 45 minutes. This included the van transport to the head of the springs and the short wait for the staff to launch our kayaks. So please don't be scared!! It can be done much quicker if need be. We didn't stop to beach or swim. We didn't see any manatees. The river was super busy. But nonetheless, we had an AMAZING time enjoying nature whilst getting some light exercise during this adventure. We did stop and watch some 20 something kayakers do some acrobatic ropes swings. Good times!! The Kayak Shack staff were all so easy and friendly. The reservation process was simple. We were even 1 hour late for our reservation as we were coming from afar. It wasn't a problem. But I did give the business a courtesy call to let them know. Amber, the owner, was always the person I spoke to when I called. We will definitely come back for a leisurely kayak, maybe even SUP next time. We will be using The Kayak Shack again. We are also bringing friends along with us next time. Maybe next time, we will go during the weekday. Hopefully, it won't be so busy & and the manatees will come out to play. Tip: Watch for Mile Markers on your left to Rogers Park. That will guide you back to The Kayak Shack. read more

The Kayak Shack - Thank you for a beautiful day in the river. - Boating Near Me - Weeki Wachee, Florida

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We were a group of 8 we rented 3 double kayaks and two singles I have to admit my first time kayaking to my surprise I was able to carry my fridge and my package (as I mentioned was my first time ) and I was fascinated. Much more with the service and the immediate availability of Kayak Shack cause ( The Weekiwachee Park u have to reserve two weeks in advance ‍‍ ) call to book two days before and they were very friendly very attentive and they only asked me for the name the amount of kayak we needed the phone and at what time we will be arriving, they explained what it could take or not in the kayak and the cost . The highly recommended place excellent for the whole family I definitely come back thanks a thousand times . Everybody was nice the guy in the phone sorry don't take the names and the two lady's the one in the parking lot and the one in the chair to sign the papers all of you excellent service thanks read more

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BEAUTIFUL clear Caribbean color river. We had great dogs and saw manatees. We had a fabulous time!