Kayaking Tours
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 94% of travelers
94% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$74
per adult
Paddles Outdoor Rentals
Paddles Outdoor Rentals
5
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
At Paddles Outdoor Rentals, we offer Kayak Rentals, Paddleboard Rentals, Water Bike Rentals, Clear Kayak Tours, Guided Kayak Eco-Tours, and Swim With Manatee Tours at the best prices in Crystal River. Largest inventory, the newest equipment, and the best customer service.
Crystal River, Florida
Tours and Tickets by Paddles Outdoor Rentals
Extreme Sports
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$74
per adult
Rentals
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$60
per group
Rentals
4 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 94% of travelers
94% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$50
per adult
Kayaking Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 95% of travelers
95% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$79
per adult
Travelers talk about
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
902 reviews
Excellent
809
Very good
40
Average
24
Poor
16
Terrible
13
Rachel Y
Atlanta, GA10 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
I had an impromptu trip to Crystal River with my teenage son and some friends. Our itinerary and rental needs weren’t well planned out and I needed last minute reservations for some equipment, including wetsuits and kayak paddles. I can’t tell you how much I appreciated Paddles Outdoor Rentals! They were incredibly flexible and understanding about changes in my reservation. Their facility was nice, clean, convenient and the equipment was in great shape. The staff were extremely helpful in getting us the correct size wetsuits. I highly recommend Paddles Outdoor Rentals for any equipment, tours, etc and I will definitely use them again!
Written January 20, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad you had a great experience from start to finish with our company. Customer service is our number one goal and are happy you enjoyed yourself so much. Come back and see us again in the future and thanks again for your awesome review :)
Written January 21, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jill G
Asheville, NC33 contributions
Apr 2021 • Family
We had a great experience with this family owned adventure company. The first thing you will notice is a cute and well maintained gift shop with a nice array of quality merchandise. The bathroom and changing rooms are clean. The folks that work here were so accommodating as we had to change our reservation time a few times due to weather/scheduling conflicts. The bikes are very stable and fun to ride but it can be more challenging on a windier day. It was easy to get around the bay and head to some springs. We got to spot a manatee swimming in clear water. The high vantage point makes it easier to spot them than when you are in a kayak. Our 9 year old wasn’t quite tall enough to pedal, but she was able to ride with her dad and they refunded us her bike rental. We highly recommend the water bikes but mostly we recommend this great company!
Written April 2, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are so glad that you had a wonderful experience on our water bikes. We really try to create an environment at our shop and our launch location that we personally like when we travel. Our philosophy from top to bottom is definitely to treat our guests EXACTLY the way we like to be treated when we are traveling around the world.
Thanks again for spending the day with us and we hope to see you back again :)
Written April 11, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Stephen K
7 contributions
Apr 2021
All of the organized manatee cruises were booked for the week we were in Crystal River over Spring Break. Our simple solution was to rent our own kayaks and make our own manatee cruise/swim. Paddles was able to help with that plan. We had 1 adult and 3 kids (9, 7, and 5). They suggested a triple kayak and one single. We booked a 3 hour rental and met at the shop. This ended up being much less expensive than the other manatee tours. You will be asked to watch a short video about the rules of going into the springs with the manatees. Once you sign a few waiver forms, you are off to Kings Bay Park. You will need to pay for parking ($5.00 for all day). Once there, meet up with the Paddles truck and they will take you to the kayak launch, they put the kayak on the launch platform. They have a map of the waterway to Three Sister Springs and nearby canals where most of the manatees are. We paddled our way following the map. The path to follow was easy and we were quickly into the canals and close to the springs. There were a lot of other kayaks. Keep an eye out for the manatees. We went out on Wednesday, 4/7 so it was after prime manatee viewing season. We did see several manatees in the canals, some swam directly under our kayaks. We travelled to Three Sisters Springs. Once there, you can enter the spring by kayak or chose to swim in. As it was crowded, we chose to swim in. If you chose to swim in, there is a place to tie up your kayak just outside of the springs. The water feels pretty cold even though someone told me it was about 72. The spring waters are very clear! Luckily I had no trouble getting back into the kayak, but a lot of others struggled to get back into their kayaks. The ride back to the launch site was nice. If you have time you can explore other canals and the Hunter Springs Park area (all on the map). We got back to Kings Bay Park and the Paddles staff helped get the kayaks back onto the launch area and us out of the kayaks. They took care of the kayaks from there. The kids enjoyed the kayaking very much and the 8 year old was able to handle the single kayak on his own. The Paddles staff was great and helped to make an enjoyable trip to Crystal River even better!
Written April 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much Stephen for your 5-star review and for taking the time to share your experience with us here at Paddles. We are thrilled you and your family enjoyed yourselves paddling all around and finding the map to be helpful. We look forward to having you all back here with us again soon :)
Written May 11, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Larry D
1 contribution
Jan 2021 • Couples
The experience was not at all what we expected. The whole thing was disorganized and no clear directions. At the office,, there was no control of occupancy in the building during this pandemic. Also, a "tip of 15% was asked before any service was rendered."
The directions were unclear and we had difficulty finding parking. Paying parking. Ranger came, unmasked, to assist. Then no clear point to "find" our vessels (kayaks). At water front no masks or social distancing at all.. Was instructed since windy to go to the first cove ( which EVERYONE was instructed to go there, so, the cove was extremely crowded.)
More time was spent avoiding, boats, divers, other kayaks, paddle boards, etc....so, impossible to view any manatees even IF there had been any there.
By the way, we wore mask, office people masked, other customer were masked. However, the employees assisting customers in and out of vessels who wrre in your face were NOT masked! I cannot recommend spending your money or time, or health safety with this outfit at all.
The fact that we avoided a navigational disaster on the water was only due to our own skill set.
Very expensive lesson learned.
The directions were unclear and we had difficulty finding parking. Paying parking. Ranger came, unmasked, to assist. Then no clear point to "find" our vessels (kayaks). At water front no masks or social distancing at all.. Was instructed since windy to go to the first cove ( which EVERYONE was instructed to go there, so, the cove was extremely crowded.)
More time was spent avoiding, boats, divers, other kayaks, paddle boards, etc....so, impossible to view any manatees even IF there had been any there.
By the way, we wore mask, office people masked, other customer were masked. However, the employees assisting customers in and out of vessels who wrre in your face were NOT masked! I cannot recommend spending your money or time, or health safety with this outfit at all.
The fact that we avoided a navigational disaster on the water was only due to our own skill set.
Very expensive lesson learned.
Written January 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you SO much for taking the time to give us your AMAZING review of our company! First off KAREN, we do not ASK for tips, there is an option when checking out through Square to leave a tip, which is customary in the service and travel industry. Evidently you do not get out much and we HIGHLY recommend you continue to stay home as you can not handle being outside in public. As you stated, our employees wore masks in the shop and other guests were wearing masks even though it is not required to make people more comfortable. We 1,000,000% will not make our employees at our launch area wear masks OUTSIDE on a 75 degree day!!! We fully understand there is Covid going on which is why we do not shuttle all customers now. We also have ipads for customers to watch the mandatory safety videos OUTSIDE if you choose. We sterilize everything and take precautions for our guests. As far as the amount of people, you chose the BUSIEST WEEK OF THE YEAR!!!!! What do you think would happen?!?!?!? Have the entire waterways to yourself??? Your other comment about going to a different area is for your SAFETY!!! It is unbelievable that someone like yourself could be so unhappy during such an awesome day outside. One last thing, please NEVER come back to visit us again.. Do not send friends, do not send family members as anyone with your horrible attitude is not welcome in our facilities.
Thanks again for your awesome review and can you please take the time to switch your rating to a 1 star instead of 2? We would GREATLY appreciate that. Thanks again - Chris, the owner :)
Written January 4, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Christine Lozada
San Diego, CA188 contributions
Dec 2020 • Family
I’m so happy to have found Paddles Outdoors Rental’s and have used their services several times. The owner Chris and all his staff are fun but very professional in making sure my experience was always unforgettable. My last rental for kayaks was when my parents arrived from California and wanted to experience the manatees. December weather is cold but the waters are always 72 degrees. However, for comfort, we were provided wet suits and Jessica ensured my parents were doing well and they had an experience of a lifetime! Afterwards, hot chocolate was provided. I’m so happy they’ll go home with memories they’ll never forget!!
Written December 11, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much Christine for choosing us again for your adventure with your parents. As always, it is so nice to see you and big Lou in our shop. Your parents were amazing and I hope they come back to visit us again the next time they come to Florida. Thanks again for being awesome and we look forward to seeing you again soon :)
Written December 22, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Steve
Ruskin, FL39 contributions
Nov 2020 • Couples
From the moment we booked, to check in, gear up & orientation, return, and especially the time with our guide Hunter, everyone at Paddles was friendly and professional. Our tour was very pleasant and relaxing. We highly recommend Paddles and would definitely spend a day with them again.
Written November 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for acknowledging our awesome staff! We ALL work very hard on making sure our guests have the best time possible on the water. Hunter and our other guides are very knowledgeable about the ecosystem here in Crystal River. Please come back to visit us again soon and tell all of your friends about us :)
Written December 11, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nancy R
1 contribution
Feb 2020 • Friends
Seven of us (family and friends) took our kayaks and canoe to Hunter Springs to see the manatees. Josh from Paddleoutdoors was at the launch helping anyone and everyone in and out of the water with their boats. He was especially friendly and very helpful with the our launching and coming back to shore. He had great tips for us to maximize our Manatee watch. We offered him a monetary tip, but he respectfully declined. He told us he was a senior at Crystal River HS, and he worked for his Uncle Chris. Wonderful young man!
Written February 4, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I read this review to Josh and let me tell you how proud we are of not only him but all of our staff (family). We always try to do the right thing and help people every chance that we get. Thank you for taking the time to write this amazing review for Josh and thanking him. We ALL greatly appreciate it!
Written February 5, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ana G
Winter Springs, FL10 contributions
Dec 2023 • Family
What an amazing day trip we had with Josh! He took a small group of people on the cleat kayaks and we saw so many manatees! He also took amazing pictures of our group that made the entire thing memorable! This company it’s worth every penny
Written December 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for taking your tour with Josh and your kind words. We greatly appreciate your business and look forward to seeing you again in the future :)
Written January 14, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mary T
Coventry, United States5 contributions
Nov 2022 • Couples
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of Shell Key with our guide, Josh! He did a great job throughout and took us to a beautiful area of beach where we found an abundance of shells and starfishes. Josh was very knowledgeable about all the birds and nature we saw. We learned a lot and really enjoyed the beauty of the preserve. I would highly recommend this tour!
I would highly suggest using sunscreen and bringing water shoes, water, and a hat.
I would highly suggest using sunscreen and bringing water shoes, water, and a hat.
Written November 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your experience of your tour with Josh at Shell Key Preserve. We are so glad you enjoyed your trip! Josh is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about this beautiful area and strives to make sure each of his guests have a fun, educational and memorable time out there with him.
Written December 5, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
lori
Carmel, IN7 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
Kyle was fantastic! Within minutes of being on the water we saw dolphins! He pointed and described so many of the local birds (including a bald eagle!). Once we got to the springs, he was very helpful in pointing out different manatees, as well as how to spot them ourselves. We were able to visit 2 different manatee preserves in our tour. The entire time he was taking photos and videos for us as well. Overall, this was a fantastic tour. We would definitely do it again the next time we are in town!
Written January 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We love how you described your experience with Kyle. It sounded like you had a great tour and were able to see what this area has to offer. Manatees, bald eagle, dolphins... What a great day!!! Thanks again for your kind words and we look forward to seeing you again in the future :)
Written January 14, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Can a person exit a rented kayak to swim around manatees, if they follow the guidelines for interaction? How close is rental site to where manatees are most likely found? Thanks!
Written January 18, 2020
Hello Jason, we offer a Swim With Manatees tour to have an in-water guide to follow the correct way to interact with manatees. There are two videos to watch from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife department that descibes how to interact with manatees and is reqiuired to watch if renting equipment or taking a tour with us. We follow all guidelines for the safety of the manatees and our guests. As far as where there are manatees, some days they are within 50 feet of where we launch. Other days you might have to paddle 400-1500 yards to spot a manatee. It all depends on time of year, the water temperature, the tides, and the rest is up to the manatees to show up to be seen.
Written January 18, 2020
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