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This was the best tour I’ve ever been on, of any kind. The guide was so passionate and knowledgeable. He showed us a bunch of kayaking tips so if you’ve never done it before this is a great tour. I didn’t see any other groups taking the time to do that. I have my own kayaks back home and I learned a few new things from him. He explained the ecosystem and let us hold a a starfish, a sea snail of some kind, and a sponge. He showed us things we would have never noticed under the water. There is a part in the mangroves where the water speeds up and he told us exactly how to navigate it before we got up to it.…
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Date of experience: February 2021
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Bobby and his team were great fun! They were safety-minded, patient, and made our paddleboard adventure one for the memory books! Highly recommended!
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Date of experience: February 2021
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All equipment was provided. We just brought a water bottle for each person and our guide Collin brought the fun, adventure and knowledge of the local area and wildlife. He did an amazing job of answering any questions and guiding our group through the mangroves. Collin brought alot of cool facts and wildlife to our groups attention that I don't know if other groups would ever get. When we were done Collin had a little souvenir for each of the little kids. He was a great guy and the company seemed to be well run. I would highly recommend taking a trip with Sarasota Pattleboard Company if you are ever in the area.…
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Date of experience: February 2021
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We had a great overview of paddle boarding, safety etc. from Bobby, then went out. We were surprised and overjoyed to see a manatee a few feet from out boards. I got so excited - tried to take a photo - my friend even fell overboard in our excitement. We followed him for awhile and then went to rest on the beach. Tried again to no avail, but the day was beautiful, the paddle boards awesome and the experience unforgettable.…
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Date of experience: February 2021
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We kayaked on a led tour through the mangrove tunnels of Lido Key (launching from Ted Sperling Preserve) and would have to call this a huge highlight of our vacation. Go on a guided tour, or you may miss much. We kayaked with Colin, who has an exceptional command of the history of the island, the coolest routes through the tunnels, and most amazingly, what he describes as amateur study of marine biology and its life forms on the key. Unless you are a marine biologist...it will seem to you he has a PhD in the subject matter. He constantly observed and pulled out of the water starfish, sea puppies (which we’d never heard of), coral, crabs, and other small marine fauna that seemed exotic to us landlubbers. We could gently touch some before they were returned to water. I have no idea how he could spot these in brackish water. It made the excursion a delight, and felt very much like an effort to go the extra mile to make our experience memorable and unique. The canopy of mangroves overhead feels surreal. We were all novice skill level, but with direction from Colin, were quite quickly comfortable with the physical process including getting in / out of boat, stabilizing, and paddle strokes. No one capsized :) The experience was so positive we are considering kayak purchases for future use. This tour and outfitter is a definite recommend! …
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Date of experience: February 2021
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