Crystal River Kayak Company and Dive Center — Attraction in Crystal River

We booked last minute for me and my two kids (10 & 13). We rented the kayaks for 5 hours (vs 3 hours) and I’m so glad we did! We had a beautiful day on the water, and the extra time meant that we were not stressed about getting back quickly (which was good since we are not expert kayakers!). The water was calm and it was mostly easy paddling so we were not overly tired at the end of the day.

One advantage to booking with this company is the proximity of their dock to the Three Sisters spring, which meant that we were able to go there on the way out and on the way back, which was really lovely and a nice way to both start and end the day.

Because we booked last minute, we were not able to join a tour, and in the end, I think it was better as we were on our own timetable and could adjust as we wanted to. However, I did not find the dock staff very helpful in terms of providing us with guidance on where to go /what to do with our time. They gave us a laminated map, pointed out a couple of key spots and said how long it would take to get to each one. It felt rushed and basic, even though there was no one behind us/no one waiting. They could easily have taken a few more minutes to give us a better explanation/ better advice on what to expect, what to look for, etc.

Otherwise, though, we had a fabulous day and I would highly recommend this as a day activity for anyone in the area. It was well worth the 1hr+ drive to get there!

The Three Sisters spring was gorgeous and we saw a variety of wildlife as we paddled around. Some tour guides from other companies gave us some tips and local info, so that was great. Even though it was off season for the manatees, we were lucky enough to be able to interact naturally with one of the resident moms and her baby manatee on the way back - those 10-15 minutes were definitely the highlight of the day! The weather was beautiful and the location is lovely. I imagine it can get pretty crowded around the manatees during the season. I’m glad we had the kayaks and could explore on our own.

The office staff was very helpful at every stage (before booking, check in, check out, etc). They were friendly and helpful and made us feel welcome.

Overall a fantastic experience!...

The location and easy access to Kings Bay and Three Sisters gives this place 5 stars…my experience today knocked it down to 2 stars. (Lack of response knocked it down to 1 star.)

I am back for my 4th winter this winter, and visited this place twice this week to paddle, snorkel and/or scuba.

The behavior of Jennifer and Kenzi, the office staff, at the end of my second trip today, is why I rate this place 2 stars...for now. And this needs to be brought to management’s attention ASAP. I expect a response, given I just spent a good amount of money on gear at your location, just on Monday. In fact, nearly $200+ - a mask, snorkel and fins. Not cheap. (Clearly I shall purchase my BCD and Regulator elsewhere!)

Today, I brought my friend with me to scuba 3 sisters, as we just got our diving certifications.

To start the day, I gladly helped Kenzi retrieve a kayak that had drifted from the dock, when she asked for help. I jumped in the water, and swam it back to her, just to be helpful. It’s what I do.

Afterwards, we got off the water to end our trip, and were packing the car in the company parking lot, when Kenzi walked up to our car and said “Hey Tommy, this is from Jen!” And THREW a tiny object at Tommy.

It was a necklace pendant, and I don’t care what past relationship it was about, but to say this was unprofessional on both Jen’s and Kenzi’s part, is putting it MILDLY.

We are paying customers. If you want to be drama, please keep that away from my paying experience and away from me.

Should this behavior continue, or I don’t receive some kind of apology from management for this asinine behavior, I’m sure to change my review and rating.

Please keep it professional. I live my life to enjoy the great outdoors and see all that I can see, not to experience drama 🎭 with employees of a location in which I spend my well earned...

We had a great experience with Crystal River Kayak & Dive Center. From their online website we reserved a single kayak and the ability to launch my personal SUP from their dock at 8:30am the next morning. We wanted to be at 3-Sisters Springs before the crowds as the paddle to the springs from their dock is about 15 minutes as compared to 45 minutes from all other rental places. Arrived at their locked gates at 7:45am, gates opened at 8am and we were the 1st group on the water by 8:30am. We saw a momma and baby manatee from the dock at takeoff! The paddle was beautiful and serine passing under a tunnel, below a road and behind private residences until arrival at the 3 Sisters Springs. We were the second group to arrive at the springs filled with huge schools of mullet fish, but no manatees since we were in off-season. The spring was crystal clear, refreshing and beautiful at about 72 degrees. We had a good 30-45 minutes to enjoy the springs to ourselves before the masses of loud tour groups arrived and the mullet fish left the springs. Would highly recommend this company as their location is perfect, staff was nice and helpful along with their equipment being in great shape. Arrive early with SUP's pre-inflated if possible and a dry bag for anything important.

Note: You cannot tie up a kayak or SUP inside the springs and must hang onto them or tie up outside. Only single kayaks or SUPs can be tied up within the spring; dual kayaks and clear kayaks cannot be tied up within the spring at all according to...