Get Up And Go Kayaking - Crystal River — Local services in Dade City

Two-Star Review for Get Up and Go Kayaking - Crystal Springs Tour

I recently participated in the Crystal Springs tour with Get Up and Go Kayaking, and while I had high hopes, my experience fell short. First off, I want to commend the customer service during the booking process, which was five stars. However, the actual tour left much to be desired.

We drove three hours specifically to see the manatees, which we did! The spring is blocked off making it hard to see water is dirty and murky nothing like website photos. experience was disappointing. The description of the kayaking process was not accurate, and the location did not match the beautiful photos posted online or on their Facebook page. The water was dirty, and even with the glass-bottom kayaks, visibility was poor.

Our tour guide, Crosby, seemed disinterested and unhappy to be there, which impacted the overall atmosphere. After the first 30 minutes, he disappeared, leaving us feeling like it was more of a self-guided tour. If anyone had gotten stuck or needed assistance, there was no way for him to know until we returned to the starting point, where nobody was even waiting for us. He unloaded the rest of the group as they came in I’m sure and was up top we unloaded ourselves.

The tour also misrepresented the environment; we were led to believe we’d be in a calm, contained area, but instead, we found ourselves in larger bodies of water with rough conditions and boats speeding by. The weather greatly influenced our experience, the wind made it more of a workout than the relaxing outing we anticipated. Tour guide never offered to get a photo of us or anything.

Overall, I wish the tour had been more in line with what was promised. It has potential, but improvements in communication and guidance tour guides that want to be there...

This was a bucket list trip of mine and it didn’t disappoint. The best time to see manatees is in winter and I thought their website did the best managing those expectations. We went in December and the day we planned to kayak, there were gale force winds. I spoke with Brittany who was super helpful and we got rescheduled for the next day. Our guide was Ryan who I thought did a great job. He was informative and it never felt rushed. I’m a beginner kayaker and I felt safe the entire time. The clear kayaks were cool because I could see when a manatee was right under us.

Advice: Go in the morning. We were told manatees are more active then. Expect to get some water on yourself. I dripped water on myself just paddling. I wore a swimsuit under athletic joggers and an athletic sweatshirt (moisture wicking) with swim-shoes. Other people in our group were in normal street clothes but I’m klutzy so I wanted to be prepared. (No, I never fell in thankfully lol) Pictures are hard to get unless you put your camera underwater. You can see the manatees better than your camera can. They provided a dry bag and that’s where I put my phone and keys. Bring a water bottle in case you get...

We are dissatisfied with the kayak tour we took yesterday. The website said 2 hours to 2 1/2 hours long. However, we came back in after an hour and 40 min. I understand that it isn’t a guarantee that we see manatees, but I would’ve wanted to at least try the full 2 1/2 hours.

In addition, my daughters had a difficult time kayaking and steering. We had a part of 4, totaling over $300! Although they tried their best, our tour guide was frustrated and upset that they kept veering towards the right side. Instead of helping, guiding, or teaching, he was upset and kept yelling to stay on the left! It was disappointing to get such a short tempered and unhelpful tour guide. If he could’ve been more patient and took us on the full length that we paid for, our experience could have been more enjoyable whether we sat manatees or not.

When I spoke to the manager, they were kind and apologetic and gave me a full refund. I’m grateful for the refund, however, a day and time out of my vacation with my kids is still lost. My review is not regarding the whole company, but only my tour experience with...